The shop owner criticized the customer for taking 1,000 dong: It's my money, what's there to be so rude about?

(Dan Tri) - The incident of a shrimp cake shop owner in Hanoi complaining that a customer receiving 1,000 VND in change was not a big deal has attracted public attention. Mr. Tran Trung Hieu, an F&B industry expert, said that the shop owner was not being honest.

In recent days, the incident involving the co-founder of the Banh Tom Ba Loc brand (Pham Ngoc Thach ward, Hanoi) has had a controversial video clip, continuing to attract public attention.

Controversial statement about customer taking back 1,000 VND change (Photo cut from video).

In the previous video, Ms. T. posted content criticizing the customer for waiting to get back 1,000 VND in change.

This shared content caused a strong reaction from viewers. On November 5, Ms. T. shared another video apologizing and deleting the previously controversial clip, but it did not calm down public opinion.

Since when is it considered rude for a customer to take back their change?

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter about this issue, Mr. Tran Trung Hieu, an expert in the F&B industry, commented that the incident that happened at the shrimp cake shop recently showed the lack of transparency and unprofessionalism of the business unit.

"Working in this field, I have used the services of restaurants from the South to the North and have seen that restaurants everywhere return change to customers very properly.

"The restaurant owner should understand that, whether it's just 1,000 VND or 2,000 VND, it's not his money. If he provides good service and makes the customer satisfied, they will feel appreciated and proactively give him a tip," Mr. Hieu said.

Experts say it is natural for customers to take change, even if it is only 1,000 VND (Illustration photo).

According to this expert, the story of the coins is not about the value of the money, but shows whether the owner is honest with his customers or not. That is the core value for customers to trust in the quality of service.

Because, even with 1,000 VND, if the owner still wants to "trick", customers may turn to question whether this establishment provides good quality service or not?

The incident happened at a shrimp cake establishment in Hanoi (Screenshot).

According to Mr. Hieu, a few thousand in change is not much, but the price paid can have a negative effect on customers, being many times more expensive. With such a mindset, it is difficult for shops to go the long way.

In the current fiercely competitive food service industry, establishments that build trust and sincerity will attract and retain customers longer.

Shop owners need to be polite with even small amounts of change.

Sharing the same opinion, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, F&B industry expert, Director of Concepts Academy, said that in this case, there is a lack of transparency, causing negative reactions.

Mr. Binh gave an example, if a restaurant receives about 500 customers per day, and each customer is cheated of a few coins, the amount of money that is misappropriated in a month will not be small.

Long-term ambiguity will create an unpleasant feeling for customers. They get their money back is completely legitimate, why is it considered unfair?

This expert also cited a specific case at a bakery selling solid bread on Tran Quang Khai Street (HCMC) with a price of 7,000 VND/loaf. Many customers who came here complained that the shop did not refund them even the small change. This made customers unhappy and decided to find a new place to buy bread, even though this was a famous bakery.

Some places use candy to pay customers instead of change (Illustration photo).

To overcome this problem, Mr. Binh said that the shop owner needs to prepare a necessary amount of change for each business session. In case the change runs out, they can prepare some more candy to give to customers. Of course, if they want to give candy, the shop staff should also proactively ask in advance whether the customer agrees or not.

"Working in the F&B industry requires understanding and caring for customers' feelings first. That makes customers feel respected, thereby forming a sustainable relationship between both parties.

When you serve with sincerity, customers will feel and appreciate you. They can come back and tell your story to others. That is the most natural and trustworthy way to spread the brand,” Mr. Tran Trung Hieu analyzed.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/chu-quan-che-khach-lay-1000-dong-tien-cua-minh-co-gi-ma-khong-thoang-20251106112538174.htm