Singapore Expats

Am I the only one feeling that it is Tooo, way too much at restaurants?
The staff coming in and out asking, 'Can I clean it out?' 5 minutes later, Can I clean it out? 3 minutes later........on and on....

Today, we had lunch at a restaurants, and my friend even didn't eat the salad at all, and 1 staff saying, can i clean it?
3 minutes later, another one came, and asking the same. Still the salad was left as it was served.

It is way too much. At a restaurant, while we were talking, the staffs(don't know how many staffs came to ask to us) were asking everytime the same and coming to our tabel a lot of times. I had to stop talking everytime when they came and ask.
I assume, in general the staffs are 'Serving' way too much good in average of 10 times by the time we finish one full meal.

Aren't you feeling it is too much? Really Annoying!!!

It happens in a lot of restaurants. Are they overly polite and helpful, or are they doing it to ask you to go indirectly, in order to let other people come in?

papaya wrote:Am I the only one feeling that it is Tooo, way too much at restaurants?
The staff coming in and out asking, 'Can I clean it out?' 5 minutes later, Can I clean it out? 3 minutes later........on and on....

Today, we had lunch at a restaurants, and my friend even didn't eat the salad at all, and 1 staff saying, can i clean it?
3 minutes later, another one came, and asking the same. Still the salad was left as it was served.

It is way too much. At a restaurant, while we were talking, the staffs(don't know how many staffs came to ask to us) were asking everytime the same and coming to our tabel a lot of times. I had to stop talking everytime when they came and ask.
I assume, in general the staffs are 'Serving' way too much good in average of 10 times by the time we finish one full meal.

Aren't you feeling it is too much? Really Annoying!!!

well if you put yourself in their shoes, what will you do?

Well, i've never been experienced this kind of thing in other countries, but noticed in singapore everytime.

If I were the owner(not the staff. assume they are just doing by the training), i would train my staff, ask and help customers when they all finished. That's fair enough! if customer needs some help, they are definetly, calling or waving hands for them. It feels more comfortable and enjoyable.

Don't know why they are so excessively Bothering that so much!!

More than likely it's because the locals tend to chope tables and then use them for offices or study booths. Technically they cannot throw you out as long as you have something to eat or drink. I would suppose that they are afraid in the restaurants the same thing will happen.

How many times have you had to stand and wait for a table at a fast food restaurant because most of the table were filled up with students and insurance agents? That really gripes my butt big time. I don't like the staff tending to hurry me up though at a proper restaurant and one that did would just completely screw up his/her tip as well as having a complaint filed with the management.Though here in Sniggerpore most managements doesn't really give a damn about good service. That's probably being "Pragmatic" in as much as if you are a local, they figure they won't get a tip anyway and if you are a tourist, you won't be here long so probably doesn't worry too much about repeat business either. We'll just slap the food on the table, rush them to finish and then get one more sucker in before closing.

i guess this is singapore culture

carte wrote:i guess this is singapore culture

No, it's not Singapore culture. It's just typical post '65 Singaporean uncouthness. As the three major races go, nowhere in their combined cultures is there any semblance to the inconsiderate behaviour to be found here. So even if it was a composite culture made up of the three races then it still wouldn't be found here as part of the "culture". It's more like being "karung ajar" if you ask me. As you are singaporean chinese (if your msm address is anything to go by) but maybe young and therefore one of the younger crowd who does not understand the Malay reference, It basically translates to "ill bred".

i guess so too

Absolutely agree with SMS.

This behaviour has nothing to do with 'Singapore culture'. In a nutshell, the restaurants are only interested in making money. Since Singapore has abolished tipping in all services, and included a 10% service charge + 5% GST, we still have to pay for the 'so-called' service whether we like it or not.

Aiyooo....this chemical smelt city.

stargirlshines wrote:Absolutely agree with SMS.

This behaviour has nothing to do with 'Singapore culture'. In a nutshell, the restaurants are only interested in making money. Since Singapore has abolished tipping in all services, and included a 10% service charge + 5% GST, we still have to pay for the 'so-called' service whether we like it or not.

Very easy solution to the problem, every time you go out, just visualise, what awful service you are going to get!

You may get a surprise, that may make your night! It's called tricking the brain into believing, what a shit night your expecting. have fun! although it's hell of a job getting out of the house, when your so down in the dumps just thinking of the service!

sundaymorningstaple wrote:As the three major races go, nowhere in their combined cultures is there any semblance to the inconsiderate behaviour to be found here.

Have you been to China since the Cultural Revolution? Say what you say about Singaporean behavior, but they can't hold a candle to the stuff you'll see in China. Or for that matter Indians "queueing" at train stations, taking leaks against walls and spitting paan to mark their territory.

I'll grant that fancy restaurants in India do tend to have excessively good service, although they often go even more overboard than in Singapore -- the waiters do everything but spoonfeed you your curry, and I'm sure they'd be happy to do that too for a decent tip.

I like eating off a clean table so I actually like it when the waiters clear away used plates quickly. What I don't like is when they are too zealous in topping up the water or tea. Take one sip and some eager beaver waitress is there with a jug, take another and there she is again... impossible to have a decent conversation.

The restaurants can't please everyone. If you don't clean the plates quickly, some patrons complain about slow service. If you wave and all the waiters are busy at the moment and don't see you, they get major complaints. Maybe each table should have a service button with a light above the table, like the airlines do, which you press when you want service.

As for 'choping' tables, it does happen here a lot. Just avoid the cheap places like fast food restaurants as that's where most students can afford to hang out. I love a good coffee and am capable of sitting at starbucks or similar cafe for ages reading a book and sipping a cuppa. But I agree it is bad form to do so when people are standing around waiting for tables. Civic mindedness isn't exactly abundant here though hopefully things will get better with time.

I think the table clearing problems actually stems from another problem and that is the fact that they don't seem able to get your appetizers to everybody at the same time. That also goes for the entres and desserts as well. They don't have a clue on how to actually service customers (or the cooks cannot do more than one thing at a time). Hence they figure what 15 minutes per course? then grab the plates but as the plates all came out at different times it means constant trips back & forth.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:it means constant trips back & forth.

No lah, this is part of everyone's New Year resolutions... exercise more!