Service mindset in Singapore

Rock^Star SG

How often do you walk into a retail shop and the staff greet you while looking elsewhere?

How often does it occur when you walk into those $10 hair salons and the staff say "konishiwa" with their eyes still locked on their customer's hair?

How often do you dine at restaurants and the waiter serves you food, asks you to enjoy your meal while looking at the food or table, without ever making eye contact with you?

I have just relocated to Java. Though service staff here are paid peanuts every month but their service is nothing short of sincerity and the desire to serve. Perhaps Singapore being a nation of only less than 200 years, has some way to catch up with the cultures of our neighbours.

angel7030 SG

Hello, Singapore is different ok, we are some sort like the rich serve the rich, unlike other countries where the poor serve the rich, that is the main different. So what if you can fly, eat at restuarant, go shopping and clubbing, a typical hairdresser, waiter or waiteress also can do that, so why my pay good service to you, you like you buy or drink, dun like can to Java and enjoy your king life.

Rock^Star SG

Fact is, Singapore has hardly a culture as refined as that of our neigbours. Here, someone earning $3k plus cannot wait to show off and buy a BMW. In Indo, most of the rich just drive modest japanese SUVs. And they dress simply and don't talk with airs.

Rock^Star SG

And the rich serve the rich in SG? That is rather LOL, don't you think.

angel7030 SG

And the rich serve the rich in SG? That is rather LOL, don't you think.

You go into states or the west or even our regional countries, you paid tips to the waiter or waiteress who serve you well, most of the cafe in US or west dun take in service charge, you paid the server if you find he/she is good. This in turn motivate the servers to provide good services, because they got tips.

In Singapore, we mostly dun paid tip cos our cafe or restuarant charge you a 10% service charge without caring whether the service is good or not. So,if I find that the service is no good, can i dun pay the 10% service charge???? And even if i paid the 10% service charge, the money goes to the boss pocket, so do you expect the waiter or waitress to be motivated to serve you??? Something is very wrong here, unlike my homeland in taiwan, boss take 5% or 7% reflected on the bills, and you paid a small tip or bigger if you want, ie is another 5% to the waiter or waiteress who is serving you, and you you get good service.

What is service charge 10%, good and service charge 7% if you dun get the service, and yet paying 17% for it??? I bet that if you give half of this to a waiter, he will serve you like king. That is the motivation factor we lost in here.

Rock^Star SG

Well of course money is one of the ways to motivate service. Hmm.... but tipping in Indo is not really a norm but the sincerity still spills forth.

Even just taking a cab or the security guard at the mall entrance will greet you, bow a little and smile at you....with sincerity that is.

Again, back to basics - culture.

angel7030 SG

if a salon takes on a $20 per cut with nothing of a good services, mostly Malaysian hairdresser without any form of servicing courses or certification, what do you expect from a $10 arigato 10 minutes hair cut.

Motivation factor is critical, be it intrinsic or extrinsic, if you dun have it, you can hardly move a person to good serivce, I give all 10% into a poll when my service people serve customers, and at the end of every month, they get extra bonus - my 5% asset service. These make them serve well, and as time goes by, they see the wonderful of serving well, because now than they realise they are service people, it makes them more proud and professionals, you make them a real stake holders of this organisation, they will serve well, and when they serve well, customers flow in, and that is where you make more profit.

Arapahoe SG

Again the cockles are just humbling around this erand threads....

In Singapore there are no service..................

there are no Consumer rights...

there are no returned policies...

You walk into a Stores and if they don't provide they will tell you "where Got...such a thing"

Herzog_Zwei SG

But it's true to admit that Singaporeans have a kiasu and kiasi attitude.

likeyou SG

That give me an idea how to boost up the services our sporean staff can give and be motivated.

You mention 10% service charges right? How about the authorities look into having a 5% service charge and 5% reward charge? 5% reward charge will be accumulated and at the end of the month, all staff will rec' extra money + their salary.

That will prompt them to be more friendly and more willingly to serve the customers better.

So, maybe authorities can look into this.

