back to article Axed staffers hijack HMV Twitter account: 'We're tweeting LIVE from HR'

A hijacker claiming to be an axed HMV worker took over the music retailer's official Twitter stream yesterday to tell the world of a "mass execution" taking place at HQ. A fortnight ago HMV (His Master's Voice) called in the administrators when bosses realised they were likely to miss banking covenants at the end of January. …

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  1. theopriestley

    Good on her

    http://successfulworkplace.com/2013/01/31/the-hmv-firings-twitter-is-the-pulse-of-the-planet-but-must-be-controlled/

    Yup, was in the thick of it and got a screen grab before they pulled the plug.

    1. Chad H.

      Re: Good on her

      Good to be able to go to the source on this one. Thank you for linking that (which in turned linked to the one-time intern now alleged hijacker).

      1. theopriestley

        Re: Good on her

        She was managing social media at HMV so technically didn't "hijack" the account. I think she'll do ok despite all the ruckus, it'll die down soon enough. It's more a statement of HMV's complete lack of knowledge in this area given she tweeted them this morning telling them they still needed to change passwords on the account. They really are a clueless company, their apathy to even acknowledge online as a business model until it was too late is damning as well.

        I feel sorry for employees who are waiting for the axe to fall again.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Good on her

      Good on her?

      Where I work, HR are cheerfully arranging our redundancies while pulling up the ladder after themselves.

      Sounds like they're just getting a taste of their own medicine at HMV. I don't have much sympathy.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Good on her

      Unless they're all contractors I doubt they're actually being fired (although the operator of the twitter feed may be open to gross misconduct). The rest will hopefully be looking at redundancy and a nice little pay-off.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Rule No. 1 when searching for a new job:

      Do not publicly slag off your previous employer.

  2. P_0

    Last time I went into HMV was about 4 years ago. Genuinely sorry that the staff have lost their jobs, but the company was living on borrowed time for the past 10 years. It had many opportunities to save itself, by gearing towards internet purchases more, but failed at every opportunity.

    1. EvilGav 1
      Unhappy

      Indeed.

      The stores continued belief that they could still charge "full retail", when (at the time) Play were selling the same for nearly half the price boggled the mind. Even worse were imports - sold in HMV at around £30 for a CD, when it could be delivered from the other side of the world for less than half.

      Even when they finally went online, the prices tended to be the same as instore.

      The biggest trick they missed, was not allowing a click and collect type affair - buy online and collect in store. They had the necessary number of premises to cover it and presumably the stock control database to back it up.

      It's a shame, as I still remember it being one of the go-to shops, especially the flag-ship Oxford Street store - when VHS was king in the late 80's that store was fantastic.

  3. Phil W

    Acronym

    HMV is an acronym not an abbreviation.

    HiMVoi would be an abbreviation.

    1. eJ2095

      Re: Acronym

      I would ahve set up a second Twitter account and stuck a link up for all the followers to jump to..

      Can not do sod all then

      1. Phil W

        Re: Acronym

        Not really a reply to my post though is it.....

        Also not sure why I was downvoted. I just pointed out a technical error in the article.

        1. Captain Hogwash
          Headmaster

          Re: Acronym

          Wrong! The set of all acronyms is a subset of the set of all abbreviations.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Acronym

      HMV is an initialism not an acronym, as you can only sensibly pronounce it as the separate letters H-M-V.

      HiMVoi would be an acronym, as you can pronounce it as a single word.

      Both are abbreviations.

      Ref: http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/acronyms and http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/initialisms

      1. Phil W

        Re: Acronym

        I stand humbly corrected.

        I did not know, or more likely had forgotten, that an acronym should be naturally pronounceable.

        I'll go and watch a doovde on my lucudu tuv.

        1. Jamie Jones Silver badge
          Thumb Up

          Re: Acronym

          As argued here

        2. Really Anonymous Coward

          Re: Acronym

          I thought the 'acronyms must be words (ish)' thing was just in American English

      2. Lockwood

        Re: Acronym

        Hello, yes... I want the number for Hoomv.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "the company you dearly love is being ruined"

    I've never loved HMV, and as far as I'm concerned they ruined themselves decades ago. Perhaps if they hadn't done their best to monopolise the market with stupidly inflated CD prices for such a long time then they might be getting a bit more sympathy now. They failed to move with the times and now _they_ are having to pay the price. Too bad.

    1. WonkoTheSane

      @dz-015

      Agreed.

      As Confucious never said:- "Once the avalanche has begun, it is too late for the mountain to vote."

      1. Elmer Phud

        Re: @dz-015

        I bet he never said that at all ;-)

    2. Lamont Cranston

      "the company you dearly love"

      I had a little chuckle at that, too.

      I feel for anyone who is losing their job, but HMV was crap*, and should have gone/changed a long time ago.

      *I doubt any of this is the fault of those being fired.

      1. Spanners Silver badge
        Thumb Up

        Re: "the company you dearly love"

        I doubt any of this is the fault of those being fired.

        That is the most universally true statement I have read in a LONG time!

    3. Anonymous Coward
      FAIL

      Oh c'mon, we're all going to miss going in, listening to some shite death metal blasting over the speakers, trying to guess which category your artist is this week, paying £17.99 for a CD because it's non-chart, waiting 10 minutes to be served by some collage student in aforementioned death metal t-shirt, then going home and breaking the CD case trying to get the f'ing security tag and shrink wrap off.

      How I do much that wonderful experience.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "[...] waiting 10 minutes to be served by some collage student in aforementioned death metal t-shirt, [...]"

        Presumably they are studying art?

  5. Pypes
    Paris Hilton

    selling data retail?

