Unbelievable service at Hans
- Thread starter funksoulava
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Having worked for a while as a restaurant manager, I can understand the frustration of the waiter. Besides, he's elderly so he would naturally be cranky (call it male menopause).
That said, my view is this: you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. :bsmilie:
It's Han's you're talking abt so I'm not surprised at your experience. Their food sucks and I no longer eat there. Even my own cooking is way better than theirs.
That said, my view is this: you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. :bsmilie:
It's Han's you're talking abt so I'm not surprised at your experience. Their food sucks and I no longer eat there. Even my own cooking is way better than theirs.
funksoulava said:
So you had a simple way to settle the situation, but chose to escalate it. Worse, instead of acting only on your behalf, you tried to get others to ignore the instructions of the waiter (who, like it or not, acts on behalf of the restaurant and has a higher authority than you when it comes to the dos and donts on the premises.) What exactly are you complaining about?
Astin said:
I think it happens everywhere in the world, with one difference: people ask nicely beforehand whether it's ok.
LittleWolf said:
What higher authority? Are we in a temple??? For crying out loud, the highest authority ina restaurant (a service industry) is the customer! On what grounds did this elderly waiter stood to yell at a customer. Never, never, can a waiter yell at the customer, nomatter how wrong the customer is. IF you cannot do this, dont get into the industry.
How else do you think the OP should act? Start a god damn meeting to discuss what the group reaction shoulde be! Or forgot, must take a vote to decide.
The Op's action is probably the most appropriate to defuse the situation.
By the way, I worked in all sorts of restuarant and bars thru university days. Seen it all, and never once is there a passable reason that is good enough to justify a staff yelling at a customer.
funksoulava said:
friend, where's the compassion? you yourself said he's an elderly worker. sure he was in the wrong by being rude, but that doesn't mean you have to be too. :nono:
Deadpoet said:
The waiter acts as a proxy for the proprietor, who in turn makes the house rules. As a guest, you have to comply. If not, that's called breach of peace.
This may be buzzword compliant, but it is nonsense. Otherwise customers could demand, by their "highest authority", to have the finest food and service for free. Good service requires mutual respect on bothe the service provider's and the customer's side.
Have you heard about two wrongs not making a right?
Duh... comply with the request. If you don't agree, you can talk/complain to the management. But simply refusing to comply is enough in other places for getting police assistance to get you forcibly removed and, possibly, into a court. If you fuel the fire by asking others to follow your example could be interpreted as instigation to riot.
LittleWolf said:
If I 'chose to escalate it' I would've written directly to the Straits Times Forum Page without first posting it here and hearing from the rest. If you have read carefully, my wife and I did not join the tables so I was in fact acting on behalf of those who did. The only 'instruction' I hear from waiters is usally 'please wait a moment while we get you a table' and not about re-positioning of tables.
If you have difficulty understanding my post, let me summarise it for you. I am saying that the staff was rude in shouting at and demanding us to re-position the tables when a nice approach would have gotten the job done.
Put yourself in my position and tell me what you would have done. Swallow the shouting and re-position the tables with your tail between your legs?
evq said:
maybe they wont shout...but someone i know got firmly spoken too when he forgot to leave a tip :bsmilie:
funksoulava said:
Huh? Both Clubsnap and the ST forum are publicly accessible web forums. I don't see the difference.
Well, from what I read in your post is that you were not any better.
It would have been the most reasonable thing to do. I'm not sure about "tail between your legs". If your self esteem depends on not pushing tables back, I'm sorry.
oic. It is always adviced & wise to follow the culture of that country tat u are visiting.madmacs said:
My wife & i also return the trays while we were in Aust many yr back. Noticed that everyone was doing it, so we just follow. U visit their place, u respect their habits & culture.
Cool it guys......
Anyway my two cents worth since you asked for feedback about other countries.
Australia: You will be told nicely how large is your group and accomodations will be made if there is a need to join tables to accommodate a large group in most establishements be it Greek, Aussie, Chinese, Japanese etc...
Japan: Service standards of the highest order.... everyone is so polite that Im bowing everyday to my taxi driver, hotel staff, waitress etc etc!!
Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Mynamar: Same thing, will try to accommodate you if you have large group.
I think most of us would have the common sense to ask first if we can join tables. Being educated and worked in the service industry. I was from hotel school. I can say this, Establishments are prepared to accommodate guests and join tables and all... hence our table numbering are changed as the day goes on when tables are joined and unjoined. Not matter establishment will turn away a large group of guests just because they want to join the tables....
The issue is not about killing someone's ricebowl. Its about service standards. Having a bad day doesnt give you, in the service industry the excuse to be grouchy.... In business sense, I will give the staff a very stern warning and monitor closely. One more mistake like this, I will fire him or her, no matter how old, how needy he or she is. Why? Because he or she has become a liablity to me. Such bad service will only drive customers away and spoil the establishment's reputation.
One good example is New Asia Bar, it seems exclusive, has a pretty decent crowd. However the service is bad till the point you can't believe it. I was there with some expat friends for drinks. When we ordered, the waiter treated us like mules. He was pointing his finger at you and you are supposed to give your order. If he didnt point his finger and you and you tried to say something, he will put his palm towards you motioning stop and say "WAIT!" You could wave and wave and no one comes over. Orders are often late.... and the best part, the bill comes before the drinks and when my friend joked "wah you guys are fantastic, your bill is here but your drinks seem to be missing!" the waiter just gave a sheepish smile....
