After quitting her job at a BMW dealership, a saleswoman posted a TikTok explaining the main reasons it was in her best interest to leave.
Audrey Rodgers (@audreyrodgers_) has reached over 201,000 likes on her viral video. She added a caption telling viewers, “that’s the tea.”
At the start of her video, Rodgers mentions that though her story is lengthy and there is “a lot to unpack,” the three main points as to why she quit were “hours, social media, and pay plan.”
What was up with social media?
Rodgers first says she was accused of targeting men on her social media, which was deemed inappropriate because “men are the primary BMW client.”
“So, that was an issue,” she says. “I’m sorry; if a guy is gonna attack me, I’m gonna talk my sh*t back.”
She adds that BMW does not monetize or pay her for her videos, “so there’s actually gonna be no control over what I can and can’t post. Thank you, though.”
Why did she have a problem with her hours?
Next, Rodgers says that for most of her time at BMW, her schedule and hours were a big issue. “My husband and I have been kind of talking about it for a while,” she says. “I was working more hours than he does, and he’s literally the general manager of a dealership.” She added an on-screen caption to explain that her base schedule is 50 hours a week, with mandatory Saturdays.
“I know a lot of people will say, ‘Oh that’s the car industry,’” she continues. “I don’t f*ck with that.” Rodgers says that when she first started working at BMW, her managers were very aware of her presence on social media and actually encouraged her to post.
Despite this, she says that while working one shift, her general manager came to her with a write-up concerning her posts. “He was taking personal offense to the things that I was posting,” she continues.
“Personally, I don’t think I posted anything wrong,” Rodgers says. She explains how out of all of the posts she made, she made it clear to never mention any names or specifically call anyone out.
She points out that most of her posts were “sales humor” related because she has worked a lot of different sales jobs. “Like, it’s relatable to people who work in sales,” she says.
Rodgers also addresses the content she made about the reality of her hours. “Maybe if you don’t like other people knowing that we work like that, don’t make us work like that,” she says.
How did she ultimately quit?
She says that after finishing the conversation with the general manager, she immediately went to find another manager, packed her bags, and quit.
“There’s nothing else to say,” she continues. Rodgers says that upon quitting, her manager said to her, “If you ever wanted to do BMW marketing, that’s never gonna happen now, and if I quit, that is self-destruction.”
“So, I took that as my queue to leave,” she concludes.
@audreyrogers_ Replying to @Chloereesej sorry its all over the place LOL but thats the tea #whyiquit #bmw #sales #bye #storytime ♬ original sound – Audrey Rogers
A viewer agreed with Rogers in the comments section of her video, saying, “The older generation just doesn’t get it.”
“Your social media brought more attention in a positive light for people looking to buy a BMW!!???,” another said. “I want one now!”
Rogers responded, “That’s what I would’ve thought too!!”
Can bosses dictate what you can post outside work hours?
Attorneys Bernabei and Kabat state that in general, “employees have a greater amount of speech rights when they are outside of work.”
While you’re working, your employer has a “right to demand your attention, and therefore has an interest in limiting your personal social media use,” their site continues. When you’re not working, your employer has “less of an interest in regulating your speech.” However, they still may discipline you for things you post outside of work, depending on the content.
The Daily Dot reached out to BMW via email and to Rogers via TikTok comment and email for more information.
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