“Customers care about getting off work on time too, right?” ... Restaurant owner stacks chairs and starts cleaning while diners are eating [What do you think?]

[Financial News]  A story has emerged about staff who stacked chairs and cleaned the floor beside a table where customers were eating, even though closing time was still more than 30 minutes away.

On the 10th, JTBC’s “Scandal Supervisor” featured the story of a woman in her 30s identified as A.
A, who said she had recently gone to a Korean set-meal restaurant with an acquaintance for a late dinner, said, “About 30 minutes after we started eating, the staff suddenly put the chairs up on the tables and began cleaning in earnest, even splashing water on the floor.” She added, “I was so taken aback that I checked the time and saw that closing was still more than 30 minutes away,” and said, “The other customers seemed uncomfortable too and hurried out.”
A eventually got up without finishing her meal because she felt she might get indigestion. When she confronted the owner as she paid, the owner reportedly said, “It’s because closing time is so near. We usually start cleaning around this time.”
A challenged the owner, asking, “Isn’t it wrong to stack chairs and clean the floor right beside customers while they’re eating? Honestly, aren’t you trying to hint that we should leave quickly?” The owner reportedly replied, “How are we trying to pressure you? Don’t customers care about getting off work on time too? Please understand that we’re trying to leave even a little early as well.” A retorted, “Couldn’t you have told us from the start? If you had, we wouldn’t have come in.”
A asked, “How can you eat in peace when they’re cleaning the floor right next to you? Am I being too sensitive?”

Lawyer Son Su-ho, who heard the story, said, “It’s hard to say that a restaurant should never do any tidying up before closing,” but pointed out, “Wet-mopping the floor and turning chairs upside down while customers are eating is hard to understand in light of the customary standards of courtesy in the industry.”
Psychology professor Sanghee Park also said, “I can understand it if it’s up to 10 minutes before closing, but wet-mopping when there are still 30 minutes left seems to make things uncomfortable for people who are eating.”
Lawyer Park Ji-hoon said, “When they do that, customers feel pressed for time, and the dust also makes it uncomfortable to eat.” He added, “Who would want to eat after seeing that? It seems they’re failing to observe the basics. I don’t think they should clean until the meal is over.”
Online users also reacted, saying, “If they’re going to clean while customers are there, they shouldn’t accept customers during that time,” and, “That’s more intimidating than telling people to leave.”
[email protected] Kim Su-yeon Reporter