• “I don’t condone the staff's actions in these incidents. They were clearly wrong. However, the main blame lies with a culture that systematically exploits staff welfare, which is toxic for both employees and customers.”
• “Service providers have the right to refuse service. In many Western countries, stores display signs saying, ‘We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone’... Don’t say ‘The customer is always right’ again. Only when you treat and respect service staff as humans can you expect good service.”
• “To be honest, these clashes show progress in social equality. They reveal that the young generation working in the service industry is no longer willing to be treated poorly by abusive customers.”
Source: Zhihu
Liu Fangru, lecturer at the Department of Journalism and Communication, Anhui University: “Consumers are increasingly aware of their rights and interests, especially with the rise of tertiary industries. This requires service providers to have a strong sense of service. Conflicts arise when businesses underinvest in human resources. The company should learn from these incidents, improve its human resource management and better protect the labor rights and interests of its employees.”
Source: Tide News
Wang Jinhan, lecturer at the Department of Communication, Fujian Normal University: “Manner Coffee baristas work under strict surveillance from cameras right above their heads, leaving little room for slacking off. Prolonged pressure and discipline prevent them from finding happiness in their work. Such a working environment inevitably leads to alienation.”
Source: Tide News
Yu Feng, commentator at Litchi News, under the Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation: “We must not overlook the invisible ’emotional labor‘ that service staff bear. They work long hours and are still expected to perform emotional labor, which is often taken for granted by employers and customers. The issue is that they are underpaid and receive no reward for this emotional labor.”
Source: Litchi News
A string of violent incidents between baristas and customers at several Manner Coffee outlets in Shanghai has Chinese social media percolating with debate over consumer rights and employee protections.
On June 17, an argument between a female customer and a male barista at a Manner Coffee escalated into a physical altercation. That same day, a female employee at another Manner location threw coffee grounds on a female customer who threatened to file a complaint.
Additionally, a surveillance video posted online on June 21 showed a brawl between a male barista and a male customer at another Shanghai Manner Coffee outlet on May 22.
Video of all three incidents quickly went viral, sparking fierce discussions on social media. Criticism primarily targeted Manner Coffee’s poor management and toxic working conditions, which many blamed on the company’s aggressive expansion strategy.
One of China’s leading domestic coffee brands, the Shanghai-based chain grew from fewer than 300 outlets in late 2021 to 1,295 nationwide by June 2024.
A Manner Coffee employee in Shanghai revealed that each barista typically makes at least 300 cups per shift, with each cup taking about three minutes to prepare, often leaving no time for breaks.
Many Manner Coffee locations are only manned by one employee, who is strictly monitored by cameras. Employees face dismissal after receiving three complaints, and baristas in Shanghai – one of China’s most expensive cities – earn an average income of only 5,000 yuan (US$689).
While not condoning the violence, many netizens expressed sympathy and understanding for the baristas, citing the extreme pressures and excessive workloads they endure.
The videos also showed that the customers involved were rude and imperious, prompting arguments that consumers should not take the maxim that “The customer is always right” for granted and treat service workers abusively.
However, others blamed the workers for lack of basic professionalism for taking out their frustrations on customers.
On June 21, Manner Coffee issued an open apology on its official Weibo account, vowing to improve store operations and enhance service quality.
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