Tags: bad, Facebook, fired, mall, santa

Nobody is immune to the presence of social media, not even Santa. This fact was proven in Portland, Maine at the Maine Mall. Santa wasn’t having a good day and took it out on the kids, causing a social media uproar that led to the loss of his job and a public mess for the Maine Mall staff to clean up.

The Maine Mall Facebook page became filled with stories from moms such as Jess Mailhiot who accused Santa of refusing to pose for a picture with her daughter because she wouldn’t purchase an expensive photo package. The photo package was labeled by the mall as optional and Santa is supposed to let children sit on his lap regardless of which photo package is purchased. Mailhiot and her daughter also expressed their pain on WGME-TV. They claim that Santa didn’t ask the girl if she had behaved and he refused to let her sit on his lap.

Other moms who read saw the broadcast and read the Facebook post also commented, sharing similar tales. One mom said that the mall Santa had broken her children’s hearts, while another said that Santa had made her son cry by telling him his gift request was greedy. The Main Mall staff responded to the comments as soon as they saw them, but they wish the moms had talked to management in person instead of airing their grievances online. This would have allowed them to settle the matter personally and probably would have led to a faster response. The mall staff is having trouble answering each Facebook post effectively and would like anyone who wants to share their story and receive a personal apology to call them instead of sharing their story on Facebook. <- Lame! It’s 2012 and you’d rather phone instead of Facebook? 

The disgruntled Santa was fired as soon as the Maine Mall staff learned of his behavior and he has been replaced by someone kinder who will listen to the kids’ wishes and respond appropriately. Some of the moms who bought pictures with the grumpy Santa have asked to come back to get a better picture with a happier Santa at no cost. There’s no word at this time on whether their requests will be granted.