Service Staff Who Can Only Speak Chinese

• 798

  2 Dec 08, 22:45

  either way we r TIONG-ed!

  it's a good thing i'm more comfortable in speakin mandarin.

  n one more thing, sinkies r not very good in english either, tok bout criticise others yet making a fool of themselves.

• mancha

  3 Dec 08, 00:17

  Originally posted by charlize:

  The sales person is always right.

   

  Not the customer.

  This is the progression from

  The government is always right.

   

  Not the citizen.

• rainee

  3 Dec 08, 00:27

  Originally posted by 798:

  either way we r TIONG-ed!

  it's a good thing i'm more comfortable in speakin mandarin.

  n one more thing, sinkies r not very good in english either, tok bout criticise others yet making a fool of themselves.

  This is not about being able to speak perfect English. We are not expecting the people in the service industry to be able to speak perfect English, as long as they can understand and converse with the customers in basic English.

• mancha

  3 Dec 08, 01:40

  I hope the PRCs would learn Hokkien.

  Already I have seen a Bangla coffee stall assistant speaking Hokkien.

• Kuali Baba

  3 Dec 08, 01:50

  Originally posted by rainee:

  This is not about being able to speak perfect English. We are not expecting the people in the service industry to be able to speak perfect English, as long as they can understand and converse with the customers in basic English.

  Well, their point is that it applies to local staff as well. My Indonesian roomie has been on the receiving end of unnecessary presumptions far too often.

• dragg

  3 Dec 08, 09:15

  Originally posted by rainee:

  There are too many of them you wouldn't be able to survive if you did that.

  
  so it is the fault of the employers who doesnt provide english orientation lessons.

   

• Kuali Baba

  3 Dec 08, 10:53

  Originally posted by dragg:

  
  so it is the fault of the employers who doesnt provide english orientation lessons.

  I think it's the fault of both. As employees, they should be sensitive to the needs of their various customers and have the initiative to improve their product knowledge and fluency in spoken English.

• rainee

  3 Dec 08, 19:03

  Originally posted by Kuali Baba:

  I think it's the fault of both. As employees, they should be sensitive to the needs of their various customers and have the initiative to improve their product knowledge and fluency in spoken English.

  Yea agree. Some employers provide the courses but the employees do not take it seriously.

• Meat Pao

  3 Dec 08, 22:55

  Originally posted by FireIce:

  last time (about 8-to-10 years ago), when i playing those yahoo games and they ask ASL
  i say 36/f/singapore, they will ask is singapore is part of china
  i say no..
  
  but i think now, i can proudly say........... yes....... soon........

   

  Ehem.....

  I see you always said you are 36 years old........

• rainee

  3 Dec 08, 23:18

  What's the Mandarin word for "mui fan"?

  Today I said "mui fan" to one of the China people in my canteen and I ended up being served a plate of mee hoon instead.

• FireIce

  3 Dec 08, 23:25

  烩饭
  
  hui4 fan4

• charlize

  3 Dec 08, 23:28

  I want mui fan.

   

  Mi fen?

   

  No, I want mui fan.

   

  Mi fen shi ma?

   

  NOoOooOo, I want muuuuuuiiiii faaaaaaannnnnn.

   

  Ke yi, yi pan mi fen! 

• rainee

  3 Dec 08, 23:29

  Originally posted by FireIce:

  烩饭
  
  hui4 fan4

  Lol thanks.

  I just said Mui Fan cos that's what is stated in the menu. Meh.

• rainee

  3 Dec 08, 23:30

  Originally posted by charlize:

  I want mui fan.

   

  Mi fen?

   

  No, I want mui fan.

   

  Mi fen shi ma?

   

  NOoOooOo, I want muuuuuuiiiii faaaaaaannnnnn.

   

  Ke yi, yi pan mi fen! 

  

• Meat Pao

  5 Dec 08, 01:53

  I see this topic but I cannot comment much on it.......

  Coz when I was 16 or 17, my parents took me to visit Fujian to see ancestral village and visit relatives, and the usual tours, including visiting Forbidden City and getting my name inscribed on a medal with a Mao picture and the Forbidden City on the other side.

  That medal coincidentally is hanging by my bedside. Just near me, as I type now on the computer. Been there for years.

  So I cannot comment much.....

  Meat Pao

• Nelstar

  5 Dec 08, 08:01

  Well, having service staff who can only speak chinese is not as bad as having Singaporeans who assumed service staff who speak chinese are from China.

  

  

• dragg

  5 Dec 08, 08:15

  Originally posted by Nelstar:

  Well, having service staff who can only speak chinese is not as bad as having Singaporeans who assumed service staff who speak chinese are from China.

  

  

  
  there are a lot of prejudices against the mainland chinese.

   

• Nelstar

  5 Dec 08, 08:39

  Originally posted by dragg:

  
  there are a lot of prejudices against the mainland chinese.

   

  
  Chinese are Chinese. Mainland, offshore island, downtown, or whatsoever, you are still Chinese.

   

  Chinese nationals are still Chinese. Singaporean Chinese are still Chinese.

  If you understand them better, you will learn to accept the cultural differences. (Note: It's like Singapore in the 60s-70s. Chinese speak Angmo is not acceptable.. lol)

• Honeybunz

  5 Dec 08, 18:30

  Originally posted by mancha:

  I hope the PRCs would learn Hokkien.

  Already I have seen a Bangla coffee stall assistant speaking Hokkien.

  the PRCs damn throw face.  Even bangla are willing to learn other languages and local dialects. 

   

• Rock^Star

  5 Dec 08, 19:28

  Originally posted by Nelstar:

  
  Chinese are Chinese. Mainland, offshore island, downtown, or whatsoever, you are still Chinese.

   

  Chinese nationals are still Chinese. Singaporean Chinese are still Chinese.

  If you understand them better, you will learn to accept the cultural differences. (Note: It's like Singapore in the 60s-70s. Chinese speak Angmo is not acceptable.. lol)

  
  Hey now not a matter of chinese or not chinese. Now is we have indians, malays and ang mos. And furthermore, language of commerce in Sg is english.

• the Bear

  5 Dec 08, 19:34

  sometimes got to do a Jules on them...

  ENGLISH! MUTHAFARKER!! DO YOU SPEAK IT???

  

• Honeybunz

  5 Dec 08, 19:54

  Originally posted by Rock^Star:

  
  Hey now not a matter of chinese or not chinese. Now is we have indians, malays and ang mos. And furthermore, language of commerce in Sg is english.

  x 2~~

  The service staff ought to spare a thought for our Malay, Indians etc racial groups.  It's not fair to penalise them or deprive them of good shopping experience or good service just because their second language is not Chinese.

  How will we feel if we go prata shop and the prata man only speaks Pakistan language, or when we order mee soto the hawker insists we order in Malay?

   

• Rock^Star

  5 Dec 08, 20:35

  Originally posted by Honeybunz:

  x 2~~

  The service staff ought to spare a thought for our Malay, Indians etc racial groups.  It's not fair to penalise them or deprive them of good shopping experience or good service just because their second language is not Chinese.

  How will we feel if we go prata shop and the prata man only speaks Pakistan language, or when we order mee soto the hawker insists we order in Malay?

   

  
  Wana work here, better learn english. We have many indonesians, japs, koreans who look chinese but cant speak chinese. English is still the mainstream language. Some idiots just cannot understand that.

• seyKai

  5 Dec 08, 20:40

  its not whether they can speak english well enough, its the attitude that counts

• Rock^Star

  5 Dec 08, 21:01

  Basic english la.....but if attitude sux, then too bad.