15 March is World Consumers Rights Day, which is observed in China, with many violations reported and published. On 12 March, one topic went viral about Haidilao compensating diners for two people allegedly urinating into a hot pot.
The incident first went viral when a video showed a person on a table seemingly urinating into a pot, prompting Haidilao Hot Pot to call the police. It turned out that the filmed incident took place in late February at a branch in Shanghai, and the perpetrators were two 17-year-old boys who were then taken to administrative detention by the police. Haidilao has also sued them for damage.
- #海底捞小便事件10倍现金补偿 Haidilao pays 10 times in compensation for the urination incident: 110 million views on Weibo, ranking number 1 on the Hot Search list
- #海底捞补偿金额超千万元 Haidilao pays over 10 million RMB (1.38 million USD) in compensation: 93.84 million views on Weibo, ranking number 1 on the Hot Search list
However, Netizens weren’t impressed with Haidilao’s action and accused the chain of trying to cover it up before the video leaked. Some also believe this should be put in PR textbooks as a case of “too little, too late ”. Others think they should have taken the same action as soon as the incident took place, which would have been great publicity for the chain.
Need to boost your China strategy? Dao Pro delivers bespoke insights on marketing, innovation, and digital trends, direct from Chinese sources. Find out more from our Dao Strategy Team here.
