Last day so don't expect good service

Recently, an international survey have ranked the customer service culture of Singapore near the bottom, like many Singaporean said...a major deprovement in service standards. I have never been strict about our customer service culture untill I saw the results of the survey. "Hmmm....its all just numbers thus it could not be accurate at all", I was telling myself. However the survey was conducted by a well known company (maybe is A.C Nielson). I thought the best way to prove the survey right or wrong is to start having a keen attention to the service staff attitude and standards which means I should start taking notice of the customer service of everything Singaporean, from the Kopi tiam aunty or uncle to the Waitress or waiter of the most posh restaurant in Singapore.

Armed with an Eagle eye for detail and a "Complain here and there" attitude, I have embarked on this scouting mission and the outcome have given me Mix-Feelings about Singapore Customer Service culture....

1- Pasta Cafe, Northpoint, 23rd Oct 2005

Today is the last day Pasta Cafe will be operating at the premises of North Point, tomorrow they will no longer exist and Pasta Cafe Northpoint branch will not be missed after my experience today.

Peicong my good buddy told me that Pasta Cafe will close down tomorrow onwards and invited me to join him and his wife for a "Closing Ceremony" lunch at Pasta Cafe. I think Peicong still have some emotional attachment to the place he first work as a waiter to have decided to visit Pasta Cafe for one last time despite no patronizing it for the pass few months (I guess). The ordering of the food went on uneventfully and the standard ice water was serve to us without our request, this I think is "Standard" service. At this moment I have notice that the restaurant have more staff than customer, which is a pretty pathetic sight. The male supervisor have taken this oppurtunity to relax in one corner, sitting down and chatting happily with the 4 waitress of the restaurant. I guess the staff here must be have a very joyful and relaxed last day at Pasta Cafe, can hear them joke, talk and laugh.

We were served with the food we ordered earlier on. Half way through the meal, I can no longer here the ambience music as the Pasta Cafe staff talk cock session was so loud that it drowned the sound of the music in a mix of broken Cantonese (i think some of the waitress are learning), English and laughing. So much for the ambience I guess....

What is worst is that the staff seems to be oblivious to the presence of 3 very loyal customers, it seems that Pasta Cafe's staff are in a world or their own and the 3 loyal customers are in a world of theirs. I wanted to get extra chilly sauce for the sub-quality Calamari Ring but it was a chore to get any of their attention because all of them were having a talk cock session in one corner, in end I feel like a cock too, trying in vain to beckon them or even to establish eye contact. Luckily non of us choke through out the meal, I wonder who will save us if we choke on our food....

Very very noisy, like first market. Although it was Pasta Cafe last day of operation the attitude of the staff and their lack of discipine make me wish that the restaurant should close down 2 weeks ago. At less the food is still good, if not better than the last time. I decided enough is enough and took the oppurtunity to voice out when one of the waitress is clearing our finished plates.

Riccardo: Excuse me, the noodles were shaken violently just now while I was eating it

Waitress:What? (Blur....)

Riccardo: I think you all were so noisy just now that it vibrated the pasta on my fork.

Waitress:Oh....

Riccardo: I know its the last day for the restaurant, but that does not means you all can be like that mah... (pointing to Peicong) Your ex-manger is here leh!

Waitress: Oh...hee hee...

What the hell, at less say sorry or offer us a complimentary ice cream mah!? Commented about their service, talk so much and she keep on morn "Oh and Ah". Later on I can sense the waitress are no happy with me already, I say thank you when she clear my plate but she did not reply, I say thank you when she top up the ice water and she ignore me...... I think I sound more like the service stuff there since I say "Thank You" more times than the waitress.

Bill Please! This is another area of problem in their service. After Peicong signed on the credit card bill, the staff did not even say thank you at all? Wah lau, I think she have golden teeth, cannot anyhow reveal to us. There was a 10% discount on the bill since Peicong was an ex staff, but they still charge a 10% service charge which should have been disputed. I still fondly remember the last time when we left Pasta Cafe after our meal, the Supervisor or Staff will say 'Thank You, Come back again", it was total silence today when we walk out of the glass door.... maybe no happy with my comments but I will really appreciate if they at less say "Thanks For Supporting Us". Tsk tsk tsk....si bei jia lat....

In conclusion, the closing down of Pasta Cafe North Point branch was a good choice since it have degenerated into a fish market. I doubt anyone will be revisiting it with that kind of service standards.

2-MacDonald at Big Mac Center AMK.
Last week, after listening to Ajahn Brahms talk about Buddhism...I and Peicong decided to have our dinner at MacDonald, Ang Mo Kio Big Mac Center branch.

It was pretty late already and obviously the MacDonald was operating with Skeleton crew (minimum crew) but my observation is most look like Zombie Crew to me. I was serve by a young kid and I have got use to the staff calling me sir (ha ha) but this young chap just say "Yes? What you want?" So I just order lor but was a bit demanding lah. Mc Spicy double with extra lettuce and Mayoniesse, Fries without salt, Drinks change to Ice Milo. Very very customized order. He repeated my orders kind of unwillingly and like a robot.

Due to my very very customized meal order, the young chap ask me to go to my seat and he will serve me later on.You know how that chap serve me the fries and burger later on? He just push the tray of food to me and say "ALL YOURS!" Wah lau eh, of cause "ALL MINE" lah! I paid for it one leh. The young chap just walked out of MacDonald happily talking cock with another staff. One look at my fries and I see salt. What the hell, told him no salt but still give me salt on fries, bloody hell still can stick the "Special Order" sticker on my fries.

Generally the MacDonald staff I encounter all the time are pretty good in service standards especially the old grandma and aunty who are manning the counter. Usually is those young chaps who are spoiling MacDonald excellent service image and this encounter of mine was the worst example I seen so far. Nowadays kid very ill discipline... act like King, ya ya papaya...