'This guy generates $1M+ in sales': High-performing salesman requests a replacement for a $15 computer part; boss refuses until it's ‘completely broken’, salesman retaliates by smashing his equipment

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Aug 18, 2023 10:00 AM EDT

Top performing employees deserve top performing equipment. Any successful businessman knows that a company is only as strong as its heavy hitters, so why is it that micromanaging bosses are so obsessed with pinching pennies to save mere morsels on the sales floor when they could potentially be risking missions in losses? In this case, one salesman reached his limit with a cheap, micromanaging boss and asserted his clout over the company funds. 

As the highest grossing salesman in the company, OP was generating millions in sales annually for the company, raking in tons of cash for the business. You'd think that this particular salesman's needs would be met to the fullest, but his manager had bottom-line expenses in mind. After requesting an equipment replacement for a faulty computer mouse, OP was flabbergasted when his manager deemed the mouse insufficiently broken to be replaced. 

Scroll for the full story on how this salesman lost his cool when his manager refused to replace a $15 computer part until it was 'completely broken'. Next, read about this tale of a traveler who gets back at his obnoxious neighbors on a flight by tying their shoelaces to the seat. Good luck disembarking the plane!

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  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/BlahLick 1 day ago Let me know when it stops working completely... S OC s
    via BlahLick
  • 02
    Font - Worked for a company selling Electrical Control gear and a specialist sales rep went to the Managing Director (MD) to say his mouse was malfunctioning intermittently and needs replacement
    via BlahLick
  • 03
    Font - MD says "When it stops working completely let me know and we'll replace it." Now to give some context we're talking about a $15-35AU
    via BlahLick
  • 04
    Font - item and this guy generates $1M+ in sales annually. The more astute reader will know what happens next. Sales rep looks the MD do ed in the eye as if to say well if that's how you want to play it.
    via BlahLick
  • 05
    Font - Doesn't miss a beat and hurls the mouse at the hard floor violently so it disintegrates spectacularly. "Yeah it's stopped working completely, I'll need a new mouse"
    via BlahLick
  • 06
    Human body - Boss shocked - then with a look of resignation - I did that to myself!
    via BlahLick
  • 07
    Font - shaggyscoob 20 hr. ago I hate that sh.p. The guys whose jobs are to provide materiel and parts for the people who do the shit that makes the place work who act like you asked them to donate a
    via shaggyscoob
  • 08
    Plant - kidney every time you ask them to do what their fing job is. Like they get a cut of the savings by stiffing the front line people or something.
    via haggyscoob
  • 09
    Rectangle - xixoxixa 19 hr. ago . I had a supply guy in the army whose reply to every request was "not my job".
    via xixoxixa
  • 10
    Rectangle - gooseberryfalls +2 - 1 day ago . Malicious? Yes Compliance? Yes Destroying company property? Yes 10/10 need more of this
    via gooseberryfalls
  • 11
    Product - donethemath 1 day ago +1. Nah, it pretty clearly cost $15-35AU
    via donethemath
  • 12
    Font - PoetryOfLogicalIdeas 18 hr. ago Which is a lot cheaper than paying this high value employee to screw around with an ineffective mouse for a week until it completely dies.
    via PoetryOfLogicalIdeas
  • 13
    Font - smokinbbq +2. 1 day ago Seen this at work once. Working in a support department, there's a few "servers" in the area that we all use for different scenario's. Once of them
    via smokinbbq
  • 14
    Font - has a wonky keyboard on it, and as this one guy is working on a complicated and stressful situation, the keyboard is acting up, and he finally loses it, picks it up, and smashes it over his knee.
    via smokinbbq
  • 15
    Font - Buttons and keys go flying everywhere, everyone looks at him and it's hilarious.
    via smokinbbq
  • 16
    Font - IT department came down. hard on him, and had a huge fit over it, but essentially nothing happened and he got a new keyboard.
    via smokinbbq
  • 17
    Font - verkauft 1 day ago I remember once the boss was to cheap to buy new tools (electrician). Co worker took a angle grinder to his worn pliers and cut them in half... He finally got new pliers.
    via verkauft
  • 18
    Automotive lighting - Sharp_Coat3797 Manager did it to himself +2 23 hr. ago
    via Sharp_Coat3797
  • 19
    Font - Greedy_Wolverine_99 1 day ago I thought this was going a different direction: he would have to keep using the mouse, and would lose a lot of sales because of the mouse
    via Greedy_Wolverine_99
  • 20
    Rectangle - AdmiralSplinter +1 23 hr. ago That would've likely cut into his own commissions
    via AdmiralSplinter
  • 21
    Font - ReactsWithWords +4 22 hr. ago That's where I assumed this was going - THAT would be malicious compliance; this is just malicious.
    via ReactsWithWords
  • 22
    Font - Just_Aioli_1233 +2.3 hr. ago Yep, get confirmation from boss in an email, document the cost to the company, and send updated charts each week until you get a new mouse.
    via Just_Aioli_1233
  • 23
    Font - NYChillen 20 hr. ago I read somewhere else, "the savings are really easy to predict, but the costs aren't. " on pinching pennies
    via NYChillen
  • 24
    Computer keyboard - Esc 100 F1 11 Caps Lock Shim Q CM E 15 €
    via u/canva

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salesman boss micromanager manager malicious compliance work micromanaging sales broken reddit thread Reddit
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