"Writing a Review, So Please Give Me Salmon Sushi" Despite Self-Employed Sighs, 'Customer Power Trips' Persist

Excessive Service Demands as a Pretext for Writing Reviews... Self-Employed Business Owners Sigh
A Store Owner Said, "Some Asked for 7,000 Won Worth of Sushi as a Free Service"
Calls to Establish Objective Store Evaluation Metrics Like Reorder Rate and Regular Customer Share
Experts Say, "Delivery Apps Should Act as Intermediaries and Moderators... Customer Service Expertise Is Also Needed"

The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] These days, as self-employed business owners continue to sigh over the abusive behavior of customers using delivery apps, there has been public outrage over incidents where customers demand free food altogether. It is pointed out that customer abuse has gone too far. As a result, voices calling for improvements to the delivery app review system are growing louder.

On the 3rd, a post from a store owner complaining about a customer demanding sushi worth about 7,000 won for free was uploaded on an online community. According to the owner, this customer said, "I'm very hungry. Please give me 4 pieces of salmon sushi," adding, "I will write a nice review. I promise. A five-star review." The customer also made a semi-threatening request, saying, "No combined delivery. Please come immediately. I will calculate the delivery time. If combined, I will return the order."

The store owner, troubled by the complicated delivery demands, canceled the order. The customer then called the store. Although the owner explained the cancellation was due to running out of ingredients, the customer sarcastically retorted, "Isn't it that you don't want to fulfill the request? Do you cancel orders at your own discretion?" and "Is it easy to run a business these days?" The owner lamented, "It feels bitter in this recession. I am wondering if I have to accept such requests just to earn 40,000 won."

Members of civic groups including the People's Livelihood Hope Headquarters of the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and the National Franchise Owners' Council held a press conference on the 22nd of last month in front of the building housing Coupang's headquarters in Seoul, condemning the review and rating system of delivery apps such as Coupang Eats, which they say fosters black consumers. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Criticism of the delivery app review system has surged since the so-called 'shrimp tempura abuse' incident occurred. Recently, at a snack bar in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, a customer who demanded a refund for one shrimp tempura and verbally abused the staff, combined with the delivery app 'Coupang Eats'’s negligent response, caused the store owner to suffer a cerebral hemorrhage and pass away.

Given this situation, there are calls to improve the delivery app review system to prevent a recurrence of a 'second shrimp tempura abuse' incident. Heo Seok-jun, co-chairman of the National Franchise Store Owners Association, stated at a press conference condemning the delivery app review and rating system on the 22nd of last month, "The system of the delivery app 'Coupang Eats,' which evaluates restaurants solely based on reviews and ratings, not only neglects black consumers but also fosters their proliferation."

The review and rating system of delivery apps has been revealed to have a significant impact on store operations, putting great pressure on self-employed business owners. According to the 'Delivery App Usage Survey' released on the 17th of last month by the Justice Party's '6411 Livelihood Special Committee' and the Justice Policy Research Institute, 74.3% of self-employed business owners using delivery apps responded that reviews and ratings affect their sales. Additionally, 63.3% reported having experienced damage from rating terrorism or malicious reviews.

In this regard, movements to improve the review system are emerging in the National Assembly. On the 24th of last month, Justice Party lawmaker Bae Jin-kyo proposed an amendment to the Electronic Commerce Act to punish abusive behavior using malicious false reviews as a pretext. This amendment prohibits paying compensation for writing reviews to establish fair online trade order.

There are also calls to introduce objective evaluation criteria for delivery app reviews. Kim Jong-min, secretary-general of the National Franchise Store Owners Association, said, "It should be possible to delete or blind malicious reviews," and added, "In addition to the star rating system, objective store evaluation criteria such as adding points for reorder rates or loyal customer shares should be established."

Experts have suggested strengthening the accountability of delivery app platforms. Professor Lee Eun-hee of Inha University’s Consumer Studies department emphasized, "Delivery app platform operators should actively play the role of intermediaries," adding, "To do so, specialized staff should be assigned to customer centers. When problems arise, the customer center should report, intervene, and professionally handle the adjustment and resolution of issues."

Regarding some calls to abolish the delivery app review and rating system, Professor Lee expressed concerns about restricting consumer choice. She explained, "Reviews and ratings greatly help consumers choose restaurants they have not experienced," and added, "Rather than abolishing the system, measures should be prepared to prevent the unfortunate incidents caused by it."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.