Introduction:Recently, an incident at a coffee shop in Guizhou went viral after a customer, unable to pick up their order and refused when requesting delivery, angrily threw their coffee. The staff member, who was working alone and couldn’t leave their post, was subjected to repeated phone harassment and had beverages thrown at the store by the customer. The incident sparked widespread discussion online, with most netizens supporting the staff member and reminding consumers to handle disputes rationally. This article details the incident, analyzes the responsibilities of both parties, and provides practical advice to help customers and shops better manage similar situations.
Recently, a controversial dispute took place at a coffee shop in Guizhou. A customer, unable to locate the store to pick up their order, asked to change their originally scheduled pickup order to delivery. After being refused by the staff, the customer lost their temper and entered the shop to pour the purchased coffee onto the counter, leaving the scene in disarray.
According to online videos, the customer stormed into the shop, grabbed their already-packaged coffee from the pickup area, loudly complained “No delivery? Then I don’t want it,” and promptly poured the coffee onto the counter before quickly leaving, leaving the staff stunned amid the spilled coffee on the floor.
Later, media contacted the involved shop to understand the situation. Staff revealed that the customer had placed a pickup order through an online platform earlier that day, but soon called saying they couldn’t find the store and couldn’t pick up the order themselves, requesting cancellation and a refund. Since the drink had already been prepared and packaged, the staff explained that refunds were not possible according to regulations.
Upon hearing this, the customer further requested to switch the pickup method to delivery, asking the staff to send the beverage to their home. However, at the time, only one employee was on duty, and due to regulations and safety concerns, the staff member refused the delivery request because they could not leave their workstation.
Surprisingly, instead of communicating rationally, the customer made multiple harassing phone calls to the staff, disrupting normal operations. Later, the customer even showed up at the store in person and poured the purchased coffee directly onto the counter to vent their frustration.
Once the incident was exposed on social media, it quickly ignited heated discussions among netizens. Most believed that the staff’s refusal to deliver—due to being the only person on shift and unable to leave—was reasonable, while the customer’s extreme reaction to their own failure to pick up the order was excessive. Netizens commented: “The staff is already working hard alone, and now they have to endure this kind of emotional outburst,” and “Pickup means you’re supposed to get it yourself—how is it reasonable to ask for delivery just because you can’t find the store?”
In response to such situations, industry insiders suggest that if customers are unable to pick up their orders for special reasons, they might consider using third-party delivery or errand services to collect the drinks on their behalf. This would not affect the normal operation of the shop and would still ensure timely receipt of the beverages. Additionally, when communicating with shops, consumers should remain calm and understanding to avoid impacting the rights and interests of both parties due to momentary emotions.
In this case, the involved shop chose not to call the police but had the on-duty staff clean up the scene themselves. Although the shop showed restraint, such behavior has nonetheless affected the mental well-being of the staff and the shop’s operations. The industry calls for better communication mechanisms between customers and shops, encouraging mutual respect in resolving issues in order to jointly maintain a positive consumer environment.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