    Was that ever a good idea? because frankly it seems bloody stupid now.

    1. The FunkeyGibbon

      Re: selling data retail?

      Ever? Yes. Back in the day retail was the only method other than mail order. If you mean was it a good idea since the advent of the internet? Then no, retail was always going to suffer the additional costs and so ultimatly wasn't going to be viable unless they added value in other ways (don't ask me, if I knew I'd be running my own store!).

  6. graeme leggett Silver badge

    control of information

    Always seize control of the radio station first. (usually because you can then tell everyone the revolution has suceeded even before it has)

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

      Re: control of information

      Alternatively, stay as long as possible and give running commentary as they break down the door.

      1. graeme leggett Silver badge

        Re: control of information

        you've just reminded me of Sefton Delmer's black propaganda efforts for the British during the Second World War.

        One of his fake German radio stations ("Gustav Siegfried Eins") broadcast as a ultra-patriotic Prussian type denouncing lower rank Nazis for corruption in contrast to brave soldiers freezing to death on the Eastern Front.

        Sefton killed off the station and the character with the Gestapo raiding the station and shooting the broadcaster "on air".

        Fascinating chap going by what I've read of him - some stuff here http://www.psywar.org/seftondelmer

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hmm...

    Well, it looks like there is an intern who has just ruined her career. Silly mistake, I'm sympathetic that they've lost their jobs, having recently gone through redundancy myself, but never burn your bridges. You never know when you'll be wanted back, if you can show a professional attitude while everything is falling apart around you, it makes you a valuable person to employ.

    I (and those who I worked with) now have a reference from the person who ran my division at the company I was made redundant from saying how professional I was throughout the whole affair, which is rather good.

    1. Tom_

      Re: Hmm...

      That's great. Now your future bosses will know you're one of the easy ones to make redundant if they ever need to have a cull.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Hmm...

        I could have just fucked off and screwed the company, however staying throughout the process and being professional says that this guy is a keeper and not a petulant teenager who can't see that when the company is going down the tubes, there is a bigger picture.

        1. David Neil

          Re: Hmm...

          Or he can't get a move and look after himself in short order.

          There is no glory is hanging around, the perception rightly or wrongly, will be that the good guys saw the signs and legged it.

          Been there, done that

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'd pay good money to watch HMV staffers get executed on mass. The place was shit and the staff were shitter.

    1. Paw Bokenfohr

      The one in Bracknell...

      ...is really quite good. The staff, especially one or two individuals, are really helpful - you know, actually offering to help without being asked, I know it's unusual these days - without being pushy and leaving you to browse if that's all you want.

      I go regularly, but unfortunately, rarely buy anything because they (a) stock mostly pre-owned games, and I prefer to buy new and (b) don't carry any of the music that I enjoy. Do buy the odd BluRay, though.

      I think that there is a place for a good mass market retailer still. I prefer to buy CD over digital download, and BluRay over digital download - I don't like the encumbrance of DRM that often comes with downloads and it's easy to get physical media in to digital format for phones, tablets, media streamers etc (thank you "ExactAudioCopy" and "AnyDVD HD"/"Handbrake") and for a small amount extra over mail order (which includes multi-day delays if you want free shipping) it can be worth it.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: The one in Bracknell...

        NOTHING is good in Bracknell.

    2. Lamont Cranston
      Thumb Down

      Teenagers on the minimum wage?

      Yeah, how dare they be less than enthused?

      I always found HMV shop staff to be helpful and enthusiastic, if a little odd looking (when I worked in retail, turning up with a bad dye-job got me sent home!).

    3. Anonymous Dutch Coward
      Coat

      On mass?

      Religious, are you?

  9. Dainase
    Facepalm

    I was enoying my popcorn...

    ..watching the fun unfold.

    And then the thundertwat Owen Jones joined in.

    Oh well.

    1. Toothpick
      Coffee/keyboard

      Re: I was enoying my popcorn...

      "thundertwat" - Priceless !!!

  10. Just a geek
    Megaphone

    I liked the 'technically illegal unpaid intern bit'. Why highlight that now and not two years ago when it was actually happening?

    It seems that she was ok with the HMV dodgy dealings when she had a job but as soon as she is under threat up goes all the accusations.

    1. Really Anonymous Coward

      The Guardian articles on the subject suggest she herself was that intern...

  11. mark 63 Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Empire Records

    This is just like like Empire Records,

    but with less partynig and worse music

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Empire Records

      partynig? That sounds vaguely racist.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Shut down Twitter

    Please, please for the love of all that is holy, someone show them how to shut down twatter sorry twitter.

  13. Prof Denzil Dexter

    Have a sibling working at HMV, poor chap. Jokes aside, the threat of redundancy is horrid. Best of luck to anyone out jobhunting.

    I do think there is a place for a Retail CD / DVD on the High street. I just think they need to review their range. Drop the T-Shirts / Posters / Crap bog Books. Increase the back catalogue range.

    Any planned purchases I do are online. I think if HMV offer the same Online range and pricing as Amazon et al, i'd happily shop there. (clearly, the in store range won't be as big, but definitely has room for improvement). In store purchases tend to be a lot more impulsive. I'll wander in for a mooch, then remember they only sell Beats Audio 'phones and Tulisa Contoshaglots albums. Then i'll wander back out.

  14. stanmarsh14
    Joke

    Hope for HMV gift vouchers.....

    Tesco's have just started to accept HMV vouchers..... Horse Meat Vouchers that is

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    How Ironic

    The the very people who are responsible for the company going under, i.e. all the top level staff, are those that are last to be shown the door.

    Personally I would have sacked the lot as they've all shown themselves to be failures.

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