Richmond woman demands apology
‘Miscommunication’ cited
A Richmond woman who claims she was refused service because of her poor English is demanding two apologies from McDonald’s.
Hai Xia Sun says she ran into trouble Aug. 15 when the drink she was given was not what she ordered, and when she complained McDonald’s refused to serve her.
“They refused to serve my Mom because of her language,” son Frank Zhao told The Province during an interview with mother and son.
“The manager said, ‘Please don’t stay here.’ ”
Zhao said his mother wants personal apologies from the manager and owner of the store at the corner of No. 3 Road and Granville.
“I feel very angry,” Sun told The Province in halting, accented English. “We argued with each other.
“She said, ‘You don’t know English, don’t stay here.’ ”
McDonald’s senior management quickly offered an official statement on the incident.
“Last week, in one of our locally owned franchised restaurants located in Richmond ... there was an isolated incident involving a simple miscommunication over a customer’s beverage order,” read the statement from Jeanette Jones, director of communications for McDonald’s Canada.
“What is alleged to have taken place is not consistent with the franchisee’s commitment to quality customer service and to reflecting the cultural mosaic of the restaurant’s local community.
“We take complaints very seriously and we regret that this customer was offended during her recent restaurant visit.”
Zhao said the company has agreed to meet with the family next week, although no time and venue have been worked out yet.
“The manager and the franchise owner have to apologize to my mother, and have to apologize to the Canadian people,” said Zhao.
Zhao, who was not with his mother at the time of the dispute, suggested McDonald’s hire Mandarin speakers to help out with Richmond’s population, in the same way Spanish speakers are recruited in California.
Sun said she has lived in Canada for 10 years, and speaks English at work, although it’s not her first language.
“We don’t want money,” said Sun, 51, a hotel worker. “We aren’t asking McDonald’s to fire the manager.
“We just want the apology.”