How 'Hyundai' Employees Treat Female Customers… "Not in the Mood for Consultation"

[Financial News]  A YouTube video of a visit to a Hyundai Motor branch to purchase one's 'first car' is causing controversy online. The issue was the attitude of the store employee towards the customer.

Sky, a YouTuber with over 350,000 subscribers, posted a video on the 10th on her YouTube channel titled 'What happens when a woman who knows nothing about cars goes to buy a car alone'.

Sky filmed the process of visiting a Hyundai Motor branch she had pre-booked by phone. 
At the branch, Sky asked the resident staff, "I'm currently considering Kona and Grandeur. I also do YouTube, is it okay to film (the cars)?" and sought prior permission to film.

Although it was a pre-booked store, there was no separate staff response, and Sky alone checked the specs and details of the Kona and Grandeur models.
After looking around the vehicles, Sky asked the staff again, "Who should I consult with?"

This is where the controversial scene began. When the staff replied, "You're not here for a consultation, are you?" Sky said, "I want to buy a car, and I'm considering between the two."

Then the staff said, "It's a bit odd that you're considering Kona and Grandeur. If you look at the vehicles, there's a big price difference of 50 million won and 30 million won."

Sky replied, "I can purchase, but since it's my first car and I don't know much about cars, I want some consultation on which would be better in terms of utility," but the staff again asked, "Since it's your first car and you don't know about cars, can you really speak about it if you film this (video)?"

When Sky explained that it was a vlog capturing daily life, not for car promotion, and requested consultation again, an unexpected answer came back.

The staff said, "Then I won't consult. Personally, if you come for a consultation, I can do it anytime, but because this video is involved, I will decline that consultation."

Upon Sky's repeated request, the staff again said, "Well, do you really have to do it in this situation? Right now, I don't have the mind to explain or anything to you."

The conversation, which seemed emotionally charged, ended shortly after the YouTuber succeeded in contacting another staff member.

This video was shared through various online communities and received over 180,000 views and more than 3,000 comments within 20 hours.
The majority of comments criticized the attitude of Hyundai and its employees. 

"That's a direct branch, so the staff are regular employees of Hyundai. They act like that because selling cars doesn't affect their performance." "I also visited to buy a Genesis last year, but no one got up to explain anything. There was no greeting when entering or leaving. This is the reality of Hyundai's sales," criticizing the attitude of Hyundai employees.

There were also harsh words directed at Hyundai's headquarters.

"They spend hundreds of billions on advertising to raise the brand value, but how much damage will this cause?" or "Even Chairman Chung Mong-koo might get angry and leave," worrying about the damage Hyundai might suffer from the video, while others said, "That employee will never be disciplined. Only a notice saying 'No YouTube filming in the store' will be issued. That's Hyundai," "Hyundai's regular employees have high fixed salaries, so they're all unfriendly," criticizing Hyundai itself.

After posting the video, YouTuber Sky also shared the backstory through comments.
She wrote, "First of all, I sincerely thank everyone who shared in the anger over this incident and sent words of support. Hearing that many people had similar experiences at other branches made me feel heavy-hearted and think a lot."

She also shared that she received contact from the branch.

Sky said, "(Today) the branch manager of the branch called and conveyed an apology, and agreed to film an official apology video for the recovery of the company's image and future improvements," adding, "I plan to share a video containing the company's stance and official apology on my channel soon."

She continued, "Beyond just an unpleasant experience that happened to me personally, I feel more responsible because it's a reality many consumers are experiencing. I filmed the video hoping that publicizing it would be an opportunity for the company to improve, not just for criticism," but also emphasized, "Please refrain from excessive criticism or abusive language towards any particular employee."

y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter