Walmart Employee Fired For ‘Gross’ Thing He Did There Every Day For 20 Years

A Walmart employee was reportedly fired for giving hugs and deals to customers.

A social media campaign was launched in support of Frank Swanson, a Missouri Walmart employee who was fired after giving customers hugs and working with them to get good deals.

“I was asking the ladies if I could give them hugs before I hugged them,” he told ATTN. “They said yes.”

Management reportedly asked him not to hug customers anymore unless they gave permission, but was fired even though many customers would oblige.

The incident that led to Swanson’s firing involved a customer who was trying to get a price match from a competitor. Swanson offered 50 cents off to match the competitor’s price.

“I was checking out a lady who had some iced tea,” he said. “Someone had it on sale in town.”

Walmart fired Swanson for giving the discount despite the fact that there was not ad presented to prove the price difference. 

“Frank drove to Willow Springs this morning and had them go back into their archived papers, and just like Frank remembered, [in the] bottom right corner [there was an ad for] Red Diamond Iced Tea on sale at G&W Willow Springs [for] $1.98 and [the Walmart Frank works at] price matches Willow Springs,” Swanson’s brother, Drexel, said. 

Walmart later responded to the firing in a statement.

“Letting an associate go is never easy. It is important to note that we have a progressive discipline policy where performance issues move an associate to the next step. For this associate, point-of-sale policies had not been followed in some instances. A recent violation of those policies moved the associate to the final step of our discipline process, resulting in his dismissal,” the statement read.

Many people called for the employee to be rehired after his firing.

“Walmart has been known to find any excuse to fire employees that are getting closer to retirement. No one ever retires from Walmart because the big box giant will find a way to fire them,” one Mad World News reader commented on the site’s Facebook page.

“Customer service, this employee delivered!! Walmart, you have great employees like this and you turn your back on them, shame on you!! Do the right thing like your employee did, honor your word!!” another wrote.

“Walmart only cares about the almighty $$$ not their customers! And most employees are rude so when you find one like him he is definitely a keeper! Prayers for him!” another added. 

Sources: ATTN, Mad World News/Facebook / Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons, Facebook via ATTN