Fast-food outlet’s free burger mix-up sparks cultural sensitivity debate 

SHAH ALAM - A routine visit to a fast-food outlet turned into a cultural dilemma for a customer when a free burger led to an unintentional dietary violation.

The customer, who had ordered six chicken burgers, was shocked to find a beef burger included in his order, allegedly without any prior notification from the staff.

Practicing Hinduism, which prohibits the consumption of beef, the customer was unaware of the mistake until after consuming a bite of the burger at home.

The discovery of the mix-up was distressing, resulting in a wave of emotions for the customer and raising questions about the responsibility and cultural sensitivity in the food service industry.

A video of the man confronting the fast-food outlet staff had circulated on social media.

In the video, the man repeatedly questioned the staff about how the mistake could happen.

"How can you give me this burger, I am a Hindu. How can you wrongly give me a free beef burger since I bought six chicken burgers earlier?

"How come your staff could not identify me as an Indian?" the customer said.

However, the staff insisted that she followed the ‘standard operating procedure’ (SOP) where a free beef burger must be given to their customer following purchase.

"Supposedly following the SOP, we have to give a free burger.

"We are sorry since our staff is not aware of this," the woman explained.

The incident quickly gained traction on social media, garnering more than 800,000 views and sparking a flurry of opinions in the comment section.

Many criticised the fast-food staff for their lack of awareness and failure to communicate effectively, highlighting the need for better cultural sensitivity and customer service practices.

Social media user @Iamrafff said "The customer initially ordered six chicken burgers, if it's free, why not give them the same type of burger?

"Why give them an extra free beef burger instead? I would blame the staff for the lack of awareness there. The fast-food restaurant has to apologise for the lack of staff training."

Meanwhile another user Umi Nadia commented "The staff should be aware of this. I am also handling food and beverage for my company, and I always remind my team to take note of sensitive requests, including those from vegetarians.

Ben Khalid commented "The staff made a mistake, but the root cause is the fast-food management not detailing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and not ensuring staff training includes customer sensitivity.

“To the Hindu family, I couldn't imagine if a similar thing happened to my family. We would be furious too."