My question involves unemployment benefits for the state of: California.
I was fired from a car sales job because a customer complained about me. (I had politely denied them a 3rd test-drive.) My benifits were denied due to "Misconduct". I know everyone wants to be right and our initial reaction is to be defensive. The fact here is that I was definately treated unfairly. The car business is by far the #1 recipient of consumer complaints according to the Better Business Bureau. Over 27,000 formal complaints in 2007. When you work with that many people, there will be personality conflicts. Add a little bad news to that, like trade-value, interest rate or price, and there's an angry customer. Most people dislike car salemen (salespeople), but we're just people like everyone else. As much as any one person It's the car business that's to blame, the mechanisms that have evolved to close sales and retain profit. Salespeople are under huge pressure from owners and Mgrs to sell, sell, close, close and HOLD GROSS!
In my initial phone interview the EDD agent did not allow me to offer any defence or explination of any kind. He said he was not the person to tell it to, that I would have the opportunity later if needed. We hung up and he went on to deny my claim. I've since sent in my appeal form with a lengthy letter. Yesterday I received a notice that I would receive a letter stating the time and place of the hearing. A few facts:
At the time of firing I was not given the chance to adress the complaint or defend myself in any way. Same with the EDD phone interviewer.
My termination was followed by three other people being let go. The 4 of us amounting to 33% of entire company's staff.
Two months before, a salesman had been caught doing something very, very serious involving theft. Serious customer complaints and threats ensued. This was far worse than anything I may have done yet he did not get fired.
I had never been warned or written-up about complaints or anything else.
The General Manager had disliked me from the the first week of my employment and had generally made things difficult for me and my customers by among other things, denying me information my customers had asked for, simply because they wern't ready to "buy right now".
Because of the reputation the car business has, the atmosphere of distrust, the amounts of money involved and the tendency for emotions to run so high, salespeople don't lose their jobs over complaints, unless they are chronic, involve profanity, threats or somethig horribly unprofessional.
What of the preceeding will be relevant at my hearing? Can you offer any advice on how to prepare? Thanks for reading.

