An Applebee’s customer started an uproar in his TikTok comments after impersonating the restaurant chain’s CEO to a server and recording the interaction. The video was posted on Oct. 12 and has garnered over 6 million views at this time.
In the video, Kevin (@kevinhooks4) sits at a restaurant booth with a selection of dishes, drinks, and alcohol flights on the table in front of him. The video, taken by someone from across the table, records Kevin speaking to the server.
Why did Kevin impersonate the CEO of Applebee’s?
People often mention Applebee’s when they talk about customer service expectations, and Kevin’s lackluster dining experience only adds to the restaurant chain’s criticisms.
After claiming disappointing service, Kevin speaks to their table’s server. “The secret I was trying to tell you is, have you ever watched Undercover Boss?” The server says she has. “Okay. My name is Rich Klein and I own—and I am the CEO of Applebee’s.”
The server apologizes. Kevin says, “I wanted you to know that this was the worst experience I’ve ever had.”
“I’m so sorry,” the server repeats as she looks down at the table.
Kevin asks the server, “How do you feel right now?” to which she responds, “Really, really, really terrible.”
He then says, “So, I need to speak with your manager, Kevin. How many managers do you have on the floor right now?”
Another person at the table laughs at Kevin’s request. The server lists off a few names, which are hard to discern from the general chatter.
Kevin says, “So, I’m gonna excuse my family and then I’m gonna come to the back and speak with the cashier.” The server nods, and the video ends with them handling the bill.
@kevinhooks4 #undercoverboss ♬ original sound – Kevin Hooks
Commenters were not happy with Kevin’s act
Commenters were angry at Kevin, either because he was lying to the server or because he was approaching the conversation poorly.
One wrote, “Wait that’s so mean poor girl,” about the server.
Another asked, “Wait can I just go to chain restaurants and tell them I’m the CEO and ur on undercover boss and just ridicule them. it’s like having a bike lock and just putting it on doors.”
A third pointed out, “That’s not how undercover boss works. they aren’t customers they are staff and figure out internal issues.”
Many commenters clarified that the CEO of Applebee’s is actually John Payton, not someone named Rich Klein.
Was the TikTok just a joke gone wrong?
Kevin mentions the television show, Undercover Boss, where high-level executives secretly take on other roles in the company for a week. Like executives in the show, Kevin takes on an alias, his being Rich Klein. However, in Undercover Boss, executives act as employees rather than customers.
In the show, the episodes conclude with the undercover executive rewarding hard-working employees and critiquing other employees.
Since Kevin is the man who posted the video and is the name of one of the location’s managers, one might guess that this TikTok is a goofy skit between a manager and a server.
However, it’s unclear whether the two Kevins are the same person. So, it’s understandable that people responded negatively to this video which, without context, reads as an insensitive prank on a server just trying to do her job.
The Daily Dot reached out to Kevin via TikTok comments and Applebee’s via email for more information.
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