The Empathy Punishment

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the case of a customer, Rosemary Hayne, who threw a burrito bowl at a Chipotle employee, Emily Russell, and the subsequent consequences faced by Hayne. It explores the broader context of customer-employee interactions, staffing challenges faced by restaurants, and the judge's approach to sentencing Hayne.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Empathy Punishment

1. What was the incident that led to the customer throwing a burrito bowl at the Chipotle employee?

• The customer, Rosemary Hayne, placed a simple order at the Chipotle restaurant, but due to the long wait times and short-staffing, she decided to place the order through the Chipotle app and step out of the line.
• This led to a confrontation with the employee, Emily Russell, which resulted in Hayne throwing the burrito bowl at Russell.

2. How did the judge handle the sentencing for Hayne?

• The judge, Judge Gilligan, sentenced Hayne to work a shift at the Chipotle restaurant where the incident occurred, in order to make her "walk in the victim's shoes" and gain empathy for the challenges faced by the employees.
• The judge believed that this "empathy punishment" would be more effective than a simple fine or jail sentence.

3. How did the incident impact the Chipotle employee, Emily Russell?

• The incident went viral, leading to a confusing and humiliating experience for Russell.
• The manager of the Chipotle restaurant quit a few weeks after the incident, and Russell was asked to take on additional responsibilities without a new title or raise.
• Russell eventually quit the job, as the indignity and stress of the situation had spoiled a job she had previously enjoyed.

[02] Broader Context

1. What other incidents of customer-employee confrontations were mentioned in the article?

• The article mentions a case where a customer climbed through the drive-through window of a McDonald's and attacked three employees because there was no cookie in her meal.
• It also mentions an incident where two Chipotle customers in North Carolina beat up an employee who told them that she would have to charge them for extra chicken.

2. How did the article discuss the staffing challenges faced by restaurants coming out of the COVID-19 era?

• The article notes that the Chipotle restaurant where the incident occurred was short-staffed, with the line wrapping around the dining area all the way to the door and moving slowly.
• This context of staffing challenges and high-stress work environments is presented as a contributing factor to the tensions between customers and employees.

3. What broader societal issues did the judge attribute to the customer's behavior?

• The judge blamed the "Real Housewives" reality shows, stating that they "make people think this is really how people behave" and contribute to the rise in inexplicable customer behavior.