A customer from Fujian recently took to social media to share an unpleasant experience at HAIDILAO. The diner claimed that while having hotpot, they were denied a second serving of fish skin, a complimentary side dish, because the restaurant allows only one portion per table. The server allegedly remarked, "Some people just order a soup base and fill up on side dishes," which the customer found offensive.
The poster argued that since the condiment fee was included in their bill, requesting an extra serving was reasonable. They questioned, "Do customers at HAIDILAO not even have the right to order just one soup base?" The customer also mentioned being a frequent visitor to other HAIDILAO branches with VIP privileges but felt this incident damaged their trust in the brand.
As of November 26, attempts to contact the customer for further comments were unsuccessful.
HAIDILAO's Fuzhou Xianghe Tiandi branch manager confirmed the incident, stating, "The daily supply of fish skin is limited, and stock might have been low that day. We’re unsure how the staff explained it to the guest, but we’ve since trained the employee, as such remarks were inappropriate." Regarding the customer’s demand for an apology, the manager said, "We asked if they wanted a direct apology, but they left without clarifying after paying."
The manager added that the store’s supervisor later reached out to the customer, who declined to specify any demands. "We offered to connect for future visits to make amends, but they refused," the manager noted.
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