At around 8.50 pm on April 25, Pham Anh Thai, owner of a bakery in Sai Gon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, was preparing to close his shop when a foreign customer walked in to buy desserts.
The customer selected several sweet items including tiramisu, brownie and mango mousse, with a total bill of around VND 200,000 (approximately USD 7.7).
When it was time to pay, the customer realised he had no cash and only carried a bank card, while the bakery did not yet support card payments.
Looking embarrassed and ready to leave empty-handed, he appeared reluctant to give up the purchase.
Seeing this, Thai offered to let the customer take the cakes home and return another day to settle the payment.
The foreign customer was reportedly surprised by the gesture, thanked the shop owner and left with the desserts.
A few days later, he returned at almost the same time, paid the full previous bill and bought several more cakes, bringing the new total to around VND 500,000 (approximately USD 19.2).
During their conversation, the customer praised the bakery as an “amazing shop”, expressing his appreciation for the experience.
Speaking to Dantri/Dtinews, Thai said this was not the first time the bakery had allowed customers to pay later.
Previously, when the shop operated at its old location on Mac Dinh Chi Street, staff had handled similar situations many times for customers who forgot to bring cash.
“In every case, customers came back to pay, and many of them even became regular customers,” he said.
Thai recently shared the story on his personal social media page, where it attracted tens of thousands of likes and comments.
Many users said his flexible and thoughtful way of treating customers was a valuable lesson in service.
“This is something people working in customer service should have. Trust, goodwill and humane problem-solving help create a friendly and positive image in the eyes of foreign visitors,” one user commented.
