Godiva employee sparks controversy with derogatory comments amid typhoon

A scandal erupted in Taiwan when an employee at Godiva in Xinyi District, Taipei posted derogatory comments about customers, frustrated by having to work while many stores were temporarily shut down due to Typhoon Gaemi.

In the post, the employee harshly criticised customers redeeming chocolate at the store, saying: “Four greedy scoundrels—why weren’t you blown away by the typhoon? You’d probably get hit by a car if you went up there.”

Taiwanese media reported that Godiva was running a promotion that day, offering two chocolates worth NT$100 (RM 14.18) for free to customers who joined their Line group.

The incident sparked heated discussions online, with many netizens commenting, “The worker, having been in the job too long, thinks they are high-end now,” “It’s outrageous, especially that they posted it themselves,” and “Little did they know they are just another employee under the brand.”

Following the incident, Godiva Chocolatier (Asia) Limited, Taiwan Branch, commonly known as Godiva in Taiwan, apologised for the incident and directed the employee to remove the comments. 

“We deeply apologise for the impact caused by this individual’s failure to follow the brand conduct guidelines.

“The involved member has been punished and the employee had removed the inappropriate statements.

“In line with our commitment to customer care and maintaining top-tier service, GODIVA will enhance training to uphold the brand’s high service standards,” the chocolate company said. 

Earlier this week, Typhoon Gaemi caused the deaths of dozens in Taiwan and exacerbated seasonal flooding in the Philippines.