By Louis Chan

AsAmNews National Correspondent

It’s a bit ironic the day a conference gets underway in Los Angeles focused on how advertisers can market to the Asian American community, Dunkin Donuts is dealing with a public relations nightmare.

An East Asian American customer shared on Facebook her experience at a Dunkin Donuts in Forest Hills, NY. where she says she was bullied by an employee, laughed at by his fellow co-workers and humiliated by another customer.

The post by Peiyin Shih has already been shared 8,700 times and received 13,000 feelings of anger and disgust in less than 48 hours.

Dunkin Donuts has reached out to Shih and has promised appropriate action will be taken.

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Shif wrote on Facebook:

Hi, I went to this Dunkin Donuts located at 100-05 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, NY 11375 with my nanny & my one year old son today 5/30/2016 at 3:38pm. Besides juice & hot chocolate, we order Glazed chocolate donut. Staff Yaibur R. told me that I have to say the whole name of the donut. I point it to him & tell him that I want the “glazed chocolate donut” with a accent. He is like “What? What are you saying?” I point it again & say “that chocolate donut.” He does not even want to look & help me. He just look at me & say “you have to say the whole name of the donut.” I say why should I say the whole name. You already know what I want. You just want to make fun of me. He said you just have to say it in order to order it. I said I want to talk to your manager. He said you don’t have to see the manager. Manager is not here. You think he will be here all the time. He has home. Today is holiday. He has to go home. I say what is your name? He point his name tag & say “Here is my name. Do you know how to say it?” I insist to see the manager. Of course that staff ignore me. And then, this customer start to scream at me. When I start to use my phone to record, that Dunkin staff finally stop making fun of me. But this customer start to approach me & scream at me saying that he is going to take my phone away & throw it outside of window. I say don’t touch me. I am calling the police. The customer even say that I must be illegal. How humiliated. The staff is just standing there laughing. Doing nothing. I called the police. This guy keep making fun of me before he run away. He even call the police & tell them that i am just a Chinese lady who doesn’t like the Dunkin personnal’s attitude. Language violence? Discrimination? Bully the women with a children? Is this represent Dunkin Donus? This behavior of discrimination & arrogant is unacceptable.

Dunkin Donuts was quick to respond telling AsAmNews “At Dunkin’ Donuts, our goal is to make all guests feel welcome at Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants. The type of conduct alleged by a franchisee’s crew member in no way represents our company’s strong commitment to the fair treatment and well-being of all guests. The franchisee who owns and operates this location has informed us they are looking into the situation, that the type of behavior alleged would be grounds for termination from their restaurant, and that they have reached out to the guest to resolve the situation.”

It’s great that the franchise is not running away from the situation and moving quickly to act on it. Let’s hope some concrete action is taken to resolve this situation and a formal and public apology is issued to Shih.

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