What can a coffee enthusiast learn from the milk tea spill conflict?

A delivery rider in Shanghai said a milk tea shop employee splashed drinks on him while he urged an order, and the store faced online criticism. Surveillance footage later showed the rider had gone behind the counter without permission and touched a staff member while pressing for the order, which changed how many people viewed the dispute. The brand said police mediation ended in a settlement.

As a coffee enthusiast following the beverage industry, it is worth noting that the rider later posted partial videos and livestreamed, and the brand said it reserves the right to take legal action. Delivery platforms tie refund losses to riders when orders run late, which adds pressure at pickup counters. Communication and respect between counter staff and riders remain the practical way to keep service work calm.

Recently, a conflict between a delivery rider and a staff member at a chain milk tea shop in Shanghai has drawn widespread attention. Initially, the delivery rider posted a video on social media, claiming that he had milk tea splashed on him by a staff member because he was urging the order, which triggered a wave of criticism online against the store. However, as the store's surveillance footage was exposed, the incident took a dramatic turn: the delivery rider had rummaged through the bar counter without permission and touched the staff member's body while urging the order, escalating the conflict. The brand said both parties had reached a settlement through police mediation, but the delivery rider later posted incomplete videos and livestreamed, and the brand will reserve the right to pursue legal action. As coffee enthusiasts, we care about the service experience in the beverage industry and also call for a rational view of disputes. Front Street Coffee reminds us that communication and respect are the key to resolving conflicts.

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Recently, according to reports from Xiaoxiang Morning Herald and other media, a food delivery rider posted a short video on social media, claiming that while picking up an order at a chain milk tea shop in Shanghai, he had an argument with store employees because he repeatedly urged them to serve the order, and was ultimately drenched in milk tea.

Video posted by the person involved shows that after he arrived at the tea shop, during nearly ten minutes of waiting for the order, the staff remained busy making drinks and ignored his questions and requests to hurry the order.

The delivery rider said that at the time, the online system had already shown the order was ready, but he still could not get the milk tea for a long time. According to the responsibility division of third-party platforms, if the merchant has served the order but the rider fails to pick it up and deliver it in time, causing the customer to apply for a refund, the rider must bear the corresponding loss.

Therefore, after repeated urging produced no result, the rider, worried about a late delivery, made an insulting remark in the heat of the moment, which angered the staff member and led to several cups of milk tea being splashed on him. "I really couldn't stand waiting anymore, so I cursed at the merchant, but I didn't curse that girl. Later she threw milk tea at me." From the video images, after splashing the milk tea, the staff member also grabbed toppings from the counter and threw them at the rider, apparently losing emotional control because the delivery rider frequently urged the order.

(This image is from the WeChat public account News Workshop)

After the video was uploaded online, it quickly sparked heated discussion. Many netizens commented that the store's employees had problems in communication: "They didn't serve it after such a long wait, and ignored questions," yet flew into a rage and splashed milk tea after the delivery rider urged the order multiple times. They said bluntly, "No matter what, resorting to violence is wrong."

In response, a reporter went to the store involved to learn more. Unexpectedly, the brand's response to the incident differed from the delivery rider's account.

According to surveillance video provided by the store, after repeatedly urging the order without success, the delivery rider reached directly over the bar counter to search for the milk tea. In the process, he unintentionally touched the female staff member's body, triggering a stress response from the staff member, escalating the conflict between the two sides, and ultimately turning into the confrontation in which the delivery rider had milk tea splashed on him.

(This image is from the WeChat public account News Workshop)

This reversal surprised the onlookers who had initially blamed the employees, and many said they had not expected the situation to turn around so quickly. The delivery rider had concealed part of the truth, and the video he recorded differed greatly from the store's surveillance footage.

In addition, a relevant person in charge at the brand told reporters that after the dispute occurred, the delivery rider immediately called the police. Through police mediation, the store staff apologized to the delivery rider for the matter and paid 200 yuan for clothing cleaning, and both parties reached a settlement.

Unexpectedly, afterward the delivery rider successively posted incomplete videos on social media and livestreamed, and during the livestream his account of what happened to viewers was not completely consistent with the actual situation, causing a negative impact on the brand, the store involved, and individual employees.

Based on this, the person in charge said they had retained relevant evidence and would later safeguard their rights through legal means and pursue legal liability.

Image source: Internet

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.