My sister had recently joined the service industry and she shared with me quite a number of incidents when her customers turned ugly. Really ugly. These are the occasions in which I'm totally disgusted at Singaporeans. (Yes, I'm trying to distant myself from THEM.)
Often, either when the item requested was out of supply or when the actual price differs from their perceived version, the customers would say things like
"Are you very sure?"
"Do you have brains?"
"Are you trying to cheat my money?"
"I am going to complain to your manager and sue you!"
After hurling such hurting words, they would throw their money in front of you while making payment. To top it up, sometimes the transaction just involves a few dollars. They behave as if their purchase can single-handedly support the entire store and provide for every single worker.
I think it's obvious that they are the ones without brains. Even if the services suck, they do not have to right to make personal attacks and too many a times, they shot things out of their mouth without thinking! They just have to make a complain ABOUT the service. Whether the server has brains or not is none of their business. And in the first place the company would NOT hire anyone without brains. And those without brains would NOT go and look for jobs.
I am utterly ashamed by such actions by fellow singaporeans. I can't imagine how our national image and reputation would be tarnished when they behave in such a manner abroad. It just takes one black sheep to ruin the entire herd.
I do not wish to help thees ugly singaporeans conjure up some excuses like they are just venting their frustrations due to their hectic lifestyles etc. I have encounters with terrible servers - all I did was not to leave a tip or to have a word with the manager and I don't go around asking people if they have brains or not.
And anyway, just this evening, while getting dinner for me, my sister was cycling back and she was in her uniform. She apparently this kid stood quite close to her bicycle but she estimated that she would not "hit" the kid so she went ahead to make a turn or something.
Then this super protective parent screamed at her and of course mentioned about sueing her, about complaining to her shop (even though she's off work and this incident clearly has ZERO connection with her work) and apparently the anxious parent spoke as if my sister had killed his child and he also threatened to make her lose her job or something.
Hello! Even if your child is going to be the next Nobel prize winner or the next prime minister or the next Osama, he can't possibly die from suffering a little fall. And my sister's bicycle did not even come into contact with the kid at all.
On occasions like these, I wish I'll be by my sister's side. She said I'm always eager to stand up for her. Maybe in that way, I'm just the typical Singaporean, wanting to have my views heard. But whatever it is, I wouldn't go around threatening to sue or to make people lose their jobs just because I didn't get to eat the peach tart.
