Customer Complaint About Mark and Spencer's 'Weak Tea' Goes Viral On Social Media

Marie Byrne of Dublin was dissatisfied with the way her parents were treated at the Marks & Spencer cafe so she decided to complain about it over the social media. It soon turned into a viral rant, putting Marks & Spencer in the spotlight.

Byrne's 80-year-old father and 78-year-old mother went to the Blancharstown branch of the cafe and ordered tea. The couple asked for additional tea bags since they found the delivered tea to be a little “weak.” However, the staff refused to provide them with additional tea bags and said they would have to buy another pot to be able to get the tea bags.

Confirming the information furnished by the staff, the supervisor told the elderly couple they must pay to get the additional tea bags for their brew. Furious at the behavior of the staff, the couple's daughter decided to vent her frustration about the incident over the social media. The complaint has already received more than 1,000 comments from tea lovers, igniting a social media backlash.

“Shame on you for such disgusting customer service and treatment of the elderly. As regular customers of your stores be assured that my family, friends and business associates will not be frequenting your stores again,” reads the post added by Byrne July 10 on Marks & Spencer's Facebook page.

In response to the customer's rant, Marks & Spencer offered an apology on the behalf of the staff. However, the post had already spread among the masses.

“This is one of our policies in our cafes; however, we expect our staff to be flexible where possible. I’m really sorry you’re unhappy with the service your parents received and please be assured your comments and feedback will be passed on to the Café Manager,” the retailer responded.