Malaysian netizens are divided after a viral Threads post highlighted a tense encounter between a customer and an F&B worker, sparking debate over service etiquette and staff working conditions.
A Threads post by user @ninie.kamal has sparked heated debate among Malaysian netizens after she shared her frustration over an encounter with a food and beverage (F&B) staff member.
In her post, she criticised the worker’s attitude, claiming the staff appeared annoyed and was “slamming items” while serving customers close to closing time. She added that orders placed before 9.30pm should still be accepted and even called out the employee directly, urging her to quit if the job felt too tough.
The post quickly gained traction, with many users flooding the comments section, not just to react, but to debate who was actually in the wrong.
Some netizens urged the original poster to be more understanding, suggesting the worker may have been overwhelmed or exhausted.
Farasyuhana wrote “If F&B or retail staff act like that, ask them face-to-face. ‘Are you okay? Have you eaten?’ Say it nicely and maybe they’ll smile. This one just wants to go viral. I feel sorry for her if HR sees this.”
aleeyanaziras commented “Try asking first why she’s like that. Do you know some Tealive staff work 12 days straight for Raya incentives? Maybe she didn’t even get a break or worked alone from morning to night. This is why I dislike customers like this.”
“Maybe better to ask her directly. We don’t know, maybe she worked 12 hours that day without a break. I’ve worked retail too, sometimes you end up slamming things because you’re exhausted,” arif_ray97 added.
Others, however, stressed that difficult working conditions do not justify poor behaviour towards customers.
Wafvqtea wrote “What is wrong is wrong. You cannot show attitude to customers. They are not your friends. You should know the pros and cons of working, being rude is still wrong.”
Suhtoriii07 said “Many are criticising the poster, but if it happened to you, you’d be angry too. Working in F&B doesn’t ‘allow’ you to treat customers however you like. Everyone is tired.”
“Now customers have to understand her behaviour? If you’re tired, no need to smile, people understand, but slamming things? If you can’t control your emotions, don’t work in F&B,” syazlinosmann added.
Other users highlighted operational issues, especially around closing hours and staff workload.
C.najihah_ said “As an F&B worker, last-minute orders near closing are stressful. We only have 30 minutes to close. Maybe she was rushing, no need to viral her face, this could be settled face-to-face.”
Shmrzk_ commented “Actually, 9.30pm is usually when orders should already be closed. I’ve worked retail, that’s when closing starts.”
Some also criticised the act of posting the incident online instead of addressing it directly.
“It’s frustrating when people secretly take photos and complain online. Are you trying to ruin her livelihood? Just tell her directly, she can improve her attitude,” hamiey_norazmi82 added.
