Seocho-gu in Seoul will host a special lecture on handling malicious customer complaints for local restaurant owners at the Seocho-gu Public Health Center at 2 p.m. on Aug. 31.
The lecture, organized in partnership with Woowa Brothers' Baemin Academy, is designed to ease the mental and financial burden on restaurant owners caused by a segment of bad-faith consumers — those who demand excessive compensation beyond legitimate consumer rights, file retaliatory complaints, or post strings of malicious reviews.
Drawing on real-world cases from the restaurant industry, the program will offer both theory and hands-on training to help local restaurant owners build practical skills for dealing systematically with bad-faith consumers and preventing unnecessary disputes.
Enrollment is limited to the first 50 applicants. Seocho-gu restaurant owners wishing to attend may register starting Tuesday on the Baemin Academy website.
The two-hour lecture is divided into two sessions. The first covers a systematic approach to handling malicious customers, including the psychology and characteristics of bad-faith complaints, types of malicious consumers, and a step-by-step response roadmap. The second session builds on those lessons with practical, field-ready techniques owners can apply immediately in their stores — covering preemptive store defense systems, standard response scripts, situation-specific handling tips, and emotional management.
To strengthen restaurant owners' management capabilities and boost the local economy, Seocho-gu signed an MOU in 2025 with Woowa Brothers' Baemin Academy, a food-service industry specialist, and has since jointly operated a food-service management academy reflecting on-the-ground industry demand and the latest business trends.
Beyond the lecture, the district has been working to foster a healthier dining culture by actively protecting restaurant owners' rights against malicious complaints. Since July, it has introduced a complaint-screening system, a safe rebuttal regime, and legal advisory referrals at the field level.
"Restaurant owners do their best to satisfy customers, yet some face real hardship from a small number of bad-faith complaints," district mayor Jeon Seong-su said. "I hope this lecture — which reflects the voices of those on the front lines — will help owners respond responsibly to legitimate consumer grievances while dealing wisely with malicious ones."
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