{"id":7845,"date":"2021-06-30T13:09:18","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T05:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=7845"},"modified":"2021-07-06T23:40:50","modified_gmt":"2021-07-06T15:40:50","slug":"highlands-coffee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/highlands-coffee\/","title":{"rendered":"Woman Orders Water At Highlands Coffee, Allegedly Asked To Leave In 1 Hour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Woman allegedly asked to leave Highlands Coffee in 1 hour after ordering water<\/h2>\n
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People going to cafes to work is a common sight in Vietnam. It would seem many find it more productive than working from home or from the office.<\/p>\n

However, a lot of coffee shops and drink joints find the practice damaging to their income, as sometimes customers order cheap drinks but stay for long hours, occupying space and preventing new customers from coming in.<\/p>\n

That is exactly the cause behind a controversial discussion that\u2019s been going viral on the Internet since yesterday, about a woman who was allegedly asked to leave after 1 hour when she ordered a water bottle<\/strong> at Highlands Coffee. Some say her action was inconsiderate toward the shop, while others think she\u2019s entitled to order anything she wants from the menu.<\/p>\n

Here are two sides of the story.<\/p>\n

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She was asked to leave after 1 hour without any prior notice<\/h3>\n
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\"highlands
\nThe original review complaining about Highlands Coffee\u2019s service<\/em>
\nImage credit: Ph\u1ea1m Huy\u1ec1n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Yesterday, a Facebook user named Ph\u1ea1m Huy\u1ec1n posted on a review group<\/a> to share a bad experience she had at an outlet of Highlands Coffee \u2013 a major coffee brand with a presence in many Vietnamese cities.<\/p>\n

According to the original poster, on the morning of 29th June, she came to a Highlands Coffee outlet located at 299 C\u1ea7u Gi\u1ea5y Street, Hanoi, ordered a drink, and sat down to work \u2013 a common routine for her, she claimed.<\/p>\n

She received her drink at 8.40AM, but only 45 minutes later, at around 9.24AM, a staff came and told her, loudly, that her 1 hour of service was up, and she had to order more drinks if she wanted to stay.<\/p>\n

This left the woman very crossed, as she said the staff didn\u2019t mention this rule when she ordered her drink, nor did she see any notice on Highlands Coffee\u2019s website or social fan pages. She also questioned whether this rule applied to the entire Highlands system, or just the one outlet she went to.<\/p>\n

The review quickly received a massive amount of attention from the online community, prompting a response from Highlands Coffee.<\/p>\n

\"highlands
\n(Photo for illustrative purposes)<\/em>
\nImage credit: @highlandscoffeevietnam<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

As Lao \u0110\u1ed9ng<\/a> reported, a representative from the aforementioned Highlands outlet claimed that there were no rules stating that customers could only stay for one hour. The staff merely wanted to offer Ms. Ph\u1ea1m Huy\u1ec1n another drink as she had only ordered a bottle of water.<\/p>\n

However, Ms. Ph\u1ea1m Huy\u1ec1n disagrees with this statement. She told Lao \u0110\u1ed9ng<\/em> that the staff was very clear about the alleged \u201cone-hour rule\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t have had any complaint if Highlands C\u1ea7u Gi\u1ea7y had informed me beforehand, but the way they acted without any prior notice left me very displeased,\u201d she explained the reasons behind her discontent.<\/p>\n

\"op
\nImage credit: Ph\u1ea1m Huy\u1ec1n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In another development, the original poster shared another screenshot of her conversation with Highlands Coffee via Facebook Messenger. In it, the coffee brand says that it\u2019ll continue to work with her to reach a solution, and that information from the press is not necessarily official statements from Highlands Coffee.<\/p>\n

She also says she\u2019ll continue to post updates on the incident, but so far, there hasn\u2019t been any new information.<\/p>\n

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The incident sparked controversy on the internet<\/h3>\n
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The review has sparked a controversial discussion on the internet. Some netizens think the original poster is in the wrong for only ordering a bottle of water, but expect to use the shop\u2019s services such as air conditioner and Wi-Fi for long hours.<\/p>\n

\"netizen
\nImage credit: B\u00f9i Th\u00fay<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cJust work in customer service and you\u2019ll know the struggle. I\u2019d have done the same as the staff. If you want water, just drink it at home. Order only a bottle of water at a caf\u00e9, then expect nice views and free air conditioning? In this pandemic no less. The customer is so inconsiderate,\u201d commenter B\u00f9i Th\u00fay<\/a> wrote.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, many others say regardless of what she orders, the original poster\u2019s still a customer that deserves respect.<\/p>\n

\"netizen
\nImage credit: Huyen Mai<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWater is still an item on the menu. Or does she not deserve the regular service because she got a cheap drink?\u201d Facebook user Huyen Mai<\/a> said, adding that, \u201cthe key here is not what drink she got, but whether the staff was \u2018trying to offer another drink\u2019 or was actually rude as the OP claims.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet as we mentioned, while the debate rages on, the parties involved have not announced any updates.<\/p>\n

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We hope Highlands Coffee and the OP can come to a solution<\/h3>\n
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There are obviously many sides to this story, and which party is on the right is subjected to each person\u2019s interpretation. Regardless, we hope Ms. Ph\u1ea1m Huy\u1ec1n and Highlands Coffee can reach an amicable solution.<\/p>\n

What is your opinion on this? Do you think F&B outlets should apply limited-time services? Let us know in the comments below.<\/p>\n

For more stories, check out:<\/p>\n