Service mindset in Singapore

last SG · 2010-02-26T11:32:15+00:00

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 diffe...

kcockicht 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.

singapore famous for disaster free and people rights, lawful nation. that's enough. i will not trade this peace and harmony for anything else. period

Rock^Star SG

yeh in msia it's ike that....dun expect to be served. in china, if u buy things, dun expect a thank you or goodbye. this service charge shd be scrapped in restaurants really, it's a detriment to good service.

Arapahoe SG

I think first of all we need to establish what is a "service mindset"...being friendly is not a Service mindset...and being rude is not part of services at all.

So lets talk about Service "Mindset" by means of example.....

You walked into a Store ....they don't sell the product you want.....So what likely does the sales cashier do?

A) tell you Don't have and continue texting...

B) Recomend other product that has got nothing to do with your needs and try to sell what you don't need.

C) Will check with other stores to see if they have in stock. or referred you to another place without you asking.

RoyFang SG

I think first of all we need to establish what is a "service mindset"...being friendly is not a Service mindset...and being rude is not part of services at all.

So lets talk about Service "Mindset" by means of example.....

You walked into a Store ....they don't sell the product you want.....So what likely does the sales cashier do?

A) tell you Don't have and continue texting...

B) Recomend other product that has got nothing to do with your needs and try to sell what you don't need.

C) Will check with other stores to see if they have in stock. or referred you to another place without you asking.

I believe it's (B), usually they will recommend other products...which is part of their job scope isn't it? To recommend the store products to potential customers.

Never met one sales cashier who would tell you they are out of stock for a product and texting on the phone, it's rude.

Went to the Popular at Eastpoint, I went to buy a book but discovered they have no stock and this sales cashier called up the other stores to check.

Rock^Star SG

next time a waiter serves food to me, asks me to enjoy my meal while looking at it, I'm gonna tell him "are you asking the food to enjoy itself?"

Veggie Bao SG

Piss off.

You cant compare Singapore with a society like those in Java.

The reason is because Singapore is a highly urbanized high-density metropolitan city.

With this kind of environment, people are stressed, and dont have time nor inclination to be nice to strangers in a transactional relationship (buyer-seller, driver-passenger, toilet attendant-toilet user)

Thus with a fast pace and shrinking personal space and lack of inter-personal relations, it is only natural that this underlying fundamental condition manifest itself in a so-called "lack of service standards"

In conjunction with my argument, I would like to ask you something,

What do you think of the attitude of the people in Java when it comes to....

Punctuality?

Hmm?

Perhaps you should also praise them for that?

You see, these are all connected to sociological reasons.

Of course, when it comes to certain levels, you will definitely be served with a good attitude. For example, you will get good service in 5 star hotels.

So it just mean all this time, your pocket is not deep enough. Thus, you have bad impression of Singapore service standard.

Rock^Star SG

no need to feel pissed veggie bao, facts will be facts, which are undeniably justified by the initial half of your post ie Singaporeans are basically a stressed lot due to our highly urbanized society.

The second half of your posting seems to suggest that service levels correlate positively with the depth of one's pocket. That is really typical of a Singaporean's persepective, me included. But when I came to java, you can be really rich but snobbishness is hardly a trait these people can relate to. The warm smiles go out to even the poorest trishaw rider by the roadside.

Precisely because our society is so materialism obsessed, that's why Singapore will never progress culturally as a nation.

Rock^Star SG

Typical Singaporean works 9 to 5 (some maybe longer) and earn their keep every month. I know of this local chinese family who owns a plastic bag factory. Because their business has been long running and auto pilot now, they basically just sit around in their living rooms chit chatting, watching televison, while making the occasional business calls and making their routine walks round the factory which is just next to their home.

They have properties all over indonesia, own 2 cars and 2 lorries, all of which are almost fully paid up and take regular holidays to china, korea, japan and europe.

That is the kind of life a typical singaporean, me included if I work in Singapore, can only dream of.

Dondontan SG

Singapore has lots of room for improvement on the subject of service. Some lousy service restaurants have the cheek to collect service charge when the service is minus zero rating.

Rock^Star SG

Come to think of it, even at equinox, i dun think the service is top rated there. Yes service is professional but I dun see the warm smiles.

angel7030 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.

Exactly, that is my point, you need a carrot to boost good service and in time, increase productivity, every 10% service charge reflected on a cafe or rest, the owner take it all, that is very unfair. And the servicing people, be it the waiter or waiteress just get their net paid at the end of the month, where is the motivation factor to serve??

angel7030 SG

When in state of europe, after eating, if i feel that i get good service, i just drop a dollar or two on the table, and the next time i come around, the service is much better, but in singapore due to 10% service charges, who would want to pay somemore, even before i am serve, i am charge with a 10% service charges, fair or not? And that 10% dun go into the waiter or waitress pocket, it goes in the boss pocket, who dun serve us at all.

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