Popeyes Louisana Kitchen — Restaurant in Toronto

I am a 53 year old doctoral level profession, work 2 jobs, (3 as I am a single mother of a child under 18). The staff treat younger customers with respect as Equals!! But the staff here repeatedly used Babytalk i.e.// "Elderspeak" on me, calling me "Dear" over and over while I begged them to stop, using a SLOW...SIMPLE... SINGSONG.. VOICE... as though I had dementia. It went like this (short paraphrased summary) (them)"Here we are Dear" (me) Please don't call me Dear... (them)"Yes, now Dear"... (me) Please don't call me Dear" ... (them)"Sure Deeeeaaarrrrrr..."...(Me) Just how old do you think I am? (Staff turns away, while people in the lineup start making funny guesses as to my age ) "(them) - OK ... Now...Dear"" (me) I'm not your grandmother, I've asked you to stop calling me Dear, why do you keep doing it!!??? (them) DEAR... ITS R...E...S...P..E...C...T.. they said in a slow simple voice (me - NO its not respectful" '" (them...in a loud voice...NO DEAR...ITS ....TOTAL ...RESPECT... DEAR...." (me) NO, its total disrespect to assume that a person is elderly just because they look elderly to you! Its total disrespect to assume that if you think someone is elderly that they also have dementia (or are hard of hearing)! Its total disrespect to assume that even IF a person is elderly with dementia that its ok to use Babynames and Babytalk on them! ( Them... trying again...NO DEAR... ITS RESPECT DEAR..... (Me - finally NO, its disrespect and its discrimination and ageism and against Ontario Human Rights to assume someone's age and to treat them differently because of their age).. Staff then said -" I (staff) understand - I will remember" - and they walked away to serve younger customers )... So I wrote the company and got a reply from an email address called "noreply" that they will take my concern seriously LOL!! I am angry, hurt and ashamed because this is NOT trivial discrimination. So many of us elders live in poverty and we should at least be able to get chicken at an affordable place like Popeyes without facing discrimination! If it was simply cultural, the staff would have done it to everyone not just me as the only Elder there....Obviously the staff is ' ahem " Inexperienced"!! Elderspeak: Babytalk Directed at Older Adults by, Karen Austin, ChangingAging Contributor [Editor’s Note: Originally posted at The Generation Above Me] ... At its core, elderspeak communicates a condescending attitude. And from that attitude the person’s language might demonstrate the following features of elderspeak:

Speaking slowly Speaking loudly Using a sing-song voice Inflecting statements to sound like a question Using the pronouns “we,” “us,” and “our” in place of “you.”: “How are we doing today?” Using pet names such as “sweetheart,” “dearie,” or “honey” Shortening sentences Simplifying syntax (sentence structure) Simplifying vocabulary Repeating statements or questions Answering questions for the older adult: “You would like your lunch now, wouldn’t you?” In other ways talking for the older adult: “You are having a good time on the patio today, I see. And you have your pink sweater on, which you love. Right?” Asking people questions that assume role loss, idleness and powerlessness such as “Who did you used to be?” “What did you used to do?” Even though this list describes various ways in which people sometimes alter their speech when talking to older adults, a couple of misperceptions generate the communication problem:

Elderspeak assumes that the older adult is dependent, frail, weak, incompetent, childlike, etc. Elderspeak assumes that the speaker has greater control, power, value, wisdom, knowledge, etc than the older adult listening. Elderspeak assumes that all older adults equally suffer from memory problems, hearing problems, energy problems, etc. Public health experts have found that when older adults are exposed to the patronizing language of elderspeak, their performance on tasks decreases and their rates of depression increase. (and that people with dementia can spot the...

Title: Customer experience issues at Popeyes store @ 237 Sheppard Ave, North York – request for staff training Summary Frequent customer service problems at this Popeyes location, including long wait times, impolite staff, and aggressive language from another employee. This has caused me to stop visiting. I hope management uses this feedback to improve staff training and customer relationships. Experience details: First incident (about two weeks ago) I visited to place an order for pickup; only one staff member was at the counter. I was kept waiting about 10 minutes to place my order, despite being the sole customer.(I was only one to order, there was no other costumer on cue) The staff member repeatedly asked me to wait and did not apologize; the interaction felt dismissive and unprofessional. I left without ordering due to the poor service. Second incident (September 12, 2025): I arrived around 10:00 pm for dinner and attempted to order for pickup. After a short wait (3–4 minutes), the staff member started taking my order. (I was only one to order, there was no other costumer on cue) During the order, another staff member used aggressive and impolite language, accusing me that my car was parked in the wrong spot. I was asked to move my car, despite having parked in a spot I have used for two years to pick up orders. There was ample space in the lot, and another car was reported to be parked incorrectly, not mine. I did not move my car as I believed I was in the correct spot and the other costumer finally he left with his car conveniently. The overall interaction felt hostile and unprofessional.

What I’d like to see from Popeyes management Customer service training: polite greetings, timely order taking, clear communication, and apologies when delays occur. Parking and order etiquette: staff should clarify issues calmly without accusing customers. Consistent in-store experience: ensure more than one staffed counter so customers aren’t left waiting. Final note: Customer relationships are crucial for business success. Based on these experiences, I will not be returning to this store unless there are clear improvements. I hope management takes this feedback seriously and uses it to train staff and improve customer...

Dealt with the manager on the phone. Very unhelpful and unwilling to help customer. I mistakenly chose this location instead of one that is near me, & was informed that they have no power to help. I only can contact corporate so I asked for their contact & manager kept saying you can google it & I did & couldn't find a proper contact number. He was actually really terrible. No willingness to actually help the customer in distress. I have yet to get a refund or store credit. Corporate has not gotten back to me yet after I talked with their chatbot. I am going to wait 24 hours & take other action. It seems shady when a business goes to this length to not talk to a customer. No phone number for customer service... & email I received or the app itself doesn't have the option to cancel order. I called the location within seconds of placing my order & they had just received it when I called the manager too. Anyway I am extremely dissatisfied by this location manager & the company as a whole now. Not everyone should be a manager. You need to actually care about customers and at least be willing to help. That google comment was acceptable to me.

Response to store owner's response: lol you mean sorry for giving no solution. My issue isn't with that. My issue is with the manager, not the cashier, telling me to Google. You should have contact information readily available to give to a customer. What if I didn't have access to my internet for whatever reason at the time? Besides, the information he was giving wasn't even accurate! He first told me I can cancel through the app but I couldn't cancel there was not option to cancel. He added to my stress & was entirely unhelpful! so instead of providing any customer service to a distressed customer, he added to my stress in the situation by giving me wrong information or no information at all! I worked at customer service business for a long time and I know this isn't acceptable practice. He also told me when I asked what are my chances of getting a refund, he said none. He didn't offer any solutions or ideas nothing. It was simply terrible and absent...