Rock bottom service in Singappore!
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On 8th July 2006, we were looking forward to a good lunch at a certain cafe in Tiong Bahru Plaza. After placing our orders, we noticed another customer looking at a flyer promoting student meals. Our request to change our orders was turned down by the waitress as the food had already been prepared.
We queried the waitress on why the promotion was not pointed out to us when we first stepped in. We were given an explanation that the flyer was not on all tables and that we did not look like students. In my opinion, a promotion at a restaurant should be made known to all patrons before orders are placed, and never held back just because someone doesn’t “look like a student”.
Unconvinced with her answer, we approached the manager to get a proper explanation and to feedback this incident. However, his lack of empathy and tactfulness did nothing to defuse the situation. Instead, he fanned the flames and aggravated the situation by commenting that “a promotion is a privilege, not something we NEED to offer to you”. Amazingly, he went further to say that he had nothing to say to us and shrugged off the episode by asking us not to come back to the restaurant again.
Not that we will ever patronize this cafe again, but we just felt really short-changed by this level of service, or rather dis-service. Our day and appetite had already been spoilt. We had no choice but to consume the food.
As I was settling the bill, I invited the manager over, with the aim of having an amicable discussion over the incident. Instead, he was not in the mood for any discussion. He adopted a highly defensive and hostile attitude. The moment I brought up the incident, he blamed us for creating a scene and being rude. He then stormed off saying he had nothing to say to “people like you (us)”. I wondered who was the party being rude - Customers who tried to have a discussion and provide feedback, and an assistant manager accusing them of being at fault entirely and being rude. In fact, my whole discussion with the waitress had been very polite, and I was not even angry at her.
This really got us incensed. My girlfriend joined in the argument, and I was totally disgusted when he said “don’t shout at me you WOMAN”. All of a sudden it has become a case of sexism in addition to the bad service. I demanded that he apologise. He refused, warning us not to “p**s me (him) off”.
Totally furious by now, I demanded that he took out the service charge from my bill for this bad service. He said “you might as well don’t pay”, implying that we were out to get a free meal. Totally upset at the way he looked down on us, I demanded on paying for the food I had, but not the service charge. We then told him this was unacceptable behavior from a service personnel, what more, an assistant manager. He barked at us that “I don’t care” and told us to “just get lost and don’t come back again”.
This had been my worst experience at any dining outlet anywhere in the world, and it had to happen in Singapore. I regret to admit that even as we strive to achieve global standards in the service industry, there are such black sheep out to destroy the effort that the government and the whole industry had put in.
We do have the GEMs cards for us to nominate good service providers, but I realize there is no platform for us to feedback on negative examples. In this case, the assistant manager of the cafe at Tiong Bahru Plaza, appeared so smug perhaps because he was confident that there was no avenue for complaints to be lodged against him ( there was no feedback form or email address for customers). I am totally disheartened by this incident, and really hope there will be a feedback channel for the service industry in Singapore. -
complain to CASE
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we oni rber to complain abt bad service, how many actually rbered to commend when there is good service?
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we oni rber to complain abt bad service, how many actually rbered to commend when there is good service?
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The place seems familiar.
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name the place time and names of service guy/s....may just be a foreigner cooking up something out of nothing...bring to CASE lor...got money hire lawyer or not...please lah what what's worth for your money go wet market foodcaourt eat lah
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Only a small portion of people will compliment good service lah... At least me is one of those who benefit from their compliments and got awarded Excellence Service Star Award from Singapore Tourist Board...Originally posted by FireIce:we oni rber to complain abt bad service, how many actually rbered to commend when there is good service?
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Originally posted by ^tamago^:we oni rber to complain abt bad service, how many actually rbered to commend when there is good service?
u copy FI or u r a clone of FI
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they following the government standard what.. nothing wrong lah..
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so the root cause is you are sore about not getting discounts/freebies...
one thing I would like to know is exactly what kind of tone and words did you and your gf used when you asked about the missing flyers and when you "asked" for an explanation from the manager.
"Always takes 2 hands to clap"
chill.. forget it.. over a few dollars you started to "negotiate" with the service staff, then with the manager.. -
guess the threadstarter was being a typical singaporean-always looking for a promotion/offer/bargain...and the manager was being a typical singaporean as well, never wanting to make a cent less....so dont blame the manager, blame the collective f---ed up attitude of the nation...
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wah lao... argue over a student meal promotion......
remember the mee bok man....kekeke -
the waitress is right in a way.
the menu is there for you to read. you dont expect her to point the promotion to everyone and anyone, especially when she thinks you dont look like a student.
anyway give this people a break. finish your food and leave. what kind of service do you expect from a normal restaurant?
it is not like you are having a $1000 meal. -
questions to the threadstarter:
1) at the end, you didn't pay the 10% service charge and the manager agreed?
2) where is the cafe? -
a $1000 meal will nt have student promotion oneOriginally posted by dragg:it is not like you are having a $1000 meal. -
FI has a knack of stating the obvious
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too long didnt read. summarise in 10 words or less.
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ai pee yo ai cee tua liap nee.
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threadstarter register, created a topic, and disappeared.
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It's a gd essay.
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Originally posted by Hellraiza:threadstarter register, created a topic, and disappeared.
Didn't even leave the name of the place so that we can avoid.
So selfish. -
ya correctOriginally posted by Glen999:questions to the threadstarter:
1) at the end, you didn't pay the 10% service charge and the manager agreed?
2) where is the cafe?
a lone voice pls answer this qn?
then we think about CASE -
this kind of place u still want to protect their identity? reveal the cafe's name!
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u all want to know the name so u students can go there for cheap meals!
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1st You should have spoke to him in the first place with a calm manner instead of agitating him
2nd If you have your girlfriend around with you , most people would think that you are an adult
3rd You should have discovered it earlier
4th It is the manager's fault for not dealing with it tactfully but what do you want him to do after the food has been prepared?