DistantNews
Support us
🇹🇼 Taiwan /Economy & Trade

Taiwan tea chain charges extra NT$5 for hot drinks, leaving customers and staff frustrated

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A customer said Dezheng charged an extra NT$5 for a warm milk tea because hot drinks use more tea.
  • The complaint drew criticism on Threads, including concerns that customers already face a smaller serving or added cost for choosing a hot drink.
  • An employee said staff felt embarrassed explaining the policy and urged customers to raise their complaints with the company.

A customer ordering a warm milk tea at Taiwan beverage chain Dezheng was surprised to find an extra NT$5 on the bill. The explanation from staff was that hot drinks use more tea.

The customer described the charge on Threads, saying they had never heard of a beverage shop charging more simply because a drink was warm. They said customers might accept a smaller cup, but that the additional fee damaged the company’s image and made them reconsider their loyalty.

I had never heard of any beverage shop charging extra because a drink was hot. Usually, they make it a medium size, and that is still acceptable. Charging more just feels wrong and completely affects the company’s image. I was originally a very loyal customer, but this instantly turned me off.

· CustomerThe customer described the reaction to being charged extra for a warm drink.

The post triggered a wave of criticism. Some commenters said women could be disadvantaged when they want a hot drink during menstruation, while others compared the policy with businesses cutting back on amenities. One commenter wrote that the rival chain 50 Lan’s continued popularity had a reason.

Women are really getting the short end of the stick. We already spend more than men on sanitary products, and when we have stomach pain and want a hot drink, it is either made smaller or costs another NT$5. Where is the fairness?

· CommenterA commenter criticized the impact of the policy on women who want hot drinks during menstruation.

A Dezheng employee joined the discussion and said workers felt uncomfortable informing customers about the charge. The employee said company headquarters instructed staff not to say they did not know the reason or that it came from headquarters. Instead, they were told to explain that hot drinks use a higher proportion of tea.

The employee questioned the logic, comparing it to shoe sizes that cost the same despite using different amounts of material. They also noted that customers who order tea with normal ice do not pay less, even though the drink uses less tea.

I am an employee. Please ask people to complain to the company. We feel embarrassed every time we tell customers, and how are we supposed to say this?

· Dezheng employeeThe employee said frontline staff were uncomfortable explaining the surcharge.
About this summary

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog