Honbo's brand sentiments dip following insensitive reply on social: Knowing the thin line between sarcasm and wit

Hong Kong burger brand Honbo has seen a significant drop in brand sentiments among HongKongers following the insensitive reply its staff made in response to a netizen's request regarding cash payment.

This came after a Taiwan influencer Cheryl Hsieh shared on her Facebook that a staff told her no cash is accepted at the store, but it takes all kinds of cashless payments. Netizens swiftly turned to Honbo's official Instagram page to ask why the store does not accept cash, a staff then replied to a netizen: “Because it’s the 21st century.”

The incident has triggered outrage as netizens took to Honbo’s Facebook and Instagram to express their disappointment. Honbo's recent Instagram post has been flooded with nearly 1,400 comments, many of which contain sarcastic remarks, including comments such as "we shouldn't eat burgers because it's the 21st century" and "there shouldn't be any brick-and-mortar Honbo stores because it's the 21st century”, a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw.

In response, Honbo apologised for the insensitive comment from its staff, according to a statement seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

We hear your feedback, we didn't strike the right tone with our earlier comment, and it crossed the line. This is not how we should speak to our guests, and for that, we are sorry and we apologise.

The brand went on to explain it started going cashless because of COVID-19. “As of November 2022, all our shops stopped accepting cash. We have signs in all our stores, and our staff always makes an effort to remind the guests when they enter the restaurant. We have no cash drawers at our shops, but we do have provisions in place to assist guests who have no means of electronic payment,” the statement read.

Despite its efforts, brand sentiments for Honbo in Hong Kong have dipped. According to media intelligence firm CARMA, negative sentiments surrounding the brand rose from 8.5% to 35.5% following the incident, whereas positive sentiments dropped by 18.5%. In the past 24 hours, there have been over 2,000 mentions related to this incident.

Keywords associated with the brand now include the phrases “refused to accept” (拒收), "century” and “chaotic”(添亂). It's worth noting that keywords such as “cash”, “Alipay”, “WeChat Pay” and “Cheryl Hsieh” were among the most frequently mentioned in relation to the incident in social media comments.

On the other hand, social monitoring firm Meltwater saw 22.9% positive sentiments, 12.5% negative and 64.6% neutral sentiments regarding the incident. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Honbo for a statement.

Why does staff behaviour on social matter for a brand? 

Commenting on the incident, a former PR professional who wished to stay anonymous, said the situation escalated rapidly after a Taiwan influencer shared the incident on social media, causing it to go viral.

The hamburger store did have an opportunity to rectify the situation, but regrettably, they opted for an entirely counterproductive approach, which only fuelled the backlash from netizens on social media.

In fact, the drop in brand sentiments for Honbo was mainly caused by the staff’s insensitive and dismissive reply to a netizen, said David Ko, managing director of RFI Asia. “The staff’s comment insulted the netizen by implying they were outdated and ignorant. Humour can sometimes be misunderstood, especially if it is not conveyed expertly. This offended many people who felt that Honbo was arrogant and disrespectful to its customers,” he added.

As the representatives of the brand, staff behaviour on social matters for a brand because it reflects the brand’s values, culture, and personality. Ko added:

They have the power to influence how customers perceive and interact with the brand. If staff are polite, helpful, and friendly on social media, they can create a positive impression of the brand and build trust and loyalty among customers.

On the social media front, it's a constant battle between having a process that vets responses thoroughly and responding to comments in a timely manner.

While it could be a frustrated staff who decided to take to sarcasm in the face of overwhelming negativity, it does show that Honbo would need to review their social media policies to ensure customers are treated with respect, even on social media, said Edwin Yeo, general manager of SPRG.

“We've seen a lot of such frustrations in managing social media accounts, and indeed, the people who manage them are humans as well and are subjected to emotional outbursts. A tighter approval process limits such incidents,” he added.

Inclusivity is also key 

Despite Honbo having explained the reason behind its decision to go cashless, it might exclude some segments of the society who do not have access to electronic payment methods. 

As a service provider in the food and beverage industry, which thrives on interpersonal interactions, it should have been a straightforward matter to provide prompt solutions to the customers, said the former PR professional.

To further improve the brand image and elevate customer experience, RFI Asia’s Ko said the brand should provide alternative solutions for customers who might face difficulties with electronic payment.

Agreeing with Ko was SPRG’s Yeo, who said while merchants have pivoted towards cashless payments, there will still be segments of society that still do not have any means of cashless payments, especially the elderly.

He added:

A merchant would do well to be a bit more flexible about this and explore how it can be more inclusive.

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