The Applebee's Controversy: A Closer Look (1)

[Wake]

This is a story that's been brewing for the last few days. It's a story where the dynamics of customer service, restaurant politics, and moral outrage collide.

Just before all of this happened, an Applebee's server had been tending to a female Pastor named Alois Bell. Before leaving, the Pastor felt the need to write down a comment on her receipt... "I give God 10%, why do you get 18?", and then scribbled out the auto-gratuity in the hopes it'd be nullified. She then left with her group of 8+. The server was probably miffed, and a fellow server, waitress Chelsea Welch, decided to take a picture of the rude comment and post in on the internet. The Pastor, embarrassed that her comment was receiving publicity, complained to Applebee's manager and had Chelsea Welch fired.

“[It was] a lapse in my character and judgment,” Bell told the Smoking Gun, adding she did not expect her easily recognizable signature would be, as her friend informed her, “all over Yahoo. You went viral!” “My heart is really broken,” Bell added. “I’ve brought embarrassment to my church and ministry.”

A spokesman for Applebee’s said it apologized to Bell for violating her "right to privacy" and confirmed that Welch “is no longer employed by the franchise." Welch was surprised that Applebee's fired her, "especially because there was nothing specific in the employee handbook admonishing this behavior."

Applebee’s fires waitress who posted receipt from pastor complaining about auto-tip - Yahoo!

Applebee's, content with defending rude patrons over hardworking customers, fired Chelsea Welch and apologized to Alois Bell. Later it will be shown it has cost them thousands of customers.

"I had no intention of starting a witch hunt or hurting anyone. I just wanted to share a picture I found interesting," she said. “I come home exhausted, sore, burnt, dirty and blistered on a good day. And after all that, I can be fired for ‘embarrassing’ someone who directly insults their server on religious grounds.”

Welch also isn't buying Bell's embarrassment. “If this person wrote the note, obviously they wanted it seen by someone," she said. “I’ve been stiffed on tips before, but this is the first time I’ve seen the Big Man used as reasoning."

This story is far from over, despite the Media's attempts to sweep it under the rug. On Facebook, Applebee's gave a statement:

As a company that relies on literally hundreds of thousands of incredibly hard working Team Members, we can assure you that we and our franchisees value and support them and their efforts. However this unfortunate situation has nothing to do with work. The Team Member involved did not wait on the guest or party. Regrettably, and without the restaurant's knowledge, she took it upon herself to take a Guest's receipt, with the name clearly visible, and posted it online with her own commentary. That is a clear violation of our Guest's privacy and against the franchisee's company policy that the Team Member was provided when hired. We simply cannot accept behavior that compromises the safety and privacy our Guests have every right to expect and deserve. Please note that we are also not excusing the Guest's behavior in this matter and the unacceptable comment she wrote on the receipt, which is offensive to us and all our hard working team members. To be clear, the 18% gratuity added to large party tickets was paid by the Guest’s party. This is a regrettable situation, and we wish it had never happened. we hope this provides you with some additional insight. Thanks again for the chance to explain.

https://www.facebook.com/applebees/posts/10151390928154334

Applebee's handling of this situation first angered its customers, and subsequent attempts by Applebee's to placate their critics has only infuriorated them. First the act of firing their worker to defend a rude customer gashed open the wound, and salt was later poured in as Applebee's responded to their customers while cowardly defending their actions. Before you get to see the flurry of angry, voracious responses from onlookers, first consider these elements of the story that some of you may not know. If you really want an understanding of what happened, I urge you to read this scorching, photo essay of Applebee's disgraceful handling of the situation:

Hell hath no fury like a Facebook scorned. In today’s digital age, most of us assume everyone understands this fact. But every now and again, people surprise us. An ever-increasing element of this reality is that the hounds of Reddit, the Twitter armies, and Facebook vigilantes are more than willing to remind people that we live in a publicized world. You can’t hide behind privacy statements or legal jargon or appeals to company policy to pacify an Internet mob. Once you cross the line of Internet etiquette, the people of the World Wide Web will hunt you down and do their best to ruin you forever

Applebee’s Overnight Social Media Meltdown: A Photo Essay « R.L. Stollar, Journalist.

