In Defense of the Workers at Popeyes

In a recent newsletter, I waxed poetically about how the world needed to be nicer to the people working at Popeyes. Yes, I understand that their chicken sandwich is delicious, and yes, I also understand that the lines are long. However, it is not their fault that they have run out of chicken. You should either: A) Get your ass there shortly after they open to ensure that you can receive your allotment of crispy, fried bird breast; or B) Holla at corporate. What you should not do is hop your fat ass over the counter or through the drive thru to fight the cashier. You looking fucking stupid.

And as I scroll through pictures and videos from Popeyes' locations across the country, it has come to my attention that some of ya’ll have lost your fucking minds, and it’s not the first time that ya’ll have done it. No one just spontaneously decides to swing on a cashier at the register. No, I firmly believe that some of you behave like this in a regular basis. As someone who has worked in retail for 10+ years, I can tell you that there are times when customers will cause a ruckus and show their entire ass in hopes of getting their way. I hate to break it to some of you, but it doesn't matter how many times you clap at an associate or how much spittle flies out of your mouth, it's not changing anything. Yes. despite what you've been told your entire life, the customer is NOT always right.

Working in the customer service industry is stressful. Many of us are working minimum wage jobs with no benefits and hours that can be consistent or sporadic depending on the season. Understand that despite your preconceived conceptions of us, we too, are hardworking individuals with responsibilities. You're not allowed to think less of us because our job comes with a name tag and an apron instead of a desk. PERIOD. Also, please understand that we are people with enough shit going on in our daily lives without adding your arrogance and self-entitlement to it. We are students working after class to support our way through college, mothers and fathers trying to put money on the table for our kids, or individuals with criminal records that are just trying to turn our lives around.

There’s nothing more infuriating in the world than a customer who refuses to check their bullshit at the door. I've worked $1 flip flop days, multiple Black Fridays (some with no electricity), and 13+ hour shifts during semi-annual sales, and at the end of each of those shifts, I've always left surprised that I didn't go to jail. As retail workers, we usually have to take the blame for decisions made by a corporate office that hasn't stepped into a field store in decades. Some customers are very understanding, and then there's some that just don't fucking understand that it's beyond your control.

Let me give you a scenario that's probably playing out at a Popeyes this very moment: "If you've run out of chicken sandwiches, why don't ya'll just put a sign on the door to let folks know? I've stood in line for fucking nothing and ya'll ain't shit for that." Listen, I'm sure that manager would love to put a fucking sign on that store that says: "Bitch, we ain't got it. Try again tomorrow." However, corporate would come in and fire everybody in that bih if that happened. So instead, they have to put up with your angry ass until it's time to clock out . Corporate just wants more people in their stores on the off chance that you'll still buy something even if the thing you want is not available. Yes, it's fucked up, but that's how it goes.

Every Popeyes employee on the Planet Earth…

And if that isn't enough, I'm sure those people didn't receive higher wages just because the demand in stores have increased. Yes, the store is making more money but the hourly rate is still the same. There are rarely any financial perks for bottom level customer service associates during high traffic events. During Black Friday, the biggest perk I've received from a corporate office is chicken minis for breakfast and pizza for lunch. (Note: It's not because they're being nice or they're grateful for our hard work. It's because they know that we'll be too busy to really take breaks or even leave the store for lunch. You can't open store credit cards if you've passed out from dehydration).

Please know that my intention is not to shame people who are barreling down the doors of Popeyes for that damn sandwich. It's not. There are so little joys in life these days, and if you've found yours in a chicken sandwich, I'm not going to judge you. However, I will judge people who are trying their hardest to end up on WorldStar at a damn fast food restaurant. Not only do you look like a damn idiot, but you've also made somebody else's life miserable and possibly (if not certainly) put their job at risk. It's okay to buy sandwiches, flip flops, candles, or whatever you want in this world that's delicious and/or on sale. However, it is not okay to shame, berate, degrade, and verbally/physically assault a customer service representative who is just doing their job. Point blank period.

P.S. Since I wrote the original draft of this article, Popeyes made an announcement that they have run out of the sandwich at all of their stores. Some of ya’ll have responded by pulling guns on employees, filing law suits, and storming the restaurant like it’s the beaches of Normandy. Every day I swear we drift further and further away from His light…