‘Cost the company over $220K.’ His Boss Demanded He Make A Bad Change To Their Catalogs So This Graphic Designer Taught Him A Lesson

It can be pretty satisfying when a boss is totally in the wrong about a certain situation but they insist on being right…and it ends up costing them.

A graphic designer shared their story on Reddit about what happened to a boss who just wouldn’t listen to them and it ended up costing the company a whole lot of money.

“Back in the 1980s I worked for a sporting goods company as a catalog designer. Small company, privately owned.

I was the entire advertising department. I created four catalogs a year – these were responsible for most of our mail-order sales (pre-internet) to the tune of around $700K a year.

We sent the catalogs via bulk mail using a mailing service – this let us send them for a much discounted rate. To do this required the use of a bulk mail permit, and placing the permit info on the mailing area of the catalog. Technically it’s called a “fiche.”

And then Ron showed up…

Enter a new boss, call him Ron. I was #1 – the only one – in my department. For some reason the company owner hired Ron as a favor to a friend. From day one he was micromanaging, questioning everything, and screwing up my very tight schedule.

This was BEFORE computers were common. EVERYTHING was by hand. Literally typing out copy and reducing it on a photocopier to fit. Developing the photo film myself, making prints, etc. The actual printer had to add screens to the photos so they’d print, burn metal plates, and so on. All time consuming and expensive.

Deadlines could not be missed. So I was stuck with several 16 hour days come crunch-time.

And a situation popped up where this Ron fellow was about to be taught a serious lesson.

I was complaining to the owner, but he really couldn’t care less. I really wanted to stick it to Ron and the opportunity presented itself. Constant threats of “my way or you’re fired” were getting to me. The latest pre-summer catalog was done (summer was our BIG season.)

I had to give him my mock-up (photocopied sheets stapled together) of the final catalog for his approval – a new step added after he demanded it. He looked at it and sent it back with several pointless revisions. And a note to remove that “ugly permit box” because it was not needed.

Where he worked previously stuffed their mailers in envelopes – the envelopes had the fiche, but their mailer did this last step. I simply asked him to initial the changes as this was the final approved version and was going to the printer the next day. There was no time to check it again. So he did. I knew it would be a total mess and it’s something I would NEVER would have done in the past.

And then it was mailing day!

And let’s just say that it didn’t go well.

50,000 catalogs printed and shipped directly to the mailer. The day they arrive at the mailer the boss gets a call from the sales rep. “We can’t mail your catalogs.” Boss storms into my area of the building and is literally screaming. Ron is now mad and yelling at me, joined by the boss. I swear – spittle and froth, vein bulging screaming.

Minimum two week delay, wasted money, lost sales. I explain what happened, the threat to fire me, and showed the owner the changes to the final copy. Initialed by Ron. He was going to give Ron a 2nd chance until the bill came in from the printer.

And Ron ended up paying a steep price for his ignorance.

They had to stamp 50,000 catalogs by hand. We had to rent their permit, since that’s what was on their stamp. Rental and labor was almost $8,000. Adjusted for inflation that’s $20,000. Plus our early summer sales boost was off by almost $50K from previous years. Or $200K adjusted for inflation.

Ron WAS fired. I was left alone after that.”

Let’s see what people had to say about this.

This person said this guy did this to himself.

Another individual talked about how they handle situations like this.

One Reddit user said you gotta CYA (cover your ***).

This reader is a big fan of doing things like this at work.

And one Reddit user shared how they would have handled this.

Some people just have to learn the hard way.

And this person was definitely one of those folks!