I am officially at my absolute wit’s end, y’all.
Most of you know me as a pretty down-to-earth person. I like to keep things real, I love treating people with basic kindness, and I always try to see the good in everyone. But after what happened to me this past Sunday, on top of that completely ridiculous, condescending situation at that toy store in Brooklyn, it is clear to me that there is a weird, targeted movement happening right now to deny basic service to paying customers!
Let me tell you what happened. It was Sunday afternoon, and I was craving a little comfort food. I drove over to my local Chick-fil-A, fully prepared to drop my hard-earned money on a 8-piece nugget meal with waffle fries and extra Polynesian sauce. My credit card was out, and I was ready to go.
And do you know what happened when I pulled up to the drive-thru?
Nothing.
Absolute radio silence.
I sat there in front of the speaker board for ten whole minutes! I even turned down my music and called out, thinking maybe their headset system was glitching, but nobody answered.
So, I put the car in park, walked up to the front entrance, and tried to open the doors. Locked. Tight.
I could literally see inside through the windows! The fryers were right there. The lemonade dispensers were sitting right on the counter. The lights were dimmed, and chairs were stacked on top of the tables like they were intentionally hiding in the back, ignoring me while I stood out there rattling the door handle! I even tapped on the glass and said, “Hey guys, I’m right here! I just want a quick order of nuggets!”
And nobody came to the door. Not a single employee came out to apologize, take my order, or even explain why they were ignoring me. They just completely locked me out and left me standing in the parking lot. It was honestly humiliating.
I’m sure people on the internet are going to jump in and defend them. I’m sure Chick-fil-A’s corporate team will release some polished PR statement trying to spin this or cover for their staff. But there is simply no excuse for leaving a paying customer out in the cold.
If you have chicken inside the building and a customer standing outside with money in hand, you open the door and sell the chicken! It’s really not that complicated to just treat people with respect. You don’t get a pass to make people feel invisible when they’re standing right in front of your venue.
First it’s an art shop in Brooklyn, and now it’s a fast-food chain. I am so tired of being turned away, judged, and dismissed when I am just trying to support local businesses!
Customer service in this country has officially lost its way. And honestly? Next time, I might just bring a megaphone.
