‘That’s so mean’: Man receives poor service at Applebee’s. Then he tells the server he’s the CEO.

‘I would’ve started CRYING HARD AF.’

Photo by@kevinhooks4/TikTok jejim/ShutterStock

An Applebee’s customer started an uproar in his TikTok comments after impersonating the restaurant chain’s CEO to a server and recording the interaction. The video was posted on Oct. 12 and has garnered over 6 million views at this time.

In the clip, Kevin (@kevinhooks4) is positioned at a dining booth, surrounded by an array of food options, beverages, and various alcoholic selections laid out before him. The footage, captured by an individual seated opposite Kevin, captures him conversing with the waiter.

Why did Kevin impersonate the CEO of Applebee’s?

Customers frequently refer to Applebee's when discussing their standards for customer service, and Kevin's unimpressive dining outing further contributes to the criticisms leveled against the restaurant chain.

Feeling let down by the service, Kevin engages in conversation with the server at their table. "I was hoping to share a secret with you, have you seen the show Undercover Boss?" The server responds affirmatively. "Alright. My name is Rich Klein, and I'm not just the owner of this place, but also the CEO of Applebee’s."

The server apologizes. Kevin says, “I wanted you to know that this was the worst experience I’ve ever had.”

“I’m so sorry,” the server repeats as she looks down at the table.

Kevin asks the server, “How do you feel right now?” to which she responds, “Really, really, really terrible.”

He then says, “So, I need to speak with your manager, Kevin. How many managers do you have on the floor right now?”

A different individual at the table chuckles at Kevin's plea. The waiter mentions a few names, which are difficult to make out amidst the background noise.

Kevin says, “So, I’m gonna excuse my family and then I’m gonna come to the back and speak with the cashier.” The server nods, and the video ends with them handling the bill.

Commenters were not happy with Kevin’s act

Users were upset with Kevin, either due to his dishonesty towards the server or due to his way of handling the discussion.

One wrote, “Wait that’s so mean poor girl,” about the server.

Another asked, “Wait can I just go to chain restaurants and tell them I’m the CEO and ur on undercover boss and just ridicule them. it’s like having a bike lock and just putting it on doors.”

A third pointed out, “That’s not how undercover boss works. they aren’t customers they are staff and figure out internal issues.”

Several commenters explained that the head of Applebee's is truly John Payton, not Rich Klein as previously thought.

Was the TikTok just a joke gone wrong?

Kevin mentions the television show, Undercover Boss, where high-level executives secretly take on other roles in the company for a week. Like executives in the show, Kevin takes on an alias, his being Rich Klein. However, in Undercover Boss, executives act as employees rather than customers.

In the series, each episode ends with the undercover boss praising diligent workers and criticizing the rest.

Given that Kevin, who shared the video and is also a manager at one of the places featured, it's reasonable to assume that this TikTok video is a lighthearted exchange between a manager and a server.

Yet, it's not clear if the two Kevin's are the same individual. This is why many people reacted negatively to the video, which, without any background, seems like a mean-spirited joke targeting a server who is just doing her job.