Running a small business is tough enough, but for one drink stall owner in Penang Sentral, dealing with unreasonable customers seems to be part of the job too.
Recently, a woman became the centre of attention after she was caught on camera behaving rudely at Jalil Coconut Shake, a local drinks stall in Penang.
The incident was shared by the stall’s owner, fondly known as Mamu on TikTok, where netizens praised his patience while dealing with the situation.
Walked in, sat down…but never ordered anything
According to the video, the woman walked into the stall and sat down. As usual, Mamu approached and asked if she wanted to order anything. She responded that she would order later, so he decided to wait patiently.
I figured maybe she was tired or needed a moment. Then she took something out of her bag and started shaking it inside the shop. I thought something might have broken, so I didn’t say anything,” Mamu recalled.
Not long after, the woman got up and walked out, leaving her backpack behind. She returned shortly after, sat down again, and asked if Mamu had a plastic bag. He handed one to her without question.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
Used his stall to repack her things
Instead of placing an order, the woman used the stall space to repack her belongings. While doing so, she casually tossed the plastic bag on the floor.
She just threw it there without any shame. Then she asked for another plastic bag, which I also gave her,” said Mamu.
Once she finished packing, she picked up her things and walked out of the shop, still, without ordering anything.
After she left, I went to clean up the plastic she threw. But she came back again. I asked her, ‘Did you order from the stall next door and come here to wait?’ She just ignored me, gave me a look, and left again.”
“At least be polite if you want to sit here”
While Mamu remained calm throughout the ordeal, he expressed his frustration in the video. He clarified that he didn’t mind people sitting at his stall, even if they had ordered from elsewhere as long as they showed basic courtesy.
If she had just said, ‘I ordered next door, it’s full, can I sit here for a bit?’ I would’ve been fine with it. But don’t litter and act like this is your space.”
He also acknowledged that his stall doesn’t always have many customers, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to treat it disrespectfully.
Speaking to WeirdKaya, Mamu revealed more about what happened that day and how he truly felt. According to him, the woman didn’t say a word before leaving, she simply walked out after packing her things.
She didn’t say anything, just walked out like that,” he said.
When he asked if she had ordered from the stall next door and was just waiting at his place, she acted like she didn’t understand the question and avoided responding.
“She gave me a confused look and didn’t really answer. When I asked again, she just grabbed her bag and left.”
As for the plastic bag she threw on the floor, Mamu initially thought she would pick it up herself after she was done sorting her belongings.
“I figured she’d pick it up later after packing her things. Even if she didn’t, I would’ve cleaned it up anyway, since she’s still a customer. I genuinely thought she’d place an order after that.”
When asked if he had ever thought about putting up a “For customers only” sign, Mamu said he chose not to because he didn’t want to turn people away unnecessarily.
No, because I’m afraid it might hurt people’s feelings. Sometimes elderly folks or tired people ask nicely to rest for a bit, and I don’t mind that as long as they’re respectful. That’s all I ask.”
Netizens applaud his patience
Many in the comments section praised Mamu for staying calm and professional despite being treated poorly. Some were shocked by the woman’s behaviour and felt that she should’ve at least bought something if she was going to use the space.
Others also pointed out that Mamu should’ve charged her for the plastic bags she requested.
