Papa John's Racist Voicemail: CEO John Schnatter Personally Apologizes to Customers [LISTEN]
ByJohn Schnatter, Papa John's Pizza CEO, apologized to a customer in Sanford, Florida after the customer received a racist voicemail from his delivery man, reported ABC News.
Schnatter used the company's Facebook page to post the statement.
"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."
According to a YouTube video posted by the customer, the Papa John's employee pocket dialed the customer he had just delivered to and left a voicemail laced with racial slurs. The employee was talking with a co-worker and was complaining about the tip he received. The two employees then spouted off racially charged jokes, one after another.
CAUTION: this video contains racially insensitive and offensive language. The pocket-dialed message begins at the 2:30 mark.
In the video, the customer showed the receipt and explained that he and his wife tipped 21 percent "as usual."
In the four-minute voicemail, the employee said he was not tipped at all, to which the other employee said he received five dollars and sarcastically called him a "fine outstanding African-American gentleman of the community."
Schnatter wrote in his Facebook post that the employees involved were terminated immediately.
The couple who the apology was directed to have not made any public statements, but many Facebook users who replied to the post applauded the CEO's gesture.
"Great PR response," one user said.
Another user said, "I'm glad the CEO apologized instead of ignoring this. True customer service!" That comment gained 566 'likes' from others who interacted with the post.
"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 wrote. "Thank you for your important comments. I have personally reached out to our customer to share my own thoughts and offer my deepest apology."