Apology in Clumsy Spelling for Harsh Criticism
"Reading Such Posts Brings Tears" Many Opinions
An elderly couple running a snack bar left a heartbreaking reply to a harsh review posted about their business.
On the 24th, a photo of a review and the couple's reply at a snack bar spread on social media with the caption, "It hurts my heart when I see the owner looks elderly while checking delivery app reviews." The snack bar is known to be operated by an elderly couple in Noryangjin, Seoul.
Reply to the review left by an elderly couple on the delivery app. [Image source=Online community capture]
According to the photo, the review section of the snack bar has contained complaints for about five months. One customer who ordered mul-naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth) wrote, "I wanted to eat naengmyeon, so I ordered it, but there was no broth in the noodles and the noodles were all soggy. I am very disappointed," leaving a harsh review with a 2-star rating.
In response, the owner, seemingly unskilled at typing, replied with incorrect spelling, "Neomu jwaesonghamnida. Daeumeun yuksu mani deurilgeyo. Neomu neomu joesonghamnida" (I'm very sorry. Next time, I will give you plenty of broth. I'm very very sorry). Then, they added another reply, "Jae-ga wonhasineun menu hana deo deurigo sipeundae, daeume hoksi-raedo jumun jusimyeon naengmyeon yaegi kkok haseyo. Geuraeya jae-ga giyeokhanikka-yo. Neomu jwaesonghaesseumnida" (I want to give you one more menu item you want, so if you order again next time, please be sure to mention the naengmyeon. That way I can remember. I'm very sorry).
Another customer who ordered gimbap and janchi-guksu (banquet noodles) left a 1-star rating with the reaction "Hyu ㅜㅜ," to which the owner apologized, "Neomu jwaesonghamnida. Meoga maeume an deusyeotgunyo. Saero saram deureoteya dwaeneundae" (I'm very sorry. Something didn't please you. I should have given you a new one), adding, "Gisabuni eonje osilji moreuni, jwaesonghaeyo" (I don't know when the delivery person will come, sorry).
Meanwhile, a somewhat absurd request from a customer who ordered oi-naengguksu (cold cucumber noodles) to "remove the cucumber" resulted in a 1-star rating with the comment, "I asked to remove the cucumber, but they put it everywhere they could. Please read the requests," to which the owner also apologized, saying, "Neomu jwaesonghada" (I'm very sorry).
On the other hand, the couple's clumsy replies continued even on positive reviews. They wrote, "Hangsang masi hangyeolgatjineun angessjiman masitge halryeo noryeokhandamnida. Ireokae jeoreul dowajusyeoseo neomu gamsahamnida" (The taste may not always be consistent, but we try to make it delicious. Thank you so much for helping us like this), and "Yosae uulhandae joeun review gamsahago gomapseumnida" (I've been feeling down lately, thank you for the good review).
According to one reply, the elderly couple has been running the snack bar for about 24 years, barely making a living, but recently using delivery apps has helped with operations. They wrote, "I know you wrote the review very well. It brought tears to my eyes."
As the story of the elderly couple's efforts to run the restaurant spread on social media, it received countless 'likes.' Also, a post related to the snack bar that was uploaded on an online community last August became a late topic of interest. The post's author, Mr. A, said, "Grandfather recently had surgery," and "He gets a bit flustered when orders flood in. He is not good at setting up the delivery app."
Mr. A added, "Grandmother works alone, so if you can't wait, you can cancel and leave. I've seen some people rush and get irritated asking if the food isn't coming after waiting a bit," and "Grandmother keeps apologizing and getting flustered. Some people might say if the business isn't properly prepared, they shouldn't do it, but please be a little understanding and wait."
Netizens responded with comments such as, "This kind of post makes me cry," "Someday, everything will slow down and become clumsy for us too," "I was touched by their effort despite not being familiar with digital orders," and "They work hard until late hours; I hope there are no abusive customers."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
