I'm being set up

[Ivebeenbetter]

I strongly suspect my new boss has sent an email complaint about me to my head office.

It is my belief that he set up an email account in a random name.

The complainant said he was not a customer and was in the store waiting for his wife. This is very convenient as it means I can't search my system as I don't know the wife's name.

We follow up all complaints with a phone call but, the number was incorrect.

The most damning evidence of all is that my boss makes a very distinctive punctuation error in 80 - 90% of all messages and emails sent from his phone and this same error appears in the body of the complaint.

I have looked through hundreds of messages and emails from other people and have not come across this error in any. I've asked friends and family to do the same with the same result.

I will need more to prove it but don't know exactly what?!?!

Any advice?🙏

Oh, this is like Wagatha Christie!

How do you know about the complaint?

It depends on the punctuation error really because if I look at my local Facebook group for example, a few random people make the same errors as each other.

But not all of them are particularly common errors.

What are the consequences of the complaint for you?

You can't prove it was your boss.

If your boss didn't like you he could just fire you or put you on a warning.

I think the problem.is even if you're correct in your suspicions, rising them isn't going to be productive.

@determinedtomakethiswork
Actually it's more of a typo than a punctuation error. I have seen it before but rarely.
He writes a sentence , then leaves a space before the full stop . He does the same before a comma or any other punctuation mark as I've done above for demonstration.

@determinedtomakethiswork
I know about the complaint because I'm the manager and follow up all complaints on the phone. Even if the complaint relates to me.

If he does it all the time, then that's clearly what he thinks it should look like. It should be pretty easy to get evidence against him on that. I'd be taking screenshots right left and centre.

Your options are either to raise it or to let it drop. Not sure what else we can advise?

Oh my gosh OP, so many people do this.

Honestly, there are loads here on Mumsnet who do it. I can think of one regular who's been here for years who does exactly the same thing, even before a question mark.

I wouldn't say it's common but it's not that unusual either.

My boss used to do this. Probably still does actually, but I no longer work for him....

@determinedtomakethiswork
I thought the same as you to begin with, but if he sends an email from his laptop, he doesn't do it.
He's a two thumb texter. It might be something to do with the speed or rhythm.
It's so strange! It actually takes a lot of extra taps for me to do it.

Okay, and after you have followed up all the complaints, what then? Do you send a summary report to your boss or head office about the complaints and any action necessary?

How come you are the person dealing with complaints about yourself?

Is there a chance you're being paranoid?

I take it, that the email was sent specifically to complain about you but you have no recollection of the whatever-it-was taking place.

Don't forget, the general public can be absolute weirdos.

I once had a complaint escalated to head office.
I was working as a sales assistant in an opticians, and a man was taking his elderly mum shopping for frames. His mum had MH issues/dementia and he was very very stressed about being out in public with her. He was a very angry man.

I had to navigate an interaction where nothing would have been good enough. Angry man got angrier at my manager, then it just went on from there. I hadn't actually done anything worthy of complaint! Over a pair of glasses! Could it be something like that?

@DuplicateUserName
Really???
Just seems odd to me that I don't see it in any other messages or emails, then this random complainant, who's not even a customer, does exactly the same as the only other person I am aware of that does it!

Why do you suspect your boss? Is there tension already?

@Circumferences
Ooh! That does sound like a tricky situation for you and you're right, there's none so queer as folk when it comes to customers.
Could well be paranoia! There has definitely been some tension there.

Is there anything in the substance of the complaint that is going to cause you problems?

Why don't you email to say that you've tried to call to discuss but the telephone number is incorrect. Get him to check and confirm number. If he doesn't respond then it's highly likely it's him.

Why do you think he would do this? Does he have form?

I'd be inclined to let it go but take lots of screenshots of the complaint and all of his other messages with the comma and full stop stuff in case you need it going forward.