Feb 1, 2013

Shame on Applebee's


While I no longer wait tables, I support that hard working and underpaid part of the American workforce. Unless you have done that work, you cannot imagine how much of a toll it can take on your body and your spirit. 
I just posted the following on my Facebook and I am hoping that it will strike a chord with others who will also express their displeasure with Applebee's.
I waited tables while I was in college and the thought of Applebee's firing the waitress really ticked me off. It's hard work for less than minimum wage and I support the waitress' right to express herself. She didn't post name of the pastor, but she did post the pastor's shameful behavior. This is the e-mail that I sent to Applebee's informing them that I will not support a company that does not support its employees.

I am writing to tell Applebee's of my disgust with your company's decision to dismiss the server for posting the receipt of the pastor who refused to tip and used religious tithing as the excuse. Shame on the pastor and shame on your company for allowing that dismissal. There are hundreds of thousands of servers and former servers who know what it means to work for less than minimum wage and rely on their tips to survive, and I am among them. The work is hard and at times hazardous, and although we expect to be stiffed from time to time because people are cheap or even dissatisfied with service, being insulted and having the cheapskate customer hide behind religion as the reason is despicable. Firing the server for posting the receipt on line without posting any identifying information about the customer is beneath contempt and cowardly of the manager. I expect a company to stand up for its hard working employees, and knowing that Applebee's does not feel the need to support their servers will keep me from eating at your restaurant in the future. Shame on Applebee's for not speaking out on behalf of the server and her first amendment rights. There are a lot of chain restaurants (TGI Friday's, Black Eyed Pea, Ruby Tuesday's, etc...) that serve similar food at similar prices that can benefit from my business.

I will be posting this letter on Facebook in the hope that there are others who will support the server your company betrayed.

Sincerely,

Karen West

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