Poor fast food workers. It seems they can never catch a break from anyone, especially not from the Mystery Shoppers on TikTok. If you’re unfamiliar with the trend, it involves TikTokers visiting various restaurants and then posting detailed reviews of the service they receive. On the surface, it might sound harmless, but the issue is that these creators often nitpick even the smallest details and overly criticize employees who are making minimum wage and doing their best under pressure. In a recent incident in South Carolina, the employees at a Chicken Salad Chick location became the latest target.
The TikToker known as @kaylalaughsoutloud visited the restaurant, filmed her experience, and shared her review online. Long story short, she was far from impressed. Her biggest complaint was that she had to wait a mere five minutes before being served. The TikToker also described the employee who helped her, who was likely the manager, as unpleasant and rude.
Kayla later documented her review in writing, and according to Reddit user ladiesluck, it allegedly resulted in the firing of the manager. However, despite her scathing remarks toward the Chicken Salad Chick branch, many of her followers and countless other internet users defended the South Carolina employee.
Several people pointed out that the bell at the front door apparently didn’t ring when Kayla entered, which might explain why staff didn’t immediately notice her. Others speculated that the workers were simply busy, either because a new hire was in training or because there was some issue in the kitchen that needed urgent attention. Many also disagreed with Kayla’s assessment of the manager’s behavior. While the manager may not have been overly bubbly or cheerful, most viewers didn’t think she was rude either. She simply seemed busy and professional.
What really upset people, however, was the allegation that Kayla’s review might have cost the manager her job. Reddit user ladiesluck said, “What was even more cruel, however, is the way she allegedly got that manager fired even though most people seem to agree that she possibly ruined someone’s life over nothing.”
Some commenters also raised concerns about a troubling pattern in Kayla’s videos, accusing her of holding a bias against service workers of color. One TikTok user wrote, “Kayla, you clearly have some sort of bias with Black service workers. I’ve seen it in many of your videos where you think the employee is rude simply because they’re not singing and dancing for you. But when a white employee acts the same way, you have no issue with it. I’ve had enough.”
Others turned their criticism toward the concept of TikTok “mystery shoppers” as a whole, calling them entitled and unreasonable. One Redditor commented, “Mystery shoppers are so annoying. I bartended at a corporate restaurant, and the things they look for are nowhere near how a regular dining experience should go. You have to hit all these ridiculous marks with your tables and pray it isn’t a shopper. God forbid you take more than two minutes to do anything for them. Ugh.”
