Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Seong-su. [Seocho-gu]
Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Seong-su. [Seocho-gu]

Seoul's Seocho-gu district will hold a special lecture on handling abusive customers for local restaurant owners at the Seocho-gu public health center on Aug. 31 at 2 p.m.

The session is being organized in partnership with Baemin Academy, run by Woowa Brothers Corp., the operator of food delivery platform Baemin. It is designed to ease the financial and psychological burden on restaurant owners caused by a subset of bad-faith customers who demand excessive compensation, file retaliatory complaints, or flood businesses with malicious reviews.

Registration is limited to 50 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Restaurant owners in Seocho-gu who wish to attend can apply through the Baemin Academy website starting Tuesday. The two-hour course is divided into two sessions. The first covers the psychology and characteristics of bad-faith complaints, types of abusive customers, and a step-by-step response roadmap. The second builds on that foundation with practical tools owners can use on the spot — including how to set up a preemptive store defense system, standard response scripts, situation-specific handling tips, and emotional management techniques.

"Restaurant owners work their hardest to satisfy customers, yet some face real hardship because of a small number of malicious complaints," District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said. "I hope this lecture, which reflects the voices of those on the front lines of the food service industry, will help owners respond responsibly to legitimate customer grievances while dealing wisely with bad-faith ones."

Last month, the district established a broader support framework to protect restaurant owners from abusive customers, encompassing pre-complaint screening, subsidies for closed-circuit television installation in kitchens, and legal and psychological support. Under the complaint screening system, officials request and verify documentation needed to establish the facts of a complaint and maintain records of complaint histories and outcomes. Establishments with no history of administrative sanctions and a high hygiene rating are eligible for a pre-screening program that allows them to submit supporting materials — including self-inspection results, photos of food preparation and storage conditions, and hygiene management records — before an on-site inspection takes place.

The district has also set up an emergency hotline with the Seocho-gu chapter of the Korea Food Service Industry Association to support affected owners. Those requiring legal assistance can receive counsel through the Asia-Pacific Justice Hub and the Seocho OK Lifestyle Advisory Group, while owners experiencing psychological distress from repeated complaints can access counseling through the public health center's mental health clinic.


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