A Malaysian woman’s social media post advising F&B staff to stay calm and cheerful sparks debate online about customer entitlement and worker respect.
WORKING in the food and beverage (F&B) industry is no easy feat. Employees are often expected to juggle demanding customers, tight schedules, and high standards of service, all while maintaining a cheerful and professional demeanour.
Despite the popular saying, “the customer is always right,” the reality is that F&B staff frequently face situations that test their patience and resilience.
Recently, a Malaysian woman received backlash after sharing her suggestion for those working in the F&B sector — advising employees to remain mild-tempered and maintain a cheerful disposition.
Posted on Threads, the woman claimed that if F&B staff lose their temper, it indicates that they cannot “handle customers.”
She further provided context by recounting a recent experience at an eatery, claiming that one of the staff had a “sour expression” and “shouted” at customers to queue “correctly.”
“The staff was focused on their own anger without considering the frustration of the customers,” she wrote.
Netizens did not take kindly to her post, criticising her for showing little consideration for the worker, who could have been under significant stress.
“It’s really simple. Don’t mess with someone who is responsible for preparing your food. If you were in their shoes, you wouldn’t have those rules,” one user remarked.
“Don’t feel overly entitled. Remember, you’re human, and so is the staff. Right now, you may be the customer, but in the future, your livelihood could be in retail or F&B. That’s when you’ll truly understand their situation,” commented another.
However, some users agreed with the post, claiming that such “rules” help maintain an eatery’s reputation.
“I agree with all these rules. I used to work in F&B. I followed these two rules and never missed a beat — I always received compliments, and the outlet I worked at consistently maintained its rating,” a user added.
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