Papa John's CEO Apologizes for Delivery Man's Racist Rant

[Hum]

Papa John's Chairman and CEO John Schnatter apologized to a customer in Sanford, Florida, for a racist rant a Papa John's delivery man inadvertently left on the customer's voicemail.

After he delivered a pizza to the Sanford customer and his wife Sunday evening, the delivery man "butt dialed" the customer and left a voicemail message laden with racial slurs as he complained about his tip.

The customer posted a video on YouTube in which he showed the pizza delivery receipt, explaining he and his wife tipped 21 percent, "as usual."

In the voicemail message, which lasts about four minutes, the Papa John's employee complains to another Papa John's employee about the $5 tip and uses the N-word and other racial expletives, which he also incorporated into a song about the customer.

"I guess that's the only requirement for being a [insert N-word] in Sanford," a city still reeling from racial tensions after the shooting of Trayvon Martin last year.

"Yeah, they give me five bucks there -- fine outstanding African-American gentleman of the community," the delivery man can be heard saying in the call.

His fellow co-worker laughed in response.

Schnatter posted an apology on Papa John's Facebook page on Monday afternoon.

"Friends, I am extremely concerned to learn about the reprehensible language used by two former employees in one of our restaurants," the Facebook post stated. "Their thinking and actions defy both my personal and the company's values, and everything for which this company stands."

Schnatter said the employees "responsible for this absolutely unacceptable behavior were immediately terminated."

"My heartfelt apology goes out to the customer involved, his family and our community at large. I am very sorry that anyone would be exposed to these hurtful and painful words by any person involved in any way with our company," Schnatter said.

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[Chris123NT]

21% is a pretty standard tip these days, this guy shouldn't be so damn greedy, and he especially shouldn't be making comments like that about customers.

Good to hear he was fired though, now he gets no tips.

[fusi0n]

If you order a pizza that is 16 bucks and add a $5 top.. see nothing wrong with that. 21% would only be 3.36.. but still they complain about it around here too..

A while back, when I was in middle school and my mom ordered me a pizza and tipped the dude $5, he told me that I need to tell my mom she needs to learn to tip better.. I told him that I tipped his mom the same last night.. and DAMN he got mad lol.. but there was no reason calling my mom out like that.. What a POS. If you don't like how much you are getting paid, find another job.

PS: What a dumbass for not locking his phone.. butt dialing is SOoOOOOoOooOoo 2008

[Brian M. Veteran]

In the UK a 21% tip would be VERY generous. Heck, even the most pretentious places only ask for 12.5%.

When it comes to pizza delivery - I just round up and give whatever it is in notes. If the order is ?19 I give ?20. If it's ?21 I give ?25.

But I think us Brits just hate the idea of tipping.

[Auditor]

What a moron. How much tip does he wants. For a $16 pizza do you want people to tip you $20. Go get another job looser. Oh well, I guess now he has to. I think this whole tip thing is totally ridiculous. Companies should abolish this tipping policy and pay fair wages to their employees and charge shipping and handling fee for customers who want their orders to be delivered. So there is no surprise for anyone.

[Kreuger]

Man people are lucky to get two dollars from me.

[Roger H. Veteran]

I tip generally in the 20% range also. The guy just made $5 in less than 5 mins which some people take about 45mins to make (minimum wage jobs). If you don't like your paycheck then take that up with your boss buddy, not me.

[Hum]

I find delivery people whining about tips, disgusting.

Tips are a nice little extra to get, but drivers shouldn't act like they are entitled, and demand tips.

This is probably why I go pick up my own pizza, in the rare event I order out.

[tiagosilva29]

As an European I don't get

• the racist stuff
• the survival-by-tips stuff

.

[Noir Angel]

In the UK the process of using tips to supplement wages has been outlawed, as a result delivery drivers get fair wages and very few people tip.

Doesn't excuse the guy's behaviour though. Glad he rightly paid with his job.

[jakem1]

In the UK a 21% tip would be VERY generous. Heck, even the most pretentious places only ask for 12.5%.

When it comes to pizza delivery - I just round up and give whatever it is in notes. If the order is ?19 I give ?20. If it's ?21 I give ?25.

But I think us Brits just hate the idea of tipping.

I order on-line and pay the exact amount. I'm not tipping someone just because they brought me food.

