An Open Letter to MOs Burger in Taiwan: Smoking Kills Your Business

An Open Letter to MOs Burger in Taiwan.

Mos’ Burger Smoking Policy: 251台北縣淡水鎮竹圍民族路1號1樓(*062)

Dear Mosburger,

I recently went to Mos burger for a meal. The meal was delicious, the service was excellent and the restaurant was clean. We all enjoyed the food very much, and we like to go to Mos several times a month.

HOWEVER, we do not appreciate the smoking policy that permits smoking in the restaurant. Currently, in Tamsui, the store in Zhuwei allows smoking outside the entrance to the store. The smoke from the smokers sitting outside goes all the way upstairs into the restaurant area, making it very uncomfortable and stinky for people like myself and my friends, none of whom smoke. I myself am asthmatic, meaning that I can’t breathe properly when I am near smoke, and I have to take medicine to relieve the symptoms.

This happened tonight when I went to your restaurant. Moreover, of my friends and myself, none of us believe that allowing TWO tables of smokers outside the restaurant creates a good image for MOS. Let’s go over the facts: MOs tries to create a healthy, fresh, and clean atmosphere with its restaurants and food. Largely, it has succeeded with this.

However, the smoking area at Zhuwei is neither HEALTHY, FRESH or CLEAN. It really creates a bad impression of MOS Burger.

It’s unhealthy: it allows people to smoke who don’t care for their own health, never mind the health of the employees who serve them, or the other customers who have to walk THROUGH clouds of hideous, poisonous smoke that clings to their clothes, stinks up their hair, and fills their lungs. How long before someone decides to file a lawsuit against MOs for permitting second-hand smoke – such class actions suits are now realities in MANY countries? Does MOs want to be a leader or a follower in this trend? Does MOs want to be seen to be promoting a healthy lifestyle or be sued for acquiescing in the second-hand smokers’ disregard for everyone else! Mm, I wonder which makes a better advertisement.

The air can be so bad from those smokers that people with lung disorders can barely breathe even on the second floor. Is this right? Why should the pleasure of two or three ruin the health of many? Can MOs afford to ignore those complaints? I wonder… And fresh? With mouthfuls of second-hand smoke coming upstairs, how fresh is even the freshest salad when the food has to be swallowed with a mouthful of smoke?

Please, please reconsider your smoking policy in Zhuwei branch; It creates a bad image; It causes a legal liability (for your whole company) and it is ruins the health of otherwise satisfied customers like me. Why would I shop somewhere that disregards the health of customers like me, customers for whom fresh air means health, and a cloud of smoke needs treatment for two days.

Naturally, I will follow up this email in about a week, if I do not have reply. If I do not have a satisfactory reply in ten days, I shall seek other more satisfactory ways to seek redress.

Yours sincerely, etc..

Well, since I wrote that letter, I’m pleased to see that MO’s has takens steps to make non-smokers more comfortable. The problem as explained to me is the seating arrangement outside invites non-customers to come and smoke, and they seem to cause the biggest problem.

This letter was politely followed up with a reply from MO’s burger … in Chinese… Apologies for those who can’t read it…

非常感謝您在百忙之中抽空寫下電子郵件，
並願意將消費過程告訴我們，讓我們能知其改進！

摩斯漢堡向來秉持著新鮮，健康，衛生的理念，
希望提供給消費者優良品質的商品與服務，
關於您提到至摩斯漢堡竹圍店消費，

若有任何想法與建議，
也期待您不吝再來信或來電指教！

摩斯漢堡  顧客服務組 　 敬上