Also, Applebee’s website has a “What’s the Buzz” widget, which shows what people are saying on Twitter about the company. It’s been non-stop attacks, all publicly displayed on Applebee’s own page. I cannot stress enough how important the above article is for you to read, because it imparts a comprehensive detailing of how this is unfolding.

One reason why this issue is particularly infuriorating is that just over two weeks ago, that very same Applebee's violated another guests rights to privacy themselves by posting a picture of a note from a guest that clearly featured the guest’s name. Most interestingly, Applebee’s deleted this picture right when the Chelsea Welch issue went viral. Here’s the original picture, captured by "If You Can’t Afford to Tip…" via screen shot:

Facebook users were calling BS on Applebee's reasoning, considering this is a case of "Do as I say, not as I do."

Furthermore, Applebee's official Facebook page was even arguing with posters there, which fueled this PR nightmare. There was also fury over Applebee's deleting posts, and even though Applebee's said they have only moved their comments down their timeline, they continue to actually censor posters by deleting comments. I've had over 8 comments deleted myself. This put gasoline on the fire, prompting even more backlash and now petitions to boycott Applebee's. When someone is giving your business feedback on Facebook, that last thing you do is argue with them while deleting their posts.

Applebee's actions and angrier reactions.

In short, this has become a series of bad events on what NOT to do if you're CEO of Applebee's.

There have also been a slew of petitions to boycott Applebee's for their disgraceful actions and behavior:

https://www.change.org/petitions/applebees-give-chelsea-welch-her-job-back
http://www.change.org/petitions/app...welch-her-job-back-and-fire-pastor-alois-bell

Lastly, here's a sample of over 20,000 angry comments directed towards Applebee's from Facebook alone:

The dangers of being a rude customer who gets others fired for airing your dirty laundry are many. Whether this story gets swept under or not, Applebee's has lost far more in finances than it ever would of had it simply stood up for its worker. The moral of the story, one can say, is that if you make an error in defending a shameless customer over your own employee... and stick to it without understanding the moral elements involved... you can lose over 10,000 customers.

 

[StringBean]

I don't care if I get my food from the president himself, served on a silver platter, with the Cleveland Orchestra playing mozart in the background. I have the right to tip 0%.

A receipt is proof of a private transaction, and that waitress deserved to be fired for violating the customer's privacy.

 

[tessaesque]

Couple of things:

1. Applebee's was right to fire her. She put the customer's safety at risk by posting the full receipt online (the version we see has been edited to remove the location address and customer's name. She violated company policy and set Applebee's up for a lawsuit they likely would have lost. I ain't even mad at 'em.

2. That said, the pastor is an idiot. "God only asks for 10%, why should I give you 18%?" is just a logical fallacy. God "asks" for 10% of your total income. The 18% gratuity is charged on your elective purchase and NOT your income. The two are wholly unrelated. Her logic pisses me off....but it doesn't negate the fact that the waitress screwed up.

 

[tessaesque]

I don't care if I get my food from the president himself, served on a silver platter, with the Cleveland Orchestra playing mozart in the background. I have the right to tip 0%.

A receipt is proof of a private transaction, and that waitress deserved to be fired for violating the customer's privacy.

See, I disagree with your first statement. The policy of Applebee's (and most restaurants) is to automatically charge 18% when you have a party of 8 or more. It's on their menus. By bringing 8 people and ordering food, you're tacitly agreeing to that policy.

 

[clownboy]

Quite the todo over one idiotic comment by one idiot diner. Has anyone explained to the pastor the error of her stupid comment?

 

[StringBean]

See, I disagree with your first statement. The policy of Applebee's (and most restaurants) is to automatically charge 18% when you have a party of 8 or more. It's on their menus. By bringing 8 people and ordering food, you're tacitly agreeing to that policy.

Then ignore her scribbles, charge her the mandatory 18%, and don't violate her privacy. If she wants to pursue it legally, she will lose and the situation will resolve itself as it should.

 

[clownboy]

2. That said, the pastor is an idiot. "God only asks for 10%, why should I give you 18%?" is just a logical fallacy. God "asks" for 10% of your total income. The 18% gratuity is charged on your elective purchase and NOT your income. The two are wholly unrelated. Her logic pisses me off....but it doesn't negate the fact that the waitress screwed up.

Not to mention God isn't taxed on that 10% whether he gets it or not like the server is.

