PUBLISHED ONApril 30, 2024 6:10 AMByLim KeweiWhat would you do if your drink was delivered without a straw?
One irate woman in South Korea took things to the extreme by demanding that a cafe manager kneel and apologise.
The incident occurred on April 4 in Gyeonggi province, according to television and radio broadcaster Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) News.
It all started when a female customer called the cafe to complain about a missing straw in her delivery order.
The store manager, surnamed Bae, then arranged to send a complimentary slice of cake alongside the missing straw as an apology for the mistake.
However, the delivery was delayed due to an error in the customer's address, local media reported.
The cafe's CCTV footage showed the vexed woman marching into the store with her drink and berating Bae.
She then reportedly demands for the manager to kneel in apology — to which the latter complies.
The woman can be heard saying: "Is this the attitude of the service industry? Don't do business like that again. Do you think you'll survive in this neighbourhood?"
The hubbub, which lasted over five minutes, had also drawn a crowd of onlookers who stopped outside the store, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUSwkg9CsTk&ab_channel=SBS%EB%89%B4%EC%8A%A4[/embed]
Speaking to SBS News after the incident, Bae said she had conceded to the customer's demand to kneel as she wanted to quickly rectify the situation.
The manager added that she has since suffered health problems such as dizziness, headaches, vomiting, and stomach pain, SCMP reported.
"After that incident, I could barely drink a few sips of water. I didn't want to see the customers or come to the store," she said tearfully.
Meanwhile, the customer told media that the manager had an "arrogant" attitude towards returning the straw, reported The Chosun Daily.
She was quoted as saying: "If she (Bae) had said sorry quickly, she wouldn't have had to kneel."
The incident has sparked online outrage, with netizens condemning the customer's harsh response and asking for her to be severely punished.
"A few days ago, the drink which I ordered from a store didn't come with a straw, so I remember tearing off the plastic and enjoying the drink. Is this something to get so angry about?" commented a YouTube user.
"For the price of a drink, you feel like you are a king... What right do you have to treat people so rudely?" wrote another netizen.
On April 8, charges were filed against the customer for obstruction of business and personal insult, reported SCMP.
lim.kewei@asiaone.com