[Sandor]

I generally stick to 10%. If service isn't great it gets lower. If it's bad the tip disappears.

[DaveLegg Developer]

I order on-line and pay the exact amount. I'm not tipping someone just because they brought me food.

Ditto. I work in a couple of bars in my spare time - very rarely get tips (usually it's just Americans that do), and when I do get them, they go straight into a charity pot on the bar

[Skwerl]

Wow, I was told long ago that the appropriate tip for pizza delivery was a buck per pizza. I feel kind of embarrassed, now. That said, I wonder if 20% is really as appropriate for a driver who has ten seconds of interaction with you versus a waiter/waitress who fills your drinks, talks to you, serves you, et cetera.

[The Laughing Man]

Call me an ass, but I always check the pizza before I had over payment, too many times have they pizza's been wrong,smashed up,stone cold after the guy leaves.

[FloatingFatMan]

I never do get why people insist on paying servers for doing something their employer is already paying them.

[fusi0n]

Call me an ass, but I always check the pizza before I had over payment, too many times have they pizza's been wrong,smashed up,stone cold after the guy leaves.

Oh know.. not an ass at all bro.. I started doing this after I ordered a Pizza that was cold.. Like COLD.. I called and asked if the driver held it window the entire way to my house..

[Roger H. Veteran]

I never do get why people insist on paying servers for doing something their employer is already paying them.

Blame USA I guess - in general servers here get between $3-$5hr from the employers while they make most of their money from tips. On a good day at IHOP - my friend says she makes $250 In tips (with like $30 from the company or about $26/hour). So the idea you can make big bucks is why this still goes on today. $200/day times 5 or 6 and you're RICH! (not really but that's what people think). Since it's all tax free (for now, you'll have to pay back taxes later) it seems like you can make a good amount of money just by tips, more than most average people make (most admin or mid-level jobs don't take home $1,200/week, you'll be lucky to get $700-800).

In some other places like Germany (in the USA as well). The Tips just get divided up equally amongst the staff at the end of the night. They get their normal salary and anything from tips is just pocket change.

[techbeck]

Some places in the USA, servers get a few bucks and hour plus tips. So they rely on the tips and as long as they do a good job and are attentive, I dont mid tipping. I normally tip 20 percent, however, if all I have is a few drinks totally $6....I will tip $6 back. Going out is not a must have and servers have to put up with a lot of BS. So if you cannot tip, then say at home and dont order anything for delivery. MO.

What I dont like is places that charge a mandatory gratuity. Shouldnt be mandatory if the service sucks as I have given a few 2 cent tips before because the service was that bad.

[jakem1]

Is there a good reason why Americans have decided to start calling waiters servers?

[techbeck]

Is there a good reason why Americans have decided to start calling waiters servers?

Because waitress and waiter is not politically correct. Same thing with steward and stewardess.

[Ph1b3r0pt1c]

"Friends, I am extremely concerned to learn about the reprehensible language used by two former employees in one of our restaurants," the Facebook post stated. "Their thinking and actions defy both my personal and the company's values, and everything for which this company stands."

LOL AT THAT.

His personal and company value's are to treat his own workers like s**t and not give insurance, and if they do, knock people's hours down to get out of it. I would love to see his "personal and company value's". It is sad that the only people I see here 'working' for Papa Johns seems to be white trash anyways.

[+Neowin User 007 Subscriber²]

LOL AT THAT.

His personal and company value's are to treat his own workers like s**t and not give insurance, and if they do, knock people's hours down to get out of it. I would love to see his "personal and company value's". It is sad that the only people I see here 'working' for Papa Johns seems to be white trash anyways.

You can get your own insurance policy for less and not depend on paying into a group policy that'll most likely end up with a higher premium.

I tip depending on service. They don't get money for their cars being utilized for business and they are usually making minimum wage.

[Chris123NT]

Is there a good reason why Americans have decided to start calling waiters servers?

Probably because someone somewhere got all butthurt and made a big deal that it makes them sound like servants or some crap like that.

I personally still call them waiters and waitresses, because that's what they are. They chose the occupation so they really don't have a right to get insulted by it.

[Growled Member]

So he went from being an employed idiot to an unemployed idiot. I hope we don't end up supporting him.