KUALA LUMPUR: A kopitiam located at Meranti Jaya, Puchong found itself at the centre of a social media storm after a heated exchange between its owner and a family of three, who were first time customers to the shop.
The incident, which quickly went viral on Facebook, unfolded when a woman who was dining with her husband and son was confronted by the irate owner for drinking from their own water bottle.
The customer who posted a video of the confrontation on her account said the situation escalated rapidly after the business owner approached their table and raised his voice to tell them no outside food or drinks were allowed in the premises.
"Are you brainless? Anyone with a brain knows that outside drinks are not allowed!
"No outside drinks allowed, put your water bottle away!" he shouted at the family of three who were startled by the tone of his voice.
Perplexed by the abrupt confrontation, the woman's husband attempted to defuse the tension by questioning the owner's approach.
The owner's wife immediately intercepted purportedly to stop things from escalating, as he appeared to be on the verge of physical confrontation. However, her behavior was not any better, as she further insulted the family.
The wife told the husband: "Don't argue with these kind of people with no money."
In the same post the customer also admitted that she did not see the signboard, 'no outside food allowed' as it was their first time at the restaurant.
Expressing bewilderment over the aggressive response, she wondered why the owner could not tell them off politely. She also added that although they did not order drinks, all three of them had three dishes from the shop.
To add fuel to the fire, the kopitiam owner was also heard berating the customers, accusing them of ignorance and implying they lacked intelligence for flouting the establishment's rules.
Following a public outcry over the incident, the kopitiam owner has since issued a public apology via their Facebook page, offering their version of events.
They admitted to approaching the customers after noticing them consuming their own drinks and explained that their intention was to enforce the kopitiam's policy rather than to offend the patrons.
Acknowledging the shortcomings in their communication approach, they expressed regret over the altercation and pledged to improve their customer service standards.
They vehemently denied allegations of making derogatory remarks about the customers financial status, emphasising that such claims were unfounded and aimed at discrediting their establishment.
The video has been shared on multiple Puchong Facebook community groups.