I have been an awesome employee for Supercuts for almost 8 years. I have seen so many stylists and managers come and go from my shop, I remained the loyal employee throughout. During those 8 years, i came to hear stories regarding the area supervisor, Michelle Ortega, through other stylists, including a long term manger, Kim Houston. As the stories got around, I noticed every employee who had found out about Michelle Ortega's drug busts in company cars and drug sales among other stylists at different shops were being taken out of Supercuts, and either transferred elsewhere or let go. I was the sole survivor, until Friday, August 14th, 2009.
On and off, Michelle would be indifferent about my position there, according to two of my girls that worked with me there. After Kim was made manager to another location, that's when Michelle was going in for the kill...There were about two managers that she went through, and let them go or transferred out, because they ceased to terminate me. I have always been a great stylist, and I have a huge clientel! Many days everyone in the waiting room would be waiting just for me, leaving the other employees just sitting around. Everyone that I have worked with always noticed my popularity, including my clients! Well that seemed to be the last straw for the most recent manager, Mylisa Lewis.
The past few months that Ms Lewis has been at Supercuts, I knew she had her reservations about me, I'm sure Michelle Ortega helped her out on that one. She always had something to complain and write me up about, and i would always do my best to comply and correct anything that seemed possible to meet her standards. She would always love to ask me, "You've been here eight years, and you still don't know that?" In all honesty, my answer was "yes." Mind you, in the eight years that i've worked there, we were about giving great haircuts, color, waxes, and recommending products to our customers. Rules were rarely acknowledged, let alone enforced, there wasn't any reason need be, considering everyone got along, and we worked well together. Petty problems were addressed and taken care of amongst ourselves, or the manager. Why was that so hard for Mylisa to believe?
As time went on, Mylisa would praise me on my improvements that i was making to benefit her "concerns." She would also comment on how many loyal customers i had coming to me, and how wonderful my haircuts were. One day she had mentioned that she has a personality that enjoys having "power" and "control." She enjoys being the leader. She wasn't kidding. On Friday afternoon, Mailynn and I went to the bank for the shop. On the way, she tells me to be "careful, " Mylisa and Michelle want you out. Mailynn claimed it to be jealousy on both ends. On Friday night, one of my regulars came in to get a cut and color. I accidentally stained his shirt with black dye, and i gave him a 6 dollar discount. That was all Mylisa and Michelle needed. She was playing phone tag with someone for the last two hours we were open, leaving me to cut by myself. At the end of the night, she told me i violated a "security regulation" and was not allowed to work there anymore. She said, "Discounts are supposed to go through me first." Excuse me? Wouldn't a warning have been sufficient? In the many years I've been there, everyone was grown up enough to decipher when discounts were reasonable, and was never a problem.
Now i have tried leaving messages on Michelle Ortega's voicemail, and the regional manager, Silver's, voicemail. No one has called me back. I never signed papers, nor filled out any separation sheet. Is everyone just cowards? It just upsets me greatly that a star employee was treated so unfairly, and discriminated against, while pothead Michelle Ortega who was busted in a company car still has a job. Who is protecting her? Silver, the regional manager? Is the whole Regis Corporation just corrupt or what?? Keep Michelle, a jealous drug dealer who uses the company car, but get rid of a fantastic, loyal stylist?? Unbelievable. If anyone is considering working for them, make sure the area supervisor is not Michelle Ortega.