'Protect service staff from public shaming online,' says Stomper after seeing vulgar FB post
Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight.
Should more be done to protect service staff in the food and beverage industry from abuse by customers?
Stomper Alson, a former F&B worker, weighed in with his thoughts on what he felt was poor treatment of frontline service staff in Singapore.
He was motivated to write in to Stomp after seeing a Facebook post in the Complaint Singapore group about a Guzman Y Gomez employee at Northpoint City.
The July 12 post was laden with insults and called the employee a "parasite".
Alson said: "The customer was unhappy with what they felt was a rude reply about their sweet corn order and proceeded to publicly shame the staff with words like 'parasite' and vulgarities alongside her photo.
"In a comment where a Facebook user chided the customer for posting the server's photo online, the customer retorted and referred to the server's family as dirt.
"Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Many service staff, especially in food and beverage outlets, have become unwilling victims of discreet photos and videos taken by customers.
"Sometimes these customers do not even voice their unhappiness in person but instead turn to social media, where such posts can spread widely and attract hurtful comments.
"Staff often cannot confront customers about being photographed without risking escalation, which may put them at further risk of losing their jobs for 'unprofessional conduct'.
"With smartphones so common today, it is far too easy to shame frontline workers with a single post — often for minor issues that can easily be resolved privately.
"I fully agree that customers have every right to expect good service and to lodge complaints if needed. But there has to be a line: feedback should be directed to the management, written in a Google review, or reported through proper channels.
"Sharing a worker’s identifiable face online crosses that line. Such posts can invite harassment, affect the staff’s mental well-being and follow them far beyond their workplace.
"I hope more companies will remind customers that taking and publishing photos of staff without consent is unacceptable."
Alson suggested that restaurants put up clear signages at their entrances or counters, such as:
- "Unauthorised photo-taking of our staff members is prohibited. Legal action may be taken against persons who do so."
- "Had a less-than-satisfactory experience? Please direct your feedback to us at [email]. We value your feedback, but we ask that you do not share our staff’s photos online."
"Such reminders can set clearer boundaries, discourage unnecessary shaming and protect the dignity of staff who work long hours under stressful conditions," the Stomper added.
"I also urge the relevant authorities to look into whether stronger guidelines or clearer protections are needed to discourage this form of modern-day public shaming.
"Frontline workers deserve respect and fair treatment. Let’s not make their jobs harder by turning every small service hiccup into an excuse for viral outrage."
Alson is not the only one who has noticed F&B staff being verbally abused.
Over the years, Stompers have shared stories and videos of similar incidents, such as a woman who was seen scolding Sushi Express staff in Feb 2025.
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