Chelsea Welch, a server at Applebee's in St. Louis was fired at the demand of Pastor Alois Bell, of St. Louis-based Truth in the World Deliverance Ministries, for letting people know how cheap she is.
Last friday Pastor Bell and some of her congregation went to Applebee's after their evening service. After dinner there was apparently a disagreement concerning Applebee's policy of charging an automatic 18% tip for parties of 8 or more.
After the Pastor and her congregation had fellowshipped, eaten, and left the restaurant, Chelsea found the receipt and tip, or lack of tip.
"I give God 10% why do you get 18," Bell wrote on her credit card receipt after crossing out the tip amount she was obliged to pay.
The server uploaded a scan of the receipt to Reddit and it took off from there.
"I originally posted the note as a lighthearted joke," Chelsea Welch told Consumerist. "I thought the note was insulting, but it was also comical. I posted it to Reddit because I thought other users would find it entertaining." According to Reddit, Welsch did ask that the Pastor's identity to not be exposed, but it was too late. What you put on the internet, you can't take back.
"My heart is really broken, I've brought embarrassment to my church and ministry." Bell told The Smoking Gun. The 37-year-old went on to call it a "lapse in my character and judgement" and that it "has been blow out of proportion."
This was a really interesting statement since the Pastor of the Faith Church preceded to call Applebee's and demand that the entire staff be fired.
Fortunately the store manager didn't hear the same 'Thus Says the Lord' and did not fire the wait staff. Welsch, however, was fired, to her surprise.
"I didn't break any specific guidelines in the company handbook - I checked," she told the media. "Because this person got embarrassed that their selfishness was made public, Applebee's has made it clear that they would rather lose a dedicated employee than lose an angry customer. That's a policy I can't understand."
Welsch went on to tell The Smoking Gun, that she's a great server and has not had complaints like this before.
Many Churches have spoken out saying they do not condone these actions, and that many Pastors encourage their congregation to give more, and in doing so 'Show the Love of Jesus in a Practical Way.'
What do you think about this story?
Do you think Applebee's did what was right in the termination of Chelsea Welsch?
Do you think Chelsea Weslch's actions in uploading the scanned receipt was appropriate?
What would you do if this had happened to you?
SamTheWriter,
Signing off
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