Since the weekend coincided with the end of the year, Thuy Linh's coffee shop in Phuong Canh, Xuan Phuong ward ( Hanoi ) was busier than usual.
Around 4 PM, while busy clearing away drinks and helping customers take photos, Linh accidentally saw a customer at the next table using a stainless steel cup to give water to their pet.
These cups are typically used by the cafe to serve customers extra water, not for pets. Seeing this, Ms. Linh quickly went over to remind the customer, thinking they were unaware of this rule. However, the customer remained silent.
Afraid that customers at other tables might see this and think the restaurant was mixing drinking cups for people and pets, Linh went to the counter and reminded the staff to bring plastic cups.
The waiter brought the glass of water to the customer's table, saying it was for the dog. At this point, the customer began to show signs of displeasure.
When she went to pay, the female customer expressed her displeasure, saying she had never seen a coffee shop that wouldn't let dogs drink from cups. To appease her anger, the owner explained that it was unacceptable to let pets drink from cups intended only for people.
At this point, the customer's anger reached its peak. The customer began using disrespectful language ("you" and "I") and said that the owner's actions showed a "snobbish attitude."
Because of the customer's disrespectful behavior, Ms. Linh asked them to pay an additional 30,000 VND for the drink. This amount was in addition to the cost of the beverage. Ultimately, not wanting to affect the experience of other customers, the owner asked the group to leave.
"If the customer had apologized proactively from the start and maintained a calm demeanor, we would have happily let it go. But because the customer's attitude was so aggressive, the shop felt compelled to ask the customer to pay for the cup as a reminder," the owner said.
Immediately afterwards, the incident received significant attention from the online community. The majority of opinions suggested that the restaurant owner's handling of the situation was reasonable.
"I cannot accept the thoughtless and unhygienic behavior of this customer. It might be the woman's pet, but to others it's a strange animal. Just thinking about having to share human eating utensils with an animal makes me nauseous," commented Minh Anh.
Furthermore, many people are wondering what the consequences would have been if the incident hadn't been discovered, and the employee had continued to use the cup that had been used by the dog to serve other customers.
"No matter how much pet owners pamper and care for their pets, they cannot ignore the principle of not sharing food and drinks with animals in public spaces," commented user Ha Linh.
Minh Tuyen, a pet owner living in an apartment complex in Phuong Canh, said that because he frequently takes his dog out, he always keeps a small bottle of water and a foldable water bowl handy. When having coffee with friends, he always asks beforehand if the cafe allows pets inside.
"It's understandable that many customers don't want unfamiliar dogs in the cafe. Additionally, pet owners need to prepare separate utensils for dogs and cats; they can't be used for drinking from human drinks, as that wouldn't be hygienic," Tuyen said.
Meanwhile, some suggest that if the restaurant is pet-friendly and has an outdoor seating area, it should provide separate bowls or cups of water for pets. This would be convenient for both parties and avoid unnecessary conflicts.
Returning to the incident at the cafe, Thuy Linh told a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper that this was the first time such a situation had occurred in nearly four years of business. To prevent similar incidents from happening again, the cafe has decided to prohibit customers' pets from entering the premises from now on.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/khach-lay-coc-cua-nguoi-cho-thu-cung-uong-tai-quan-ca-phe-o-ha-noi-20251212104459293.htm
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