THERE are two areas in which visitors to Singapore commonly give
negative feedback on.
First, it is hard to get a taxi, especially during peak hours. When
waiting in long queues for taxis, tourists would assume taxi
drivers here are doing a roaring trade. However, locals often hear
taxi drivers lamenting that it is a challenging business.
Comparatively, in Hong Kong and Taipei, taxis are easily available,
regardless of the time or location.
Second, the level of service here is sorely lacking. When I was at
Muji Bugis recently and made an inquiry, I received only a curt
reply from a staff member. In fact, she seemed more interested in
chatting with her colleagues than serving a customer.
A friend related a similar experience years ago at a high-end
boutique in Orchard Road. She had to demand to see the manager
before the store associate finally served her.
This compares unfavourably with the experience in Hong Kong and
Taipei, where customers are provided with friendly greetings,
offers of help and efficient service, even if they are buying a
HK$100 (S$16) T-shirt or a NT$35 (S$1.45) papaya milk drink.
No city is perfect, but Singapore can learn from cities overseas
and improve.
Patrick Ngiam Kee Soon
