Unhinged South Korean customer who humiliated cafe manager over missing straw in drinks order angers China social media
- Woman calls cafe, complains about drink delivery order, is sent free cake
- Delivery delayed, she storms into premises, confronts manager with tirade
A South Korean woman who forced a cafe manager to kneel and apologise because her drinks delivery order did not include a straw has sparked anger on mainland social media.
The incident unfolded on April 4 in Siheung City, Gyeonggi-do, according to the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), the national South Korean television and radio channel.
A female customer had called the cafe to complain that there was no straw with her order.
The manager immediately arranged for a straw and a complimentary cake to be sent to the customer as an apology. But the delivery was delayed because of a problem with the address.
Frustrated by the wait, the customer stormed into the cafe, confronting the manager with a stream of complaints.
Surveillance footage showed the furious woman ranting for more than five minutes. Her tirade was so loud that passers-by stopped to watch.
In an attempt to calm the customer, the cafe manager came from behind the counter, said sorry and asked how she could make amends.
The incensed woman demanded the manager kneel in apology. The manager complied.
In an interview with SBS, the manager tearfully recounted the ordeal.
She said she had agreed to kneel in an attempt to quickly resolve the matter, but the customer continued to berate her.
“Is this the attitude of the service industry? You might as well close your business. Do you think you can survive in this community?” the customer had ranted.
The manager said the incident had a profound impact on her health, revealing that she has since suffered headaches, dizziness, vomiting, and stomach pain, and has developed a fear of dealing with customers.
Following a public outcry, the police were notified and charges were filed against the woman for obstruction of business and personal insult on April 8.
News of the incident, which was reposted by the People’s Daily in China, sparked outrage on mainland social media.
“Just for forgetting a straw, was that necessary? I really think the customer has psychological issues,” one person said.
“Such extreme emotions are scary and hard to understand. It was just a missing straw. Why did she not just open the lid and drink?” wrote another.
Some people expressed disbelief that the manager agreed to kneel, saying: “Selling coffee and she has to be bullied like this? And she actually knelt?”
“Could they not just have refunded her? Was there really a need to kneel?” another person asked.