Increase productivity.

likeyou SG

But it's true to admit that Singaporeans have a kiasu and kiasi attitude.

Not spore, other countries also the same.

mh2 SG

taiwan , o i c. haven been there. any recommed for a first timer?

likeyou SG

taiwan , o i c. haven been there. any recommed for a first timer?

I think angel stay in spore, hometown in taiwan.

shark_boy SG

i prefer the staff keep quiet n dun greet or approach me when i enter a store. when i need them then i will call for them.

i dun like over friendly staffs

parn SG

How often do you walk into a retail shop and the staff greet you while looking elsewhere?

How often does it occur when you walk into those $10 hair salons and the staff say "konishiwa" with their eyes still locked on their customer's hair?

How often do you dine at restaurants and the waiter serves you food, asks you to enjoy your meal while looking at the food or table, without ever making eye contact with you?

I thought you already knew that Singapore is a young nation of only less than 200 years, why do you even want to compare Singapore with nations that are much older than Singapore?

If you have already relocated to Java, then why do you still worry about Singapore? Ohh I get it, you think you're already good enough to pass comments about Singapore like somebody important? Please lor....nobody even care about what your criticism about the service mindset in Singapore.

But I must tell you, there are still many places in Singapore where you can open your eyes and witness the excellent, warm and friendly service mindset in Singapore. Just that you don't have time to spend and go around many place to encounter it, doesn't means they don't exist or the service mindset is poor in Singapore.

Audiophile SG

How often do you walk into a retail shop and the staff greet you while looking elsewhere?

How often does it occur when you walk into those $10 hair salons and the staff say "konishiwa" with their eyes still locked on their customer's hair?

How often do you dine at restaurants and the waiter serves you food, asks you to enjoy your meal while looking at the food or table, without ever making eye contact with you?

Service is a two way street. It has evolved to the point that the customer doesnt really give a shit in the way the service staff is treated. So why should the Service staff care. Especially since as long as your not out right rude of the customer you wont get fired and if you're better you dont get any recognition or tip.

I have worked in service before. Its hard to find the desire to serve when most people act like a-holes.

Rock^Star SG

I thought you already knew that Singapore is a young nation of only less than 200 years, why do you even want to compare Singapore with nations that are much older than Singapore?

lol, since as you claim, nobody cares...why comment? haha

Of course there are other areas of Singapore which provide great service but they are few n far in between. As again, back to basics, we are talking about culture in general. Singapore may be way ahead in terms of standard of living, but where culture is concerned, we are miles behind. And give it another 200 years, things will never get better.

Durian_bananas SG

How often do you walk into a retail shop and the staff greet you while looking elsewhere?

How often does it occur when you walk into those $10 hair salons and the staff say "konishiwa" with their eyes still locked on their customer's hair?

How often do you dine at restaurants and the waiter serves you food, asks you to enjoy your meal while looking at the food or table, without ever making eye contact with you?

Friend,

You should look at the service level in Malaysia. Yes they are paid peanuts but won't make any difference if they are paid better. I am talking about the service in restaurants of all races particularly the fast food - its crap. I can sit there for 40 minutes and the waiter wouldn't be bothered to serve me the menu. Only those restaurants with foreign workers from Nepal or Myanmmar seem to exhibit more initiative in serving you although they may face some language and cultural problems. i just hope they don't end up learning the bad habits of the locals here.

Rooney9 SG

here are the reasons why service industry sucks in Spore.

1) grossly underpaid compared to other industries.

2) recruitment of aunties, enough said.

3) no company culture of being service oriented.

russiabear SG

i like the way SG works now with service. it sucks but at least you know it sucks. so if you dont like it you can stuff it.

if you dont want to pay 10% service charge, you can always dont eat in restaurant. or go those that do not charge it. actually, charge or dont charge, the waiter pay has already been computed into the overall bill (whether part of it is reflected in the 10% service charge or all disguised in the price of the dishes).

so basically, i like SG style cos i dont need to think each time i sit down at some place where service is provided, should i tip or not tip, how much should i tip, wtf. i just want to eat and pay and get on with my life. less 1 headache please!