RUNNING a drinks stall isn’t just about serving beverages—it’s about navigating the unexpected too.
For Mamu, the familiar face behind Jalil Coconut Shake at Penang Sentral, a recent customer interaction proved just how challenging that can be.
A woman entered his stall, took a seat, and said she’d order later. Mamu, assuming she needed a moment, waited patiently.
“I figured maybe she was tired or needed a moment. Then she took something out of her bag and started shaking it inside the shop. I thought something might have broken, so I didn’t say anything,” he recalled.
What followed caught many by surprise. After briefly stepping out and leaving her backpack behind, she returned to ask for a plastic bag.
Mamu obliged—only to see her repack her belongings, then casually toss the bag onto the floor. “She just threw it there without any shame. Then she asked for another plastic bag, which I also gave her,” he said.
The woman left without ordering a single item.
But that wasn’t her final act. She returned once more, prompting Mamu to ask, “Did you order from the stall next door and come here to wait?” Her response was silence before walking away again.
Frustrated but composed, Mamu later shared the incident on TikTok, where netizens praised his patience. “If she had just said, ‘I ordered next door, it’s full, can I sit here for a bit?’ I would’ve been fine with it. But don’t litter and act like this is your space,” he said.
He added that while business isn’t always booming, it doesn’t justify disrespect. “I didn’t mind people sitting at my stall, even if they had ordered from elsewhere as long as they showed basic courtesy.”
Comments flooded in supporting Mamu, with many commending his professionalism and suggesting he should have charged her for the plastic bags.
One user called purple banana commented: “Why are you so nice, bro? Next time, put up a big sign that says ‘FOR CUSTOMERS ONLY’.”
“Mamu’s only mistake was not charging her for the plastic bags. In KL, you’d have to pay for them,” susuminum wrote.
