Waiters should stop forcing diners to buy mineral water
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From ST Forums
I AM an ang moh who has been living in Singapore for about eight years now and wonder if I am the only one who has noticed the increasingly selective deafness of Singapore waiters in conversations concerning ice water.
Me: Dear waiter, can I have lots of food and maybe wine at whatever price you want, plus ice water?
Waiter: Still or sparkling, sir?
Me: Ice water.
Waiter: Would you like ice in your mineral water, sir?
Me: No - regular ice water.
Waiter: We have still and sparkling mineral water, sir.
I notice some are now even refusing point blank to serve regular ice water. On top of the basic food charges there may well be service charge, cover charge and all the other add-ons.
I always find those add-ons in themselves irritating. (Why not just say that a dish cost $10 or $100 instead of saying $9 +++) Mineral water is simply becoming another Plus Plus Plus Plus Plus and it is very clear that waiting staff are under firm orders to push the stuff, in many cases beyond the point of customer irritation.
The real reason, of course, is the fat margins. We are all well aware of what mineral water is. We know that restaurants have it and that we can have it if we want to - along with Dom Perignon '55 if we want that!
Personally, I actively dislike sparkling water and even with very fine wine and cuisine I have never really appreciated fancy still mineral water over water from the Singapore tap.
My objection is that this unnecessary verbal fencing match with every waiter in Singapore is a gross disservice and, frankly, rude. I am very unlikely to have chosen a restaurant on the basis that the total bill without add-ons will come to 'X' and that with mineral water it will exceed my budget by a couple of dollars and therefore I go to McDonald's. The restaurateur can charge more for the meal if he wants.
I do object to the verbal fencing and someone who is supposed to be providing a polite service opening an irritating fencing contest trying to get me to buy something I do not want and not taking 'no' for an answer. This is especially irritating when you are with a client or other guest.
Moreover, we are becoming more and more environmentally aware and there is virtually nothing for me that seems more ecologically silly and unnecessary than offering plastic, or worse, heavy glass bottles that have been transported half way round the world and leaves a plastic or bottle to be buried in a land fill. A restaurant can for just a few cents a week further filter tap water if it feels there is still some 'public water taste' that needs to be got rid of.
I do not really want to interfere with the enjoyment of those who like a $25 fancy bottle of mineral water with their meal but I do believe we should resist the pushy waiters and take management to task when we are pressured in this way.
I often say: 'Look, stop trying to shove environmentally dirty brown fancy mineral water down my throat - give me good honest Singapore ice water. If you cannot make a profit without forcing me to buy mineral water - then increase the price of the food!'
Gordon Anderson -
why is this in SC?
seriously
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Dunno man...it seems that SC is the place where there are most complaints..so thought it would fit in here...Originally posted by the Bear:why is this in SC?
seriously -
i will nv go to that restaurant again if they nv serve ice water for free
coz thats the beri basic unless the mineral water is valued for money
One name i can think of is... coffee club express at orchard california?
die die mus pay $1.50 for its water
but at least that one still reasonable price, coz the water is esprit
brand de
not unlike some place which charge 3.90 for the same thing... -
Originally posted by kramnave:Dunno man...it seems that SC is the place where there are most complaints..so thought it would fit in here...
I love your reply -
but at least that one still reasonable price, coz the water is esprit
The Truth About Bottled Water
brand de
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfPAjUvvnIc&feature=related
It's BullSh*t. -
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The Amg Mor should be thankful he didnt have to drink Newater
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The Amg Mor should be thankful he didnt have to drink Newater
Now that is really sh*t. -
Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:
Wat an excellent report! Now, anybody wants to set up a bottled water business with me?
[b]The Truth About Bottled Water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfPAjUvvnIc&feature=related
It's BullSh*t.[/b] Let's call it Bt Timah Spring water.
Evian eh? Only the hip ones will be sucked in by those. -
Oh....ST forums.