 

[Mach]

2. That said, the pastor is an idiot. "God only asks for 10%, why should I give you 18%?" is just a logical fallacy. God "asks" for 10% of your total income. The 18% gratuity is charged on your elective purchase and NOT your income. The two are wholly unrelated. Her logic pisses me off....but it doesn't negate the fact that the waitress screwed up.

Haha. That's the first thing I brought up while we were signing tips that day and this topic came up. Makes me crazy.

 

[Wake]

There are arguments on Facebook and Yahoo other than this select forum where supposedly the waitress had a right to post this receipt.

Furthermore, as shown in the OP, Applebee's is strictly hypocritical on their policy, because they've posted receipts of customers without their permission when it benefited the company.

 

[Jetboogieman]

I admire the chicks balls for posting the receipt.

Maybe it'll get a few people to be a little nicer to their servers.

But as much as the person was rude and that's very Dickish... What Chelsea did was unacceptable, you just cannot do stuff like that.

I would expect to be fired if I ever pulled anything that stupid.

The applebees franchise was correct in firing her and Applebee's corporate statement is spot on.

This social media firestorm will die down once people find something else to get outraged about next week.

 

[mr4anarchy]

I don't care if I get my food from the president himself, served on a silver platter, with the Cleveland Orchestra playing mozart in the background. I have the right to tip 0%.

In this case...

At the bottom of the menu, it clearly says an 18% gratuity will automatically be added for parties of 6 or more.

The only 'right' you have is get up and leave.

 

[mr4anarchy]

I admire the chicks balls for posting the receipt.

Maybe it'll get a few people to be a little nicer to their servers.

But as much as the person was rude and that's very Dickish... What Chelsea did was unacceptable, you just cannot do stuff like that.

I would expect to be fired if I ever pulled anything that stupid.

The applebees franchise was correct in firing her and Applebee's corporate statement is spot on.

This social media firestorm will die down once people find something else to get outraged about next week.

I agree, she was right to think "what a jerk" but not right to post it online.

She should have shared it with her fellow servers and had a good laugh and then left it at that.

 

[StringBean]

In this case...

At the bottom of the menu, it clearly says an 18% gratuity will automatically be added for parties of 6 or more.

The only 'right' you have is get up and leave.

Correct. She implicitly accepted the mandatory 18% gratuity. Charge her the full 18%, and if she pursues legal action she will lose.

Wherein does this allow Applebee's to violate her privacy?

 

[Wake]

One argument is that the pastor is a public figure. Another, Applebee's hypocrisy since the exact establishment did the same thing two weeks earlier.

Chelsea being fired was not the only option. She could easily have been suspended. Iirc, a manager/employee at that establishment had been drunk driving, and was only given a suspension (uncited).

 

[tessaesque]

Correct. She implicitly accepted the mandatory 18% gratuity. Charge her the full 18%, and if she pursues legal action she will lose.

Wherein does this allow Applebee's to violate her privacy?

I don't think anybody is saying that it does...

 

[tessaesque]

One argument is that the pastor is a public figure. Another, Applebee's hypocrisy since the exact establishment did the same thing two weeks earlier.

Chelsea being fired was not the only option. She could easily have been suspended. Iirc, a manager/employee at that establishment had been drunk driving, and was only given a suspension (uncited).

1. The other post was a commendation, not an attempt to ridicule a customer (as Chelsea's was).
2. You cannot compare a humiliating violation of customer privacy to a personal violation of the law outside of the work place.
3. The first receipt was posted to the Applebee's facebook page. The second was posted to Reddit.

 

[Wake]

There's more to it than that, Tessa. When a company has over 30 angry customers posting on their Facebook page alone, that tells me it's not nearly as simple as "She broke corporate policy. Fire her." With all due respect, I think you're trivializing the issue, and downplaying the actions that precipitated this event. Thousands have left Applebee's, and have taken their families with them. With backlash this severe, the situation doesn't seem so cut-and-dried. To be bluntly honest, DP's been an anomaly on this issue, because unlike most of the internet, we primarily see responses in favor of Applebee's actions.

 

[Wake]

1. The other post was a commendation, not an attempt to ridicule a customer (as Chelsea's was).
2. You cannot compare a humiliating violation of customer privacy to a personal violation of the law outside of the work place.
3. The first receipt was posted to the Applebee's facebook page. The second was posted to Reddit.

