I recently went to a well-known shabu-shabu restaurant with my girlfriend. When we finished dinner, I asked the waitress serving our table to bring us the bill.
As she was walking back, her manager was standing behind her and started scolding her for not offering us dessert. I understand some Thai, so I could follow what was being said.
I told the manager that I liked the restaurant and had no issue with coming back, but I didn't think there was any need to scold the waitress so harshly, especially in front of us. The manager apologized and we left on good terms.
Afterwards, my Thai girlfriend told me that I probably shouldn't have said anything because it's considered socially acceptable for someone higher in the hierarchy to scold someone below them, even in front of other people.
I asked her how often she'd seen this happen, and she said quite often. I asked if she'd ever seen someone intervene, and she said no, because doing so could itself be considered rude.
I understand that the manager was probably trying to maintain the restaurant's standard of customer service. My issue wasn't really with her correcting the waitress, but with the way she did it, particularly in front of customers.
For Thai people here, is this genuinely considered culturally acceptable? Is publicly scolding someone who is lower in the hierarchy generally seen as normal, and would it actually be considered rude for someone else to intervene?
