Open City Employee Says She Was Fired for Confronting a Customer About a Trump 2020 Pin

[TexasTowelie]

An employee at a D.C. coffee shop located on the grounds of the National Cathedral says she was fired after telling a customer that the Trump 2020 pin she was wearing made her feel uncomfortable. But the company behind the café says they terminated the employee for other reasons, and their investigation into the pin incident had been in response to the subsequent negative social media attention. They, like other local establishments, are navigating divisive politics in their spaces following the 2016 election.

The 22-year-old employee asked to be identified only by her first name, Hannah, out of a fear that future employment opportunities could be jeopardized. She says she was working behind the register of Open City at the National Cathedral on Friday, July 26 when two women came up to order.

“I was very friendly,” Hannah says, even recommending menu items. The two women were paying when Hannah noticed one of them had a Trump 2020 pin on her backpack. “I cooled down,” Hannah says, adding that the woman noticed and asked her what was wrong.

“I said, ‘I don’t appreciate you wearing that pin,’” Hannah recounts. The two women then requested a refund from Hannah’s manager, which was granted, before leaving.

Read more: https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/food/article/21080890/open-city-employee-says-she-was-fired-for-confronting-a-customer-about-trump-2020-pin

[stopdiggin]

1. correct response is

"Here's your change. Have a nice day" If you want to talk politics, save it for the bar after work.

[Jake Stern]

2. Working in retail and food service for over two decades

I've waited on all kinds of people, including people whose political views didn't mesh with mine. I've handled transactions with folks that had swastika tats and folks that came in wearing gang colors. I've served people who stunk so bad it took every ounce of will power not to barf. I've had customers that pissed me off so bad that I went in the back and spent almost my entire lunch break punching big bags of flour to get the frustration out.

But I served them all with the same level of politeness. That was my job. I kept my opinions to myself and let it out in the breakroom. If a customer was somebody I simply couldn't deal with a manager was called in.

She had options other than tossing in her two cents. If it really made her that uncomfortable she could have gotten a manager to complete the transaction or another employee to do it.