Introduction:Recently, Manner Coffee has been repeatedly in the news for incidents of physical altercations between staff and customers, drawing public attention to employee management issues within rapidly expanding brands. This article takes an in-depth look at a real case from a mall outlet on May 22, examining how high-pressure working environments can impact service quality. It also provides practical insights into industry staffing and salary structures to help readers understand the operational realities behind the coffee business.

Lately, Manner Coffee has frequently made headlines due to multiple incidents of conflicts between staff and customers, with the May 22 incident at a mall outlet sparking particularly heated discussion. According to footage from the scene, a customer, allegedly unable to obtain their drink smoothly, got into an argument with a male staff member. The situation escalated when the customer, losing control, stormed into the service counter area, not only shoving a female staff member who tried to intervene but also physically assaulting the male employee, resulting in injury. Although security personnel arrived quickly, they failed to stop the violence in time.

Although the incident was reported to the police and it was rumored that the customer compensated the staff member 1,000 yuan following police mediation, netizens revealed that the brand allegedly demanded the injured employee return the compensation and apologize to the customer. As of now, Manner has not issued an official response regarding the incident or the online claims about “asking the employee to refund and apologize.” Only the mall has stated that it will cooperate with the brand’s investigation and urged the public to pay attention to the official follow-up statement.

This incident is not an isolated one but the third such conflict to be exposed recently, highlighting the employee management and service pressure Manner faces amid its rapid expansion. Industry data shows that since September 2023, Manner has been opening approximately two new stores per day on average, with as many as 45 new outlets added in November 2023 alone. The pace of expansion far exceeds its earlier rhythm of opening just three stores in Shanghai over three years, and the number of outlets has now surpassed 1,000, moving toward a target of 2,000 stores.

However, the surge in store numbers has not been matched by a reasonable expansion of staffing. Current employees have revealed that the brand allocates staff based on store performance, with some outlets generating daily revenue below 5,000 yuan often being staffed by just one employee. This means that single staff members must handle everything from coffee preparation and inventory management to order taking. Under such high workloads, some employees even work from as early as 7 a.m. to as late as 10 p.m., with almost no time off the clock—even meals and bathroom breaks require careful time management.

This working model not only easily leads to service oversights, but when customers file complaints, the brand often responds by simply issuing refunds, while the responsible employees may receive warnings from headquarters. Accumulating three warnings can lead to dismissal. It’s worth noting that even under such high-pressure working conditions, while Manner baristas’ salaries are considered mid-to-high within the industry, they still struggle to fully match the demands placed on them.

It is understood that in first-tier cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, Manner baristas generally earn around 5,000 yuan per month, with additional bonuses only possible through long overtime hours and sacrificing weekends. Moreover, employee scheduling and transfers are entirely decided by the company, requiring staff to be flexible and ready to work at different outlets at short notice, leaving little room for schedule flexibility and further adding to job instability.

Industry experts point out that in recent years, the overall salary level for baristas has declined compared to the peak in 2021. Therefore, compared to other brands, Manner’s compensation remains relatively attractive, drawing many professionals to join. However, while pursuing scale expansion, how to strike a balance between employee management, operational efficiency, and customer experience remains a critical challenge for Manner. Otherwise, similar staff-customer conflicts may continue to occur, further damaging the brand’s image and public perception.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.