7-Eleven under fire for selling half-eaten Christmas cake to customer on Christmas Eve

Slow news day?

I did something like that when I was working at McD's. I was practicing wrapping Big Macs using a duster by the grill when it started to get busy. Made some burgers and when it slowed down the wrapped duster was gone. No complaints. Must've been a good duster...

Still got a three-quarters eaten Christmas cake sitting on top of the fridge. It's very yummy, and slowly disappearing in small, calorie-controlled slices.

What a whiny moaning tosser of a customer. It was an honest mistake, it wasn't personal. Wipe your nose and get on with life. Why is this even a story? Send him to Lawson next year.

randomnator

I can understand his anger. Suppose he had bought the cake to take to a party. When he got there and opened it, it would have been embarrassing to see a half-eaten cake. I think I would have been incensed, too.

"...but he refused and demanded a proper explanation."

What defines a proper explanation in the man's mind? Should they.... say.... it... all... slow...like? How's the story going to change and be more proper for him? I mean, they could explain the man's an idiot if he doesn't get it, but somehow methinks that'll make this whiner even angrier. He got an offer of a replacement, money back, and an apology with a visit by the manager and employee, what the hell else does he want that would make a "proper explanation"?

Either the phantom Christmas cake mouse struck again or one of Santa errant elf's had a go at it. Either way it's the season of good will, so perhaps a genuine drop of.

Inclined take it back to the shop inform the manager and politely suggest a replacement cake plus additional confectionery recompense/compensation, subtlety confirming the correct number for 7-Eleven head office. ho ho ho.....

Seems like a simple honest mistake.

What a whiny moaning tosser of a customer. It was an honest mistake, it wasn't personal. Wipe your nose and get on with life. Why is this even a story? Send him to Lawson next year.

Because in Japan, its not about fixing problems, its about whining about them. That's why nothing ever gets done here. This stupid idea that they always have to complain until the cows come home. The manager AND employee visited the man in his home with a brand new replacement. I wouldn't have expected such good treatment as a foreigner but if I did, I would have had the common courtesy to thank the store manager and employee for honestly trying to fix their mistake, which they did. Seems their actions were alot better than the usual useless empty gestures of teeth sucking and moshi wakegozaimasen BS people here love to do.

What defines a proper explanation in the man's mind?

Seiza with a lot of empty stupid MW BS as stated above with useless bows.

Sounds like an honest mistake, but I can imagine how annoyed this customer would have been. He probably would have seen it as deliberate trolling, and on XMas Day too. They should offer him more than a lousy refund at the very least

An outraged oyaji! He will not and cannot be placated or even apologized to... On this planet generally people who have small wrongs done to them, if it wasn't deliberate or horrible, it's ok to forgive. Customers here can be terribly demanding, and businesses cannot get rough on them or they will get skewed in the media.

Readers, no Japan-bashing please.

Oh, c'mon - it is kinda funny! The whole point about holidays is creating memories, and I'd imagine a few decades from now, the family will still be talking about this: "Remember that time when...."

Honest mistake properly handled (refund, cake, apology in person!!). What did he expect for a jpy1,200 cake bought at 7 eleven?!

Fine family memories. @Laguna Yeah, remember that time that Grandpa died in prison just because of a Christmas cake from 7-11?

is this news big deal so wat

People make the comment that it&s an honest mistake...maybe it was, but, are we going to find the youtube video of the guy eating the cake and putting it back?

If he really bought the cake, why be so foolish as to put it back with others that were not sold? Something in the explanation doesnt quite make sense here.

The Don Quijote store once tried to sell me a used display humidifier. I opened the box and there was water in the bottom. I took it back to the store and the guy at the register said it must have been tested at the factory. I called BS and demanded a refund

Maybe the guy was making sure the cake was fit for human consumption

chestnut Christmas cake

I was told quite emphatically that there were no chestnuts to be had, so my stuffing had to do without. Did 7 Eleven's bakers take them all?

People are human, and mistakes happen. I bet this jerk with his kyakuhakamisama entitlement never says 'please' or 'thank you' (like too many) to the combini staff.

I genuinely thought a moshiwake arimasen plus free uneaten cakes every Christmas would have done it.

I swear there are some people who buy goods and enthusiastically try to find something wrong with it so they can complain. He could have taken it back to the store, gotten his money back or a replacement, the person who had eaten the other half of his cake would have been punished and it all would have ended happily.

The Christmas message is "Peace and Good Will to All."

Looks like he missed the point.

Obviously the customer was upset because he couldn't have his cake .... and eat it too.

Tape the receipt on the item ya just bought

visited him to offer a replacement cake and a refund but he refused and demanded a proper explanation

I'm telling you, Japanese businesses sometimes go above and beyond for a customer if they make a mistake. A month ago, I ordered a pizza from my usual spot. If you pick it up instead of delivery, you save 25%. I got there and they apologized to me that the oven was having trouble and offered me a refund or come back when they call me. I took the latter because I had my mind set on pizza. So I go home and they show up at my house 15 minutes later with the order, extra food and a full refund.

Maybe these type of strict customers keep businesses on their toes and us easygoing customers reap the benefits.

Unable to translate - moshi wakegozaimasen - ending seems to suggest a degree of , sorrow please edify

If half the cake was gone, why didn't he notice the box was light for its size?

moshi wakegozaimasen

Depending upon the circumstances the nuances or translation would change, along with the delivery as well.

A deep bow accompanied by the phrase, would indicate, at least on the surface, that the person is apologizing for some failure or inability. The length of the accompanying bow would also indicate the level of the person(s) bowing "sincerity" and desire to have their apology accepted.

Simply saying the words, like (example only here) ordering food at a restaurant and some menu item that you wanted was sold out, (or whatever) and you couldn't get it, the person taking the order would often use the phrase, in a perfunctory manner, and it would given as a formal apology and accepted as such, for not being able to provide the item request. It's commonly used throughout the business world as an apology as well.

Sorrow might not the the best description to use, a degree or combination of loss of face, dishonor (in worst case scenario), being apologetic in a very polite manner. It's also used as a kind of third party way of apology, meaning that if an individual apologies for something personally done, gomen-nasai, or something typical like that is used, but mosiwakenai, or the more formal, moshiwakegozaimasen, is a deep form of indirect apology. There is also an implied level of responsibility in the more formal use of the phrase.

Many Japanese have a difficult time admitting mistakes and making personal apologies, this phrase is less personal, but more formal than a simple gomen-nasai. Often seen/heard used in the "apology" press conferences.

Sorry, I tried to make it as short as possible here. There are other details that you will pick up as you get better with the language, good luck.

I bought a burger at an amusement park once, and when I asked for extra ketchup they were reluctant to give it to me. When I took the top of the bun off, there was already ample ketchup, but also a bite taken out of the burger. When I brought it back and showed them, the guy yelled to to back cooks, "Hey! Somebody found one!" Gross

Rustom: Because in Japan, its not about fixing problems,

Calm down, hater

The company said the store manager and the employee, who sold the cake to the man, visited him to offer a replacement cake and a refund but he refused and demanded a proper explanation.

What a pompous a.ss.

Maybe installing small "employee use only" refrig on site might solve issue.

The 7-i employees are very nice and helpful and I know this was an honest mistake. An employee helped me understand the very unique coffee machines they have in the stores. Every visit I made to a 7-i was a wonderful experience.