Customer abuses Novena pizzeria's staff over no-show row, calls them 'shame of Singapore'

The life of an F&B staff is tough, given the long hours and hectic meal services. 

So, it's especially frustrating when an unreasonable customer starts berating them for simply doing their job. 

Last Friday (Jan 6), the employees at Novena pizzeria Chooby Pizza encountered an unruly customer who not only left a bad review but subjected the staff to "verbal abuse". 

In an Instagram post yesterday (Jan 9), the restaurant shared screengrabs of the conversation between the eatery and the customer, with the latter saying that he had made a reservation at 8pm as it was the latest slot available. 

However, he and his wife did not turn up at the restaurant, saying they were putting their baby to bed.

The couple also failed to let the restaurant know in advance that they will be late, shared Chooby Pizza in their post. 

At around 8.30pm, a staff from Chooby Pizza called the customer and said they were taking last orders. 

While the staff offered to help the couple take their order before the kitchen closed, the man wasn't having it and "[lashed] out over the phone". 

"I have been in Singapore [for six years], it is the first time [I've] had such an awful experience," he ranted in a text message to the restaurant. 

"If you guys don't want to work beyond 8.30pm, I suggest that you do something else than [work in] a restaurant and go work in an office. This is an absolute disgrace." 

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The man also said he should not be charged a no-show fee as he believed it was the restaurant's fault for "rejecting [them]". 

'We do not tolerate any form of abuse' 

In response to the man's message, Chooby Pizza said their operating hours and booking fees are "stated clearly". 

They also pointed out that the man wasn't the only one with loved ones to worry about. 

"Our staff too have babies and families waiting for them at home. It is our responsibility to ensure that they finish their day timely to return home," they said. 

"If your foreign norms and expectations do not align with those here, it is only respectful to adapt and realign them here.

"While we strive to take care of our guests, we do not tolerate any form of abuse towards our staff," said Chooby Pizza, adding that they will not be providing the man with a refund for the no-show fee. 

Disgruntled with the pizzeria's reply, the man called their comments "racist" and threatened to "let everybody know how bad [the] people are in the shop". 

"People like you are the shame of Singapore," he said. 

In the comments, multiple netizens expressed their anger toward the customer. 

Several called his behaviour "entitled" while others urged him to be more understanding of how the F&B scene functions. 

Others also thought that the customer was being unreasonable because, in the first place, he was late for his 8pm reservation. 

However, one netizen pointed out that while the person was out of line, Chooby Pizza's reference to "foreign" expectations might have come across as xenophobic. 

AsiaOne has reached out to Chooby Pizza for comment. 

In another incident last December, an intoxicated man took out his frustrations on a couple manning a grocery store over in Ang Mo Kio.

He had been unable to use PayNow to purchase a pack of cigarettes and in response, raised his voice and spewed vulgarities at the female owner, who was five months' pregnant. 

When the male owner, who was upstairs, heard the commotion, he rushed down and told the man to leave the store. 

This enraged the man, who said: "Don’t think I won’t hit you, I can kill you with one punch."

He then spat at the male owner, leaving a trail of spit on his T-shirt. 

After the incident, the police were called. 

melissateo@asiaone.com

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