As a paying customer of an establishment, what do you do when the customer service isn’t up to par?
In the past, if you’re unable to get what you want from a frontline employee, the solution would be to escalate the issue and speak to a manager .
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But in 2022, does this mean you’re being a Karen? What does that even mean at this point? A TikToker delved into the dilemma in a viral video.
The TikToker had a bad experience at a Popeyes location.
It’s hard not to love Popeyes for their crispy fried chicken. But like any fast food establishment, customer service can sometimes slip, particularly if there are a lot of orders to fill.
This TikToker almost asked for a manager.
Kaely, who you can find on Tiktok @kae1y , shared her experience in a video posted on April 7th. Kaely placed a mobile order and says she didn’t get any help from the Popeyes employees on duty.
She tried to pick the order up in the drive-thru.
Unfortunately, Kaely was in the drive-thru for 30 long minutes. Then, when she finally got to the window, she was informed that mobile orders couldn’t be picked up via the drive-thru, even though this is supposed to be an option.
The worker just stopped responding.
Kaely went into the restaurant to figure things out. After asking where she could pick up the order, an employee said, “You can pick it up here,” before walking away.
Eventually, Kaely was told that her order wasn’t available, and that if she wanted a refund she’d have to go through the app.
She was pretty understanding.
Having worked in the service industry herself, Kaely emphasizes that she knows how difficult things can be. Still, the service she received had her wanting to ask for a manager.
Because ‘Karens’ have become so stigmatized, though, Kaely opted not to ask for a manager.
She got her refund, for what it’s worth.
This is the bare minimum one can expect when they don’t get the goods they pay for, so it’s good that Kaely was able to get a refund through the app.
In a follow-up video , Kaely says, “The main reason that I didn’t [ask for a manager], honestly, is because I figured if I asked to speak to a manager, I would have had to wait another 30 minutes for a manager to show up, and they probably wouldn’t have cared.”
Is it even possible to ask for the manager anymore?
The ‘Karen’ stereotype refers to entitled people who try to escalate their issue unnecessarily. But when there truly is an issue that needs to be addressed, isn’t the manager the person to speak to? The very phrase, “I’d like to speak to your manager” seems poisoned at this point.
What do you think?
Be sure to watch Kaely’s video above to hear her full experience. It’s hard not to sympathize with her.
If you were in this situation, would you risk the Karen connotations and ask for a manager, or would you quietly seek a refund? Let us know in the comments.
