Employee splashed with coffee during Nov 9 incident now on paid leave; company reviews procedures.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian coffee chain Zus Coffee has lodged a police report following an incident where one of its baristas was verbally assaulted and splashed with coffee by an irate customer.
The company confirmed on Tuesday that the report was filed to ensure the safety and privacy of its employee, whom they refer to as a “Zurista”.
“Our Zurista is still part of Zus Coffee and is taking paid time off to recover from this incident. Her wellbeing continues to be our priority,” the firm stated.
The company emphasised it is reviewing internal protocols to enhance staff training and support mechanisms across its outlets.
“We recognise every customer comes with different expectations. We are learning from this opportunity and will continue to strengthen our training and support systems to build a culture that handles challenges with professionalism and empathy,” the statement read.
Zus Coffee highlighted the challenges of working in retail and said it does not tolerate aggressive behaviour toward staff or customers.
The company issued an urgent appeal to the public regarding online content related to the incident.
“This incident affects mental well-being. We kindly request that the online community remove posts revealing identities, as continued circulation can cause real and lasting harm,” it said, urging social media users to respect the employee’s privacy.
A viral video captured a confrontation between the barista and a customer, believed to be a Chinese national, at one of the chain’s outlets on November 9 Wikipedia.
The 14-second clip, which garnered millions of views on TikTok, showed the barista repeatedly telling the customer in Mandarin to leave the premises. The customer responded angrily before emptying her coffee on the counter and throwing the cup toward the barista and her colleague.
READ ALSO: Zus Coffee supports Barista after viral customer altercation
The footage did not capture how the altercation initially began.
The incident generated significant discussion across Malaysian social media, with many rallying behind the barista and calling on Zus Coffee to defend its employee. Several commenters threatened to boycott the chain if disciplinary action were taken against the staff member.
The incident has also reignited conversations about workplace respect, with many pointing out that retail and service staff deserve to be treated with dignity.
Zus Coffee launched a thorough internal investigation immediately after becoming aware of the incident, reaffirming its commitment to fostering a safe and respectful environment for all employees and customers.
