"Open Late Today" Irregular Business Hours, SNS Notifications from Popular Restaurants... Consumers Frustrated

SNS Notices of Same-Day Closures and Business Hours... Consumers Criticize as "Brazen Business"
Some Self-Employed Say "Consumers Should Check Before Visiting"
Experts Advise "Regular Operations Are Preferable... Must Have Consideration for Customers"

Customers drinking coffee inside a cafe in downtown Seoul. Photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] # Office worker A (29) recently visited a restaurant famous for its beautiful interior on the recommendation of a colleague, only to experience a frustrating situation. Despite checking the business hours in advance on a portal site, the restaurant was closed. A said, "I ended up having to go to another nearby restaurant," and added, "When I told the person who recommended it later, they said they had posted a notice on SNS just before opening that day." She expressed her frustration, saying, "Posting a notice right before opening on the day itself and not putting up any notice in front of the store shows a lack of consideration for consumers." She added, "I don't think I'll ever go to that restaurant again."

Recently, as cafes and restaurants known as so-called 'SNS restaurants' increasingly announce changes in business hours via SNS, more consumers are expressing inconvenience. Many post notices on the day itself or do not provide any offline guidance, causing many consumers to make wasted trips.

Consumers complain, saying things like "I went because it said it was open after searching, but it was closed," and "What if the opening time changes every day?" Posts containing such complaints have been found on SNS and online communities. Netizens collectively said, "Are they saying people who don't use SNS shouldn't come?"

The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article / Photo by Getty Images

With the spread of cultures such as 'Gashimbi' (value for emotional satisfaction) and 'Sohwakhaeng' (small but certain happiness) mainly among the millennial generation in their 20s and 30s (born from the early 1980s to early 2000s), exploring popular restaurants has become a common consumer phenomenon.

Sohwakhaeng is a term used by Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami in his 1986 book, meaning 'small but certain happiness.' Gashimbi refers to a consumption pattern that values psychological satisfaction. Professor Kim Nan-do of Seoul National University's Department of Consumer Studies identified it as a consumer trend in 2018. In summary, as people pursue happiness through psychological satisfaction, interest in 'visually appealing food,' 'pretty cafes,' and 'delicious restaurants' has also increased.

This change in perception is also confirmed by surveys on dining-out trends. According to the '2019 Dining-Out Consumption Behavior' survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in November last year, targeting 3,075 dining consumers nationwide, the average monthly dining-out frequency decreased by about once per month from the previous year to 13 times. On the other hand, the average monthly dining-out expenditure increased by 13,000 KRW to 306,000 KRW compared to the previous year. The Ministry also named 'me-For me,' meaning 'consumption for myself,' as the dining trend for 2020.

Meanwhile, consumer inconvenience is growing due to some restaurants' irregular business hours. In some cases, they frequently close for personal reasons or change opening and closing times.

Especially when related notices are only posted on SNS, consumers raise their voices of dissatisfaction. Consumers who missed the SNS posts on the day or do not use SNS at all cannot check business hour notices. This has led to criticism that it is a form of 'brazen business.'

Using Instagram, a photo-sharing social network, on a smartphone / Photo by AP Yonhap News

Some business owners have responded to such criticism by saying, "It is the consumer's fault for not checking."

B, a cafe owner in his 30s in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, said, "Notices are posted when closures or delayed openings are unavoidable due to personal reasons," adding, "As a business owner, I post to prevent consumers from making wasted trips."

B added, "Some restaurants and cafes even post daily menu changes on SNS. In this day and age, aren't there more people who use SNS than those who don't?" He continued, "Business owners are fulfilling their minimum responsibility by posting SNS notices, and it seems consumers who don't check are turning the criticism back on themselves."

Experts emphasize that self-employed business owners need to have a considerate and responsible attitude toward consumers.

Professor Lee Eun-hee of Inha University's Department of Consumer Studies said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "Places where consumers line up for hours receive great love from customers. In some cases, restaurants become the dominant party and consumers the subordinate," adding, "Even so, business owners should not lose their consideration for customers."

Professor Lee said, "While some consumers use SNS, others do not use it well. This can cause information deprivation or other inequalities," and emphasized, "It is desirable to set regular holidays such as specific days of the week or dates and, when unavoidable, to notify both offline and online simultaneously. It is necessary to have a basic mindset as a supplier."