It’s no secret that things can turn hostile over a single meal. We’ve all seen the 4th of July antipasto debacle or how breakfast can make or break a relationship on Love Island, but the most recent drama to hit the screens might force us to rethink what we see on TikTok. The Chicken Salad Chick mystery shopper drama provides us with a lesson to not trust everything on our FYP. Now let’s dive into what really happened.
What is the Chicken Salad Chick mystery shopper drama?
Mystery shopping influencer @KaylaLaughsOutLoud posted a video while shopping at Chicken Salad Chick “exposing” the employee for calling her “sir.” For years, Kayla has posted TikToks as a mystery shopper – a person employed by a retailer to pose as a shopper and evaluate the customer service – and has built a 300K following. She posts these videos as a way of promoting her mystery shopping course which you can purchase for $800. Yes, you read that right.
In the original video, the employee tending to Kayla asked, “would this be a dine-in or a carry-out today?” Kayla misheard the cashier and fell under the impression that she called her “sir,” which caused Chicken Salad Chick to fail her inspection. Not only did it receive a low score from Kayla, but it also allegedly caused this employee to be fired for being “aggressive” – or so Kayla claims. She stated that “she is no longer a general manager of this location.”
This video resulted in nothing but negative reactions. Most viewers hold the argument that the employee was perfectly normal and had great customer service. When she brought the food out to Kayla’s table, she kindly said “here you go, sweetheart” and continued to remark, “my pleasure” when walking away.
Viewers report that Kayla blocked their accounts when they called her out in comment sections and one user even noted that real mystery shoppers are “never allowed to discuss anything on social media” because the purpose of mystery shoppers is to give feedback to the corporate office of a company – not for public review.
After receiving hate on the original video, she posted a response video and both have since been deleted from her account. They can both be found on an account that reposted them here and here before being deleted.
What was the response?
Chicken Salad Chick, a brand whose mission is to spread joy, enrich lives, and serve others, was not going to sit idly by while the company and its employees were receiving such fabricated hate. It posted a TikTok with multiple slides stating “We’ve seen a few videos and wanted to clear something up…there is no official “mystery shopper” program affiliated with our brand.” Kayla claimed that Chicken Salad Chick, along with many other companies, had hired her to post these reviews. The company’s TikTok continues by saying, “And no, no one lost their job because of a recent viral video.”
The Chicken Salad Chick mystery shopper drama serves as a reminder to not believe everything you see on TikTok and that details are, in fact, important. Apparently accusing someone of calling you “sir” can spark a TikTok meltdown, a firing that never actually happened, and a brand making a slideshow to defend itself. Kayla’s videos may be gone, but the second hand embarrassment lives on; along with Chicken Salad Chick’s undefeated customer service and a mystery shopper course that still costs $800.