Beauty queen and actress Emma Tiglao sparked online discussion after sharing a personal experience about professionalism and respect in the service industry.

In a Facebook post, Tiglao recounted what she described as an uncomfortable encounter during a family lunch at Crabs N Crack’s Infinity branch. According to the former international pageant titleholder, the incident happened after their order was mistakenly prepared with a different sauce from what they had requested.

Despite the mix-up, Tiglao said her family chose to handle the situation calmly.

“I don’t usually rant online, but I believe this experience is worth sharing so others can be aware and hopefully so we can all learn from it,” she wrote.

A simple request

Tiglao said seafood is a favorite for her family and they were excited to dine at the restaurant. They ordered meal bundles with specific sauces, but when the dishes arrived, the flavors did not match their request.

“When the food arrived, the order was different from what we requested. Instead of chili garlic, it came with two Cajun and one butter garlic,” she said.

When the family pointed out the mistake, they were informed that the order could no longer be changed because it had already been prepared. Rather than press the issue, Tiglao said they simply asked for a small portion of chili garlic sauce on the side.

“To their credit, the staff acknowledged the mistake and gave the sauce as a complimentary request. We appreciated that gesture,” she said.

However, Tiglao said the situation took an uncomfortable turn while they were preparing to have their remaining food packed for takeout.

“However, while we were preparing to have the food packed for takeout, the waiter who handled our order said, ‘ANG KAPAL NG MUKHA.’ I heard it from behind (pero alam mong pinarinig sa inyo),” she wrote.

Tiglao described the moment as unsettling.

“In that moment, my heart started racing and my hands turned cold. I’m not someone who looks for conflict, but I also believe that respect should never be optional,” she said.

Call for professionalism

As someone who also manages her own business, Tiglao said professionalism is essential in customer service.

“As a business owner myself, we always remind our team that no matter how busy or stressful the day gets, we must always treat customers with kindness and professionalism,” she said.

“A single moment of disrespect can stay with someone longer than we think.”

While expressing disappointment about the incident, Tiglao addressed the waiter directly in her post, hoping the experience could serve as a learning moment.

“To the waiter who said those words, I genuinely hope this becomes a lesson not just for you, but for all of us in the service industry,” she wrote.

“We are all human, and we all deserve to be treated with dignity.”

She also reminded readers that respect should be mutual.

“CUSTOMER KA RIN KUYA AT FOR SURE AYAW MO RIN NA GAWIN SAYO YUNG GINAWA MO SA AKIN,” she added.

Tiglao noted that the assistant manager on duty later apologized for the incident, a gesture she acknowledged and appreciated.

Restaurant responds

Following Tiglao’s post, Crabs N Crack released an official statement apologizing to the actress and her family.

“We sincerely apologize to Ms. Emma Tiglao and her family for the experience they had during their recent visit to our Infinity branch,” the restaurant said.

The company added that the incident did not reflect its standards.

“At Crabs N Crack, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of hospitality and respect for every guest. The behavior described in Ms. Tiglao’s post does not reflect the values that our brand stands for, and we deeply regret that this incident occurred.”

Management said it conducted an internal review after learning about the matter.

“Upon learning about the issue, our management team immediately conducted an internal review. The staff member involved has been dealt with accordingly, and we are reinforcing our service protocols and training across the team to ensure that professionalism, courtesy and respect are upheld at all times.”

The restaurant also thanked Tiglao for acknowledging the apology extended by the assistant manager on duty.

“We are grateful to Ms. Tiglao for acknowledging the apology extended by our assistant manager on site, and we thank her for bringing this concern forward,” the statement said.