Zero Tolerance Policies = Zero Intelligence & Zero Management

Just read where a Home Depot accused a man of shoplifting after borrowing a pencil and forgetting to return it! Most businesses give away pens and pencils with their names on them, Home Depot has to decide whether or not to call the police.

This story just shows how management, in one of those Dilbert pointy-haired moments, decides on a zero-tolerance rule instead of allowing common sense and thinking. I do understand the thinking that leads to not giving minimum wage employees the power to decide where the rules can be bent, but forcing employees into 100% compliance of any policy is a sign that management that has given up on managing people and is telling its employees, “We do not trust you to make good decisions.”

This reminds me of the stories you hear about kids bringing GI Joe size pistols to school and being suspended because the school has a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy regarding bringing weapons to school. The problem is not the person enforcing the rule - the managers who wrote the policy should be fired.

I just made a small purchase at Home Depot. I plan on returning it and letting them know that I will be shopping at Lowe’s for the next year. For all I know I may have picked up a pencil there - or maybe even one of those little plastic parts bags to keep the parts in that I was buying replacements for.

I would thing some of Home Depot’s competitors should start handing out pencils at their doors inscribed with some clever slogan like: “We appreciate our customers - Have a pencil on us”

Here is the AP News story

METHUEN, Mass. – Home Depot Inc. apologized to a carpenter who was banned by the chain after he absent-mindedly pocketed a pencil he had used up to do some quick math.

Michael Panorelli, 51, of Lawrence, Mass., was accused of shoplifting from an area store Thursday and banned from all Home Depots.

Mr. Panorelli was with a client and had just bought some lumber when the client picked up a pencil sitting next to a cash register for Mr. Panorelli to use. Mr. Panorelli pocketed the pencil and was met in the parking lot by an employee who asked for identification.

The worker presented Mr. Panorelli with one letter saying he was banned from Home Depot, and another advising that he would be hearing from the company’s lawyers. The story appeared in the local newspaper.

On Sunday, Home Depot issued a written apology, saying the incident was prompted by a narrow interpretation of its zero-tolerance shoplifting rules.

“We will not be pursuing any claims against Mr. Panorelli for this incident,” the statement said. “We welcome Mr. Panorelli back as a customer in our stores at any time.”

But the carpenter said he wouldn’t return. “Why should I put money in someone’s pocket when they treat me like this?”