#trending: Netizens slam South Korean woman for making cafe manager kneel over missing straw
SEOUL — A forgotten straw in a drink order, which was a seemingly innocuous oversight, took a dramatic turn when a customer in South Korea forced a cafe manager to kneel and apologise for the mistake.
- A customer in South Korea reportedly forced a cafe manager to get on her knees for forgetting a straw in her drink order
- The incident, caught on the cafe's surveillance footage and reported by South Korean news outlets, has sparked an outcry on social media
- The manager initially arranged for a straw and a complimentary cake to be given to the woman as an apology
- However, the delivery was delayed due to an incorrect address
- Frustrated by the wait, the customer confronted the manager in person at the cafe and demanded that she kneel as an apology
SEOUL — A forgotten straw in a drink order, which was a seemingly innocuous oversight, took a dramatic turn when a customer in South Korea forced a cafe manager to kneel and apologise for the mistake.
The April 4 incident in Siheung, Gyeonggi province, highlighted the pressures faced by service industry workers in the country, South Korean broadcast channel Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) News reported.
The confrontation, which was caught on the cafe's surveillance footage, was featured in an SBS News segment on April 9 and shown on the YouTube account of the news channel.
The video has since been viewed 19,935 times and attracted 420 comments, with viewers criticising the customer's behaviour and sympathising with the cafe manager's plight.
The SBS News report said that the woman had allegedly called the cafe to complain that there was no straw delivered with her drink order.
The manager, Ms Bae Soon Im, then arranged for a straw and a complimentary cake to be delivered to the customer as an apology.
However, the second delivery was delayed because Ms Bae had written the woman's address incorrectly, South Korean media reports said.
Frustrated by the long wait, the customer eventually went down to the cafe in person to confront Ms Bae, demanding an apology and causing a ruckus there.
Surveillance footage showed a woman storming into the cafe with her drink in hand before proceeding to the counter to speak to the manager.
When Ms Bae asks the customer how she can make amends for her error, the customer demands that she kneel to apologise.
Ms Bae then gets out from behind the counter and gets down on her knees as the customer continues her tirade.
The customer is heard berating Ms Bae in Korean: "Is this the attitude of the service industry? Don't do business like that again. Do you think you can survive in the neighbourhood?"
Her verbal onslaught draws the attention of many passers-by, who are seen gathering outside the cafe for a peek. Even then, the customer continues to berate Ms Bae, asking her: "Are you that comfortable kneeling?"
In an interview with SBS News after the incident, Ms Bae said that she had agreed to kneel because she wanted to resolve the situation quickly, adding that she suffered from persistent headaches, dizziness, vomiting and stomach pain after the incident, and has also developed a fear of dealing with customers.
“I could barely drink a few sips of water. I just didn’t want to see the customers or come out to the store,” she told an SBS News reporter, breaking into tears as she recalled the encounter.
Separately, the customer allegedly told South Korean media that she was dissatisfied with Ms Bae's attitude in delivering the straw to her.
"The store owner’s attitude of giving the straw back was disrespectful. If she had said sorry sooner, she wouldn’t have (needed to) kneel down," Chosun Daily quoted the customer as saying.
The incident has sparked an outcry online, with social media users slamming the customer for her treatment of Ms Bae.
One wrote on YouTube: "She lives a very tiring life just because of a straw. Is there no straw at home or is (her) mouth as long as a crane? She has made her existence known to the entire nation with just a straw."
Another wrote: "Hearing the owner say that it was easier to just apologise hurts my heart. I apologise (on behalf of the customer) instead."
Some online users asked for the address of the cafe so that they could visit it and show support for the manager. "Where is that store? Let’s go there and increase sales!" one wrote.
Many people, however, questioned why Ms Bae readily knelt down instead of fighting back and reporting the customer to the police.
One said: "You shouldn't be dragged around by customers like that... If you said sorry for not doing well, that's enough. But if (they) ask for too much, just tell them it's too much and not to come to your store again."
Another wrote: "The store owner seems naive. Things like that can be sorted out by just (recording the incident) and calling the police."
Ms Bae told the SBS News reporter that she had filed a report against the customer with the South Korean authorities on April 8 for obstructing her business and insulting her.