Complaint Review: Dillards Department Stores Inc.

I hired on with Dillards in Feb., 2009. I did not apply for this position, I applied as a sales associate. But, I had uploaded my resume, and evidently the corporate office in Ft. Worth got hold of it and took notice. They had been looking for a store-level engineer for some time. They described the position to me and asked if I would be interested. Of course, I said. The hours were much better (when there were no emergency call-ins, which as it turned out there were MANY), and the pay was better than associates.

I was sent to another store for 3 days of "training", which was in actuality, 3 days of maximum information overload... if anyone could retain as much as 10% of the information thrown at us, they are extremely lucky. I learned what a chiller is. I learned what a breaker panel is. I learned what electrical contactors are... etc. However, I learned zilch about how to troubleshoot or repair such things. And there were many, many other things to learn, about lighting, HVAC, area temperatures, supply temps, return air temps, cleaning A/C coils, installing security cameras, yadah yadah.

I received NO training whatsoever in any of those areas. I crawled around in the dark for 5 months, learning as I went. The 200-300 associates, asst. mgrs., dock workers, etc., told me I was the best store engineer they had seen in they couldn't remember when. My immediate predecessor had a reputation for sitting on his a$$, reading a newspaper or magazine. His demise finally came when he lost his temper at the store manager, and said some things which could rightfully be construed as insubordination.

So, he was fired. It was at least 3-4 months until they hired me after that. Before my predecessor, the store engineer was known for smoking pot in the penthouse (mechanical room upstairs where the climate control chillers are kept). The co. put a camera in a box to catch him in the act at that also. He was also known to drink alcohol on the job. The Visual Manager of the store said that one time he saw the man sitting inside his Jeep in the parking lot with the engine turned off, in 104 degree F weather, passed out.

It is not hard to be better than these turkeys, but I REALLY took my job seriously, and I was very well liked by the people I worked with in the store... I got things DONE. I have spoken with my "big boss", Al McVea, a number of times on the phone, and being new, I admit I have not always felt terribly secure in my position. I would say something non-chalant such as, "I just want to make sure everything is right, so you'll keep me!" His answer each time was, "That goes without saying."

And then yesterday, out of the clear blue, he came from Ft. Worth to see me in San Antonio. I was somewhat excited, since I had a lot of respect for the man and enjoyed having discussions with him. He is very well educated, eloquent of speech and a pleasure to talk to. This time, however, his demeanor was different. I asked him, "what's up?" He answered, "It isn't good... I'm releasing you today."

Absolutely stunned, I asked him why? He answered it was because I wasn't "learning the job quickly enough." I told him that I'd had a conversation with my trainer from the other store, back when I had my 3 days of so-called "training". I asked the trainer, "Exactly how long did it take you, from the beginning until you felt secure in your position?" He said it took "2 years." And I reiterated that I've only been with the company for 5 MONTHS. McVea was silent. I asked McVea if he was simply going to let me go without so much as even a first warning?

His silence indicated that his answer was yes. I am more than a half-century old. I have many, many years of life experience which has allowed me to think through and remedy most situations I've run into in this job, including troubleshooting the chillers, the rooftop A/C units, lighting, fire sprinkler systems, fire alarms, computerized POS's (electronic cash registers and keypads) and many, many other systems. I have been completely loyal to this company, and have responded immediately to every single "emergency" call-in that there has been.

And, as I said, there have been MANY. I only got my first two-day weekend this past Sat. & Sun., in TWO months. McVea always said I needed to call him if there was a situation, or if there was any question as to what to do, or how to solve a problem if I was not sure, and he said he wanted to be kept in "the loop" that way as well. I never had to call him with the same question twice... I am a quick learner, and organized enough to keep volumes loaded with reference material. I feel screwed by Mr. McVea by his terminating my employment with no prior warning.

If I was so stupid that I couldn't learn the procedures, he would have known it long before 5 months had past. I no longer have a single microgram of respect for this man. He isn't respectable. Perhaps that is one of the job qualifications of his position as "Divisional Engineer".

Animal whisperer
San Antonio, Texas
U.S.A.