Korinn Lloyd loved her job as a cast member working at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park—she said so in a TikTok following her termination from the most magical place on Earth.

Lloyd was dismissed from her paid internship with the Disney college program after allegedly being rude to some park guests. In the now viral interaction, Lloyd appears to ask the guests to take their business to another souvenir cart because they were making her uncomfortable. A guest can then be heard threatening to “smash” everything on her cart, to which Lloyd replied, “You can, please smash it,” before eventually walking away. Many have come to Lloyd’s defense, condemning the company for letting her go.

“As a former cast member who was also let down by the company. You are valid and you are appreciated,” a user named Caroline commented on Lloyd’s TikTok. “The lack of respect towards cast members is sad.”

Disney—who did not respond to HR Brew’s requests for comment—has a reputation for going above and beyond for its park guests. But is a “customer is always right” mantra good for employees and, ultimately, an organization’s retention and recruitment strategies?

A different POV. Patti Simpson, the chief administrative officer for NYC-based restaurant company Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), doesn’t believe customers are more important than employees. Though there is a need for proper training and development, she said sometimes, the customer is flat-out wrong.

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