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you know even if they served you iced water... it's tap water, not boiled... maybe the restuarant has a policy about it... fearing customers fall ill from drinking unhygenic means of water preparation....
and maybe it is the restuarant's policy of not servicing free ice water, not the waiter's fault, just his manager probably taught him to say, "Sparkling or regular?" better than, "sorry, we don't serve ice water from the tap."... -
it's still tap water.Originally posted by fire & ice:you know even if they served you iced water... it's tap water, not boiled... maybe the restuarant has a policy about it... fearing customers fall ill from drinking unhygenic means of water preparation....
and maybe it is the restuarant's policy of not servicing free ice water, not the waiter's fault, just his manager probably taught him to say, "Sparkling or regular?" better than, "sorry, we don't serve ice water from the tap."...
i feel the customer is really stingy. even though beverage may be costly, but if he can afford to dine in, why bother to drink sky juice? -
Its more than that really. Not so bad if the place doesn't charge service charge. If the establishment cannot or refuses to serve iced water from the tap, does that establishment come across as "cheapskate" then?Originally posted by 798:it's still tap water.
i feel the customer is really stingy. even though beverage may be costly, but if he can afford to dine in, why bother to drink sky juice?
Then again its the consumer culture here. If patrons will not dine in places that make you pay inflated prices for bottled water, establishments will be driven to change.
I mean common really, I order food, which the establishment already profits from. Let me have some iced water as a form of service. Its the customer experience really, I wanna feel like I am fully welcomed in a place, not feel like the place is trying to "milk" me to the max. -
actually, bottled water is one of the most environmentally destructive things on planet earthOriginally posted by 798:it's still tap water.
i feel the customer is really stingy. even though beverage may be costly, but if he can afford to dine in, why bother to drink sky juice? -
this is in SC cos dat ang moh is speaking mah
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Originally posted by kramnave:
Maybe waiters only force ang moh diners to buy mineral water? i actually see no reason why must Gordon Anderson tell everyone that he is an ang moh.
[b]From ST Forums
I AM an ang moh who has been living in Singapore for about eight years now and wonder if I am the only one who has noticed the increasingly selective deafness of Singapore waiters in conversations concerning ice water.
Gordon Anderson [/b] -
Originally posted by fire & ice:you know even if they served you iced water... it's tap water, not boiled... maybe the restuarant has a policy about it... fearing customers fall ill from drinking unhygenic means of water preparation....
and maybe it is the restuarant's policy of not servicing free ice water, not the waiter's fault, just his manager probably taught him to say, "Sparkling or regular?" better than, "sorry, we don't serve ice water from the tap."...
As it is our tap water is very safe for drinking. And why should he be made to pay more just to have a simple drink? Not everyone wants to drink juice, tea, coffee or soft drinks - they can make you thirstier, and some people have to cut down their intake of sugar.Originally posted by 798:it's still tap water. i feel the customer is really stingy. even though beverage may be costly, but if he can afford to dine in, why bother to drink sky juice? -
i prefer sky juice over the drinks available..Originally posted by 798:it's still tap water.
i feel the customer is really stingy. even though beverage may be costly, but if he can afford to dine in, why bother to drink sky juice?
they are either too sweet or too bland
pui -
i worked in hotel industry before. the tap water they use r also use for dish washing. it may not be as pure as one think it can be consume.Originally posted by shinta:i prefer sky juice over the drinks available..
they are either too sweet or too bland
pui
anyway for a service line, we were trained to promote drinks to customers before serving ice water. even if the customers ordered beverages, we would serve ice water as well.
this writer is really making a big fuss over the small issue. -
i tot u ang moh
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i tell u hor..Originally posted by 798:i worked in hotel industry before. the tap water they use r also use for dish washing. it may not be as pure as one think it can be consume.
anyway for a service line, we were trained to promote drinks to customers before serving ice water. even if the customers ordered beverages, we would serve ice water as well.
this writer is really making a big fuss over the small issue.
the same water hor goes into ur ice lemon tea..
come on lor
singapore water very clean one lor can drink frm the tap de leh ur water cooler oso same water as the one in the urinal..
u think what? they got different water for shower cookin n flushing ur toilet bowl ar? -
The ang moh say wrong. You must say tap water with ice. Thats what I usually do. Especially kenny rogers. They damm niao with water.
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Ang moh = ang moh sia, use engrish oso muz b so powderful 1
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So SC = Singaporean Complaints?Originally posted by kramnave:Dunno man...it seems that SC is the place where there are most complaints..so thought it would fit in here...