Kf Seetoh asks if anyone else notices ‘the slow and steady rot of service culture’ in Singapore

SINGAPORE: When Makansutra founder Kf Seetoh commented in a recent social media post on how the service in Singapore’s food and beverage industry has slipped, many commenters voiced their agreement.

“Is it just me or did you notice the slow and steady rot of service culture in this world-class red dot country of ours?” he asked in a Facebook post.

Mr Seetoh, who is one of Singapore’s top food experts, also wrote that there appears to be a lack of qualified foreign workers to fill service jobs, and the ones who take these roles are no longer nearly as good, and, moreover, have a “take it or suffer” attitude at work.

He wrote that in Mandarin, he had asked one of these workers, whom he described as “coming from a great big nation,” why she did not speak English. The worker “just gave a cold ‘don’t waste my time’ stare and walked off,” he added.

Mr Seetoh lamented the direction that Singapore, known to punch above its weight, is going, saying that perhaps now it’s “punching its way down the rabbit hole.”

An additional beef the food guru has appears to be restaurants that no longer have printed menus. The issue for him isn’t having to scan an order and pay through QR codes. He argued that older Singaporeans may not be able to do so or may have a fear of digital methods of payment.

What commenters are saying

It appears that Mr Seetoh is not alone in having these sentiments, as other Singaporeans are bothered by service workers who cannot speak English, as well as by eateries with no physical menus.

“I felt betrayed. Those days, I failed my GCE O-Level English, stayed back 1 year despite passing other subjects. Now (even though) they don’t speak English, (they) can find work here,” wrote one.

Another thanked Mr Seetoh for “highlighting this problem that needs to be addressed by the authorities.”

“Poor service and bad attitude from service staff at restaurants are not to be tolerated. They need to be able to communicate with customers and converse in Chinese and some English, at least in Chinese restaurants, as we are supposed to be a global city and depend much on tourism. Most Western tourists come to Singapore to enjoy its local and Chinese cuisines. Staff at Chinese F&B outlets should at least try to speak some English to make it an enjoyable dining experience for customers.

Like you, Seetoh, I prefer to ask for the printed menu as I don’t feel comfortable with the scanning system to order my food. Also, I don’t trust this scanning process,” she added.

“I was miffed a couple of times when ordering at restaurants with servers who refused to speak English – or couldn’t! They are accommodating when I am alone and send an English speaker to help. But a couple of times, I was with pals of Chinese origin. And they just rather rudely turned to them, expecting them to do the talking. I was the hostess, and I was paying!!” chimed in another. /TISG

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