It was not ‘finger lickin good’, for customers and staff at Laudium’s KFC outlet at the entrance of Laudium, who were all surprised with some even being in shock, after witnessing a customer, believed to be highly intoxicated, causing a nuisance at the premises.
The embarrassing and violent scene this past Sunday evening (August 17), has resulted in many local customers calling on the owners of the franchise store to beef up security, as many felt that they could have so easily been hurt as the customer was in a rage. According to bystanders at the scene, the customer at the KFC outlet who caused a scene was Hardik Kumar Patel, an Indian national who was allegedly highly intoxicated. Patel caused havoc by verbally abusing the staff at KFC –Laudium, vandalised a light pole on the parking premises and damaged a water meter with his car.
Lilian Mukoka, the branch manager of KFC Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “A customer named Hardik Kumar Patel, who was driving a white Toyota with registration number KL 44TV GP, came into the drive through. He first placed his order at the speaker entrance and then drove to the payment and collection window. However, Patel claimed at the window that he had already paid at the speaker entrance and even said he had received R20 change. He then came inside to the reception area of the store, where he began verbally abusing us with vulgar language and threatening that if we did not give him his order, he would vandalise the store. We explained to him that payment is only accepted at the collection window, not at the speaker, but he refused to accept this and insisted that he had already paid. His claims were completely false. After that, Patel, who clearly seemed to be intoxicated with alcohol, continued to verbally abuse our staff. He then drove his car into the premises and seemingly deliberately hit a light pole, damaging both the pole, part of KFC’s infrastructure and a water meter. We cannot and will not tolerate this kind of bad behavior from any customer. We have opened a case against Hardik Kumar Patel so that he faces the consequences of mistreating our staff and vandalising KFC property.”
Mohammed Babu of 1st Avenue, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “This is very unacceptable behaviour for a grown man and we cannot tolerate this kind of nonsense in our community. We want everyone in Laudium to respect workers, whether they are at KFC or any other outlet. Violent people should have no place in our society. I believe KFC should ban this customer permanently, because what he did to their property was completely wrong. KFC Laudium must take strict action against him for vandalising their premises. This is simply not acceptable at all.”
Ria Patel, also of 1st Avenue, told the Laudium Sun, “I heard about the incident at KFC where an apparently drunk customer vandalised KFC property and it is completely wrong. KFC must take legal action against this customer because we do not want aggressive people in our society. Such behaviour can ruin our community and set a bad example for future generations. Perhaps it is also time that KFC increases security at their Laudium premises in order to avoid such incidents from occurring again and for the safety of customers, as this person could have even harmed someone there.”