Karen has become a pejorative term to describe those who are rude, demanding and assertive to an excessive degree. These individuals will demand “Speaking to a Manager” in every circumstance they encounter.
A Pittsburgh company is turning the stereotype on its head by hiring “Karens” to represent their clients in various cases ranging from health insurance claims and cell phone bill negotiations to getting refunds from ticketmaster.
They’ll Make Complaints for You
Whether your issue lies with an insurance provider or car mechanic, Karens for Hire stands ready to help get it resolved. For a fee, they will contact the company in question on your behalf and speak directly with its manager in order to fight on your behalf. Despite its name, Karens for Hire claims it can do all legal actions available to it in order to resolve disputes ranging from calling customer service lines or mediating personal or professional differences between employees – right through to filing formal complaints against any business involved in a conflict.
Pavel Paulinich of Pittsburgh created the service after watching videos on TikTok of people being discriminated against or harassed. “I wanted to create something that would provide these victims a safe space to vent and be heard,” Paulinich tells the Washington Post. So he recruited a team with expertise in customer service and marketing to form his company and now known as Karens for Hire that work contract bases and earn anywhere between $10 to $100 per complaint handled.
Karens strives to keep prices for its services as competitively as possible in order to maximize success, and its website features testimonials from people who have used Karens to address poor experiences at companies they work for or consumers themselves.
Although Karen may sound intimidating, its use by this company does not reflect negative connotations. They claim their “army of warriors” will help you fight injustice by calling customer service lines or filing formal complaints on your behalf; although they won’t take legal action against those responsible (e.g. stiffing you on marijuana purchases), they can call Chase Bank directly and express your displeasure about how things went down.
Though not attorneys themselves, the company does rely on lawyers to ensure nothing illegal or improper occurs on your behalf. Furthermore, these legal representatives will ensure that the “Karens” are fulfilling their roles effectively.
They’ll Mediate Disputes
Karens should not be underestimated: these obnoxious, disrespectful people annoy and provoke everyone they encounter — from managers to young children — for an agreed fee. You could hire them yourself or commission one on behalf of an acquaintance or colleague to do just this for you! Karens for Hire of Pittsburgh has launched an army of “Karens” to tackle your biggest problems. Utilizing their services, you can strike back at neighbors who cut their lawn at 7am every Sunday morning or employers who refuse to allow early departures from work. Use them to rid your apartment building of pesky cockroaches or simply get your manager to listen to you. They’re even willing to fight on your behalf in court if needed, at prices which reflect that their services will essentially represent your case and interests.
The Karen trope represents how white female anger has taken center stage during times of greater uncertainty in American life. She represents a new traditional role for women derived from Generation X soccer mom archetypes; although her anger stems primarily from exploitation of privilege. Unfortunately, most literature on the phenomenon emphasizes her race-related aspect over other dimensions of its essence.
Though these individuals appear rude or disrespectful at times, their popularity with social media users despite this is evident by how frequently their actions are mocked and parodied for breaking basic social norms or lack thereof. Their wide popularity speaks volumes of how others view these individuals.
Karens have become immensely popular due to their unique ability to stir up anger and frustration while simultaneously displaying an overwhelming sense of entitlement and resentment. This skill can be immensely helpful during pandemics, so the Karens take advantage of it to garner online praise from others – an effective strategy in times of increasing inequality and discontentment.
They’ll Try to Get You a Refund
Karens are well known for their ability to probe, prod, and berate those they meet; yet one woman has found a way to use this trait to her own benefit.
Reddit user Deeba_ recently took to Malicious Compliance community to vent about an assistant manager named Karen whom she described as being rude, argumentative and otherwise an inconvenience. This “Karen” had become rude, arguable and generally troublesome to work for.
Deeba decided to turn against Karen by hiring the Pittsburgh-based firm ‘Karens for Hire’, who offer their services for as little as $100 – helping consumers file complaints, mediate disputes or fight appraisals on their behalf.
They will reach out to your neighbor who mows his lawn at 7am every Sunday morning while you’re trying to sleep in. Their service keeps your identity hidden while relaying the message that mowing on Sunday mornings is unacceptable behavior.
They’ll Do Your Dirty Work
Karens are known to pry, prod and push to get what they want – from helping a waiter cough on someone requesting a mask in a restaurant to cart abandoners who take your groceries without returning them – no one is safe from their prying. You can hire them for any dirty work you need done too – from sending letters to lawnmowing companies who mow early Sunday morning lawns when you wanted to sleep in, sending letters out when the grass cutting guy shows up in order to settle their dispute so you can focus on family or career matters (Image Credit: Karens for Hire).
Disclaimer: The author is the founder of a marketing firm and receives compensation for her writing and content creation.
