LiHo customer throws drink and straws at staff, allegedly after 'less ice' request was rejected
A LiHo customer was seen throwing a drink on the floor and flinging a handful of straws at an employee, after her request for less ice was allegedly turned down.
CCTV footage of the incident was shared online by the owner of the bubble tea chain, Rodney Tang. The 54-year-old also owns Gong Yuan Ma La Tang under the Royal T Group.
The incident occurred at the LiHo outlet in Hougang Mall on Feb 9 at around 5.57pm. In Mr Tang's post, a customer in a blue shirt is seen standing at the pick-up counter with a drink placed in front of her.
Without warning, the customer pushes the drink away abruptly, sending the cup falling towards the floor as an employee approaches to attend to her.
The footage then shows the customer grabbing a handful of straws and launching them at the employee. A woman in red attempts to restrain her, but the customer storms off, with the woman following behind.
Customer's 'less ice' request was rejected
The TikTok clip also shows Mr Tang chatting with someone who is supposedly the employee involved.
Recalling the incident, the employee said the customer had ordered a drink under a student promotion and requested it with less ice.
The employee claims she had asked another co-worker to attend to the customer, but was met with insults, including accusations that staff members were rude.
Speaking to Stomp, the store's manager said the customer had refused the initial drink containing a regular amount of ice. When staff members handed her the remade drink — with less ice — she threw straws at them.
In the video, Mr Tang also mentions that he heard the employee had shed tears over the incident, to which she explained that she did not understand the customer's behaviour.
"I didn't understand why she was so mean. She was like so consistently cussing us out," the employee says.
Mr Tang then gives the employee a red packet and wishes her a happy new year, thanking her for her hard work.
"This customer lost her mind, verbally abused our staff, and even threw objects. All we can do is report to the police," Mr Tang says in Mandarin, adding that he would work on refining company policies to reduce future incidents.
The police confirmed that a report was lodged in relation to the incident.
In response to Stomp's queries, Mr Tang said that he would consider adding a "less ice" option for the student promotion. "It would be worth it if this could protect my colleagues who work hard on the frontlines," he explained.
Mr Tang had made headlines in January for sharing his inspection of two LiHo outlets in Suntec City.
Netizens applaud boss' actions
In the comments, netizens commended Mr Tang for supporting his staff members.
"Love the genuine care and concern that you have for your employees, Rodney!" one user chimed in, while another applauded him for standing up for his workers.
Other netizens empathised with the staff members, saying that the customer's actions amounted to "abuse".
"It's really unfortunate for them to meet such customer. Hope police take action after receiving their report," a user commented.
"Please respect them as they're just doing their job," another agreed.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from Mr Tang.
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