THE PHILIPPINES, DECEMBER 15, 2011: Filipino restaurant chain Chic-Boy has been the center of social media controversy in the past week since a customer vented her rage through a Facebook album.
The complainant, Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo, narrated in a humorous "break-up letter" the details on how she had found and eaten the caterpillar in her ginisang kangkong at Chic-Boy’s Timog Avenue branch in Quezon City on November 21, 2011.
Bernardo, a writer and filmmaker, claims to have had a love affair with Chic-Boy because of the "cool place, nice staff, and good food". However, all the love she once harbored for the said restaurant vanished when she encountered the caterpillar in her ginisang kangkong (sautéed water spinach).
The album containing the letter has been shared over 8,000 times since it was posted on December 11, with over 9,600 additional shares of the individual images in the album.
Meanwhile, Chic-Boy aired its side via its official Facebook account (facebook.com/chicboy) on December 12 saying that "The competitor is desperate!" and dismissed the said incident as a demolition job. They went on by pointing out the inconsistency in the photos posted by Bernardo.
"If you are familiar with Chic-Boys ginisang kangkong sa bawang, our kangkong is cut into bits. HOW COME IN THE PHOTO THEY POSTED, THE CATERPILLAR IS WHOLE?" posted Chic-Boy.
By the power of social media, Bernardo’s rage did not go unnoticed. Filipino netizens shared their own take on the issue, with some supporting Bernardo’s claim and some supporting Chic-Boy.
According to GMA News Online, the chain will file a libel suit against Bernardo. But whether the customer’s allegations are true or not, the issue is well on its way to becoming a public relations case study on how not to deal with complaints online.
Chic-Boy is under Pier One Bar and Grill Holdings Corporation, the company responsible for Pier One Bar and Grill restaruants. As of this writing, Chic-Boy has 64 branches in the country and 48 more on the way.