Now me and my friends are boycotting the place... no point being happening or whatsoever if your service is so bad that people get pissed off.
Anyway my two cents worth since you asked for feedback about other countries.
Australia: You will be told nicely how large is your group and accomodations will be made if there is a need to join tables to accommodate a large group in most establishements be it Greek, Aussie, Chinese, Japanese etc...
Japan: Service standards of the highest order.... everyone is so polite that Im bowing everyday to my taxi driver, hotel staff, waitress etc etc!!
Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Mynamar: Same thing, will try to accommodate you if you have large group.
I think most of us would have the common sense to ask first if we can join tables. Being educated and worked in the service industry. I was from hotel school. I can say this, Establishments are prepared to accommodate guests and join tables and all... hence our table numbering are changed as the day goes on when tables are joined and unjoined. Not matter establishment will turn away a large group of guests just because they want to join the tables....
The issue is not about killing someone's ricebowl. Its about service standards. Having a bad day doesnt give you, in the service industry the excuse to be grouchy.... In business sense, I will give the staff a very stern warning and monitor closely. One more mistake like this, I will fire him or her, no matter how old, how needy he or she is. Why? Because he or she has become a liablity to me. Such bad service will only drive customers away and spoil the establishment's reputation.
One good example is New Asia Bar, it seems exclusive, has a pretty decent crowd. However the service is bad till the point you can't believe it. I was there with some expat friends for drinks. When we ordered, the waiter treated us like mules. He was pointing his finger at you and you are supposed to give your order. If he didnt point his finger and you and you tried to say something, he will put his palm towards you motioning stop and say "WAIT!" You could wave and wave and no one comes over. Orders are often late.... and the best part, the bill comes before the drinks and when my friend joked "wah you guys are fantastic, your bill is here but your drinks seem to be missing!" the waiter just gave a sheepish smile....
Now me and my friends are boycotting the place... no point being happening or whatsoever if your service is so bad that people get pissed off.
I think in Singapore, some of the customer services and the customers need some improvement on service and courtesy, myself included. :sweat:
Sorry to OT a bit. But our friend LW here is exactly why service standard here in Singapore is pathetic. Why, because as customer we do not demand the service, as customer we feel that the elderly waiter is proxy for management and therefore speak on behalf of god.LittleWolf said:
How else can service industry excel if customer is not king? God forbid, such attitude, I wish the "Integrated Resort" (itself an oxyrorom name) good luck and god bless. It will need it!
Deadpoet said:
Customers are not always King as in that they should be not making unreasonable requests. At the same time, the staff is proxy for management but whichever management chooses to have staff that mishandles customers, shout and is rude to customers then this management has serious problems!!
The service industry is about SERVICE, be it restaurant, pubs, bookstore, library, sales, banks and photography shops. Once you are serving a customer who is going to use your service and hence contribute to your revenue, you are in the service industry. If you choose to abuse your customers and basically make them feel that they are wasting their time and money on your services then you have lost your revenue.
The threadstarter might not have been right to challenge the elderly staff but neither is right, Little Wolf's reply that he will just comply with the staff's order. I for one as a customer will do so... but will make sure I will never patronise the establishment and make sure that the word goes around to all my associates about the kind of level of service.
If you want to be in the service industry, no matter what happens, you do not raise your voice at the customers. You can be firm but not rude.
talk about service quality... have you guys notice that CP have quite bad service quality lately & its those older staffs?
previously, i wear t-shirt & jeans, they also entertain... nowadays i go there, for 3 - 4 instances, they gimme the see-me-no-up look, den i have to go beg them to notice me, den even notice, will give u a 1 liner answer like.. its all on display, have have, dun have dun have... even make payment, i was standing at the cashier, just waiting more than 5 mins for someone to notice me, and i made eye contact, those old guys just look away that my fren have to yell to them... wonder if thats what PM Lee was talking about service quality...
previously, i wear t-shirt & jeans, they also entertain... nowadays i go there, for 3 - 4 instances, they gimme the see-me-no-up look, den i have to go beg them to notice me, den even notice, will give u a 1 liner answer like.. its all on display, have have, dun have dun have... even make payment, i was standing at the cashier, just waiting more than 5 mins for someone to notice me, and i made eye contact, those old guys just look away that my fren have to yell to them... wonder if thats what PM Lee was talking about service quality...
Deadpoet said:
KING ... ha ... do you have anything else meaningful to say?
but since you are not making any sense, it only shows waht you are made of!
Deadpoet said:
I don't think you can blame it on me. Singaporeans have been whining about it long before I came here.
There also has been a discussion about Singaporeans being selfish spoilt brats for the same time.One point to think about: the service personnel comes from the same populace as the customers, and after work, they're customers too - and restaurant customers may turn into service personnel in their respective jobs. The service attitude just reflects the general attitude of the population.
If you want to improve standards, work on becoming a more "gracious society" (to use a buzzword). It's amazing how much a simple smile or saying "please" and "thank you" plus the ability to overlook others mistakes and accept your own can achieve.
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