BookXcess has come under fire from netizens after responding sarcastically to a customer who pointed out spelling mistakes on signs at its newly opened outlet in 118 Mall.
The controversy began when a Threads user shared two photos of the bookstore’s signage, congratulating the chain on its latest opening while politely highlighting an error in one of the words.
“Congrats on the new opening at 118 Mall! Btw, your sign should say ‘stationEry’,” she wrote.
However, instead of simply acknowledging the correction, BookXcess replied with a remark that many online users considered passive-aggressive.
“We are not a reading nation. This is what happens when we are not. BookXcess core mission is to change that. Apologies as we never had the chance to grow up with books,” the bookstore responded.
The signs also featured another grammatical mistake, with the phrase “Book are just the beginning” missing an “s” from the word “Book”.
BookXcess’ response quickly attracted criticism, with netizens questioning why the bookstore appeared to blame the country’s reading habits rather than simply accepting the feedback.
Several users also criticised the chain for making a remark about Malaysians as a whole when the original post was merely intended to highlight errors on its signage.
The backlash appeared to prompt action, as another netizen later shared a video showing staff replacing the erroneous sign.
The incident has since sparked discussion about how businesses should respond to public feedback, particularly when customers take the time to point out genuine mistakes.