1. That does not change the fact that Applebee's violated its own policy by posting the receipts of other customers without their permission.
2. I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but I think that when this seemingly public figure decided to write this insulting comment, she lost her right to keep it private.

 

[tessaesque]

There's more to it than that, Tessa. When a company has over 30 angry customers posting on their Facebook page alone, that tells me it's not nearly as simple as "She broke corporate policy. Fire her." With all due respect, I think you're trivializing the issue, and downplaying the actions that precipitated this event. Thousands have left Applebee's, and have taken their families with them. With backlash this severe, the situation doesn't seem so cut-and-dried. To be bluntly honest, DP's been an anomaly on this issue, because unlike most of the internet, we primarily see responses in favor of Applebee's actions.

As a manager, I cannot keep an employee on staff who puts my customers at risk. If my absolute best tech got pissed off at a customer and posted on his facebook that so-and-so (full name) is a raving bitch who makes his job 10x harder than it has to be...that tech is getting fired. Why? Because people will rally behind him (everybody loves a victim) and seek out this "raving bitch". They will likely send her facebook messages, or e-mails, or call her place of business. They will harass her, just like people harassed the stingy pastor. By his actions, my tech created an environment of hostility that negatively and directly affects a client. That effect can (and likely will) result in negative consequences for my company. Whether it comes from legal action or financial action, or being black listed by an entire nationwide corporation, there WILL be consequences.

Applebee's had two choices: Defend their employee because the customer was stingy and rude, or terminate the employee for unjustifiably putting a customer at risk. They made the right choice, and I trivialize nothing.

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

Couple of things:

1. Applebee's was right to fire her. She put the customer's safety at risk by posting the full receipt online (the version we see has been edited to remove the location address and customer's name. She violated company policy and set Applebee's up for a lawsuit they likely would have lost. I ain't even mad at 'em.

2. That said, the pastor is an idiot. "God only asks for 10%, why should I give you 18%?" is just a logical fallacy. God "asks" for 10% of your total income. The 18% gratuity is charged on your elective purchase and NOT your income. The two are wholly unrelated. Her logic pisses me off....but it doesn't negate the fact that the waitress screwed up.

Pretty much. The waitress should have been fired. The pastor should have been horsewhipped.

People pissed at Applebee's for firing the waitress should think about how they'd feel if she'd done the same thing to them.

 

[tessaesque]

1. That does not change the fact that Applebee's violated its own policy by posting the receipts of other customers without their permission.
2. I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but I think that when this seemingly public figure decided to write this insulting comment, she lost her right to keep it private.

Intent matters. The receipt they posted (1) came from a different location, (2) came with a statement that thanked the customer (instead of belittling and embarrassing them), (3) apparently violated policy as well, because it was removed, and (4) was posted on Applebee's facebook page, NOT a 3rd party website.

 

[Wake]

 

[Heebie Jeebie]

This is a story that's been brewing for the last few days. It's a story where the dynamics of customer service, restaurant politics, and moral outrage collide.

Just before all of this happened, an Applebee's server had been tending to a female Pastor named Alois Bell. Before leaving, the Pastor felt the need to write down a comment on her receipt... "I give God 10%, why do you get 18?", and then scribbled out the auto-gratuity in the hopes it'd be nullified. She then left with her group of 8+. The server was probably miffed, and a fellow server, waitress Chelsea Welch, decided to take a picture of the rude comment and post in on the internet. The Pastor, embarrassed that her comment was receiving publicity, complained to Applebee's manager and had Chelsea Welch fired.

What the heck did 8 people buy that totalled $34.94, a coke and a napkin each?

 

[longview]

The waitress broke a company policy, but the Pastor also walked on a part of the check.
The waitress should be fired for violating the company policy, but the Pastor should be charged
with theft, As they agreed to the terms of the deal when they sat down to eat.
If I ordered, and ate a piece of pie, but said I did not want to pay for it because I did not like it,
it would still be theft.

 

[clownboy]

As to the customer's privacy being violated - she doesn't have any in this context. She's eating in a public restaurtant and any comments she writes are also public.

And longview, from what I've read, the pastor tried to make an end run around the 18% but was unsuccessful and ended up paying the 18% on the bill.