ㅣ Customers tasting without purchasing, grocery staff giving them 'the look'

ㅣ Customers tasting without purchasing, grocery staff giving them 'the look'

A story has emerged about a customer who was pointed out by staff for only enjoying free samples without purchasing any products at a large grocery store.

According to JTBC’s "Incident Report" aired on the 12th, a typical housewife A (in her 60s) living in Gyeonggi Province recently visited a large grocery store near her home.

A, who frequently visits the grocery store, mentioned, "I usually enjoy free samples whenever I go to the store," adding, "But one day, I had an unexpected experience at a brand ramen corner."

The ramen from that brand was a higher-end product that cost about double that of regular ramen.

A stated, "I don't eat it often, but I sample a bite. However, the same sales staff always comes out," and shared, "That day, while I was tasting the ramen in a small paper cup, the staff member glared at me and said, 'I remember everyone who just samples without buying.'"

Although A felt taken aback, she calmly replied, "Oh, I guess you don’t like it when people just eat and don’t buy," but the employee turned their head abruptly and openly ignored her.

Feeling embarrassed at that moment, A expressed, "I've sampled ramen here occasionally, but it’s not like I’ve never bought it; I’ve purchased it once or twice. However, I don't buy it for twice the price, so I've only sampled occasionally, and to hear something like that directly in front of me is upsetting."

After that incident, she stopped visiting the grocery store for a few months, and even when she did go, she purposely avoided the ramen section. A reflected on why there was a stigma against enjoying samples that were meant to be offered.

Psychology professor Park Sang-hee, who saw the story, advised, "While trying to create ten loyal customers, if one anti-customer emerges, it can bring significant losses to the company. It should be viewed positively that customers are showing interest in the food."

Moreover, viewers expressed various reactions, saying, "Don’t most people sample and then not purchase?", "I’m curious how many times they’ve sampled," and "A tasting corner exists for people who haven’t tried it to taste before they buy."

YouTube

Image sources: jtbc 'Incident Report', images to aid understanding of the article / News1, material photos to aid understanding of the article / gettyimagesbank