Suspected Shiitake Mushroom Strips, Not Bugs
Directly Linked to Delivery App Review Sales
A self-employed person running a Chinese restaurant expressed frustration over a customer review posted on a delivery application.
On the 23rd, a post titled "Review claiming there was a bug in the Jjamppong" was shared on 'Apeunikka Sajangida,' an online community mainly frequented by self-employed individuals.
The post contained a review left by a customer who ordered pork loin sweet and sour and Jjamppong through a delivery app.
On the 23rd, a post titled "Review Claiming There Was a Bug in Jjamppong" was shared in the self-employed community "Apeunikka Sajangida." [Photo by Apeunikka Sajangida]
The reviewer, Mr. A, complained, "There was a bug bigger than my thumb in the Jjamppong. It’s so frustrating and a waste to throw it away after just one bite," and uploaded a photo.
However, the Jjamppong in the photo Mr. A shared looked completely ordinary. In particular, there was no visible substance that could be presumed to be a bug.
In response, the owner, Mr. B, said, "You said it was a bug the size of a thumb, but what you see in the photo is not a bug but shredded shiitake mushroom," adding, "I’m very embarrassed that you mistook mushrooms for a bug."
In response to a review left by a customer, owner Mr. B commented, "You said it was a bug the size of a thumbnail, but what you see in the photo is not a bug, it's sliced shiitake mushrooms." [Photo by Apeunikka Sajangida]
He continued, "If you had contacted the store or inquired, I could have explained it thoroughly," and said, "It seems very reckless to leave a review thinking it was a bug based on your judgment. If you couldn’t eat the food, please contact the store, and we will process a refund."
Netizens who saw this reacted with comments such as, "It’s ridiculous to mistake mushrooms for a bug. If it were a bug that big, you should have at least called the store," "Where do you see a bug?" "This doesn’t even warrant a refund," and "I looked for a bug for a long time."
Meanwhile, customer reviews on delivery apps, which directly affect sales, are very important indicators for self-employed business owners.
In 2021, there was an incident where a restaurant owner, stressed by malicious complaints and rating attacks from a customer, died of a cerebral hemorrhage. At that time, the customer demanded a refund, claiming, "Out of the three shrimp tempuras delivered the day before, I put one leftover in the refrigerator, but when I checked, the color was strange." When the owner said they would only refund one, the customer posted a malicious review and verbally abused the owner over the phone.
Low ratings actually lead to a drop in sales. In a survey conducted by BC Card and Yanolja targeting some franchise stores in Itaewon and Hannam-dong, the average sales of restaurants with a 4-star rating (10.8 million KRW) and those with a 2-star rating (6.55 million KRW) showed nearly a 40% difference.
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