A TikToker who shared her now-viral Popeyes customer service horror story sparked debate about whether asking for a manager makes someone a “Karen.”
In the video posted on April 7, TikToker Kaely (@kae1y) says she was the closest she’s ever been to “asking for a manager” after a Popeyes worker refused to help her with her mobile order. She says she decided against requesting a manager because of her own experience working in customer service.
Kaely says that in the Popeyes app, she had the option to select drive-thru or in-store pick-up and decided to use the drive-thru. After arriving at the store, she was under the impression that she couldn’t change her pick-up method despite the long line and waited in the drive-thru for 30 minutes.
“I get up to the speaker and said, ‘Hey I have a mobile order for Kaely,’ and they’re like, ‘You can’t do that through the drive-thru,’” Kaely says.
She says she tried to explain that the app had drive-thru as an option but that the worker stopped responding to her.
“She just didn’t answer me, and I was like, ‘OK I guess you’re ignoring me,’’’ Kaely continues.
Kaely says when she arrived at the pick-up window, the worker wouldn’t give her the food and instructed her to come inside the store as her food wasn’t ready yet.
Kaely says that once she got up to the counter, the worker just told her “no” when she restated that she wanted to pick up her mobile order. She asked again where she could pick up her order, and the worker said, “You can pick it up here,” and walked away.
The worker finally informed her that an item on her order wasn’t available, and she would have to go into the app for a refund.
The TikTok’s caption reads, “I understand that places have shortages and that it’s not the employees’ fault… but the way this whole situation was handled…”
By Wednesday, the video had over 346,000 views, with users debating when it’s appropriate to ask for a manager in the comments, noting that the “Karen” label has deterred many from seeking help during customer service mishaps.
“People have ruined asking for a manager. It’s perfectly reasonable, as long as you’re nice about it,” one user wrote.
“Definitely a manager moment,” another said. “And I’ve worked retail and fast food. Once you’ve worked those, you know when it’s time to ask for a manager.”
“I think this would definitely be a case where you escalate. Email the company and let them know the situation. Sounds like bad management,” a third added.
Other commenters chimed in to claim that Popeyes has a long-standing reputation for bad customer service.
“Popeyes is delicious but has terrible customer service,” one commenter said.
“Oh Popeyes? The manager would have brought the same energy,” another wrote.
“I stopped going to Popeyes for this reason. They’re always so rude,” a third claimed.
In a follow-up video, Kaely says that she eventually received a refund and addressed the comments that told her she should have asked to speak to a manager.
“The main reason that I didn’t, 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,” she adds.
The Daily Dot reached out to Popeyes via email and to Kaely via TikTok comment.
More fast food news
| ‘You’re going to come in here being racist, too over some vegetables?’: Jersey Mike’s worker says customer berated her over sandwich toppings |
| ‘Hired on the spot know the job is going to be bull’: TikToker says she got jumped 3 days in on job at Red Lobster after getting hired on spot |
| Wingstop worker jokes about what they do to customers’ wings when they order right before close |
| Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online. |
