SINGAPORE: A March 26 (Wednesday) video of a Haidilao trainee manager not only went viral but also made the news when people learned his salary was around $10,000 a month.
On the TikTok and Instagram accounts of Xavier Chen, @aze.sg, the content creator interviewed a trainee manager from the Haidilao outlet at Plaza Singapura, revealing the work he did and some of the highs and lows of his experiences. For example, a diner left him a $1,000 tip — and another asked him to remove all the seeds from a dragonfruit.
@aze.sg 新加坡海底捞最帅店长，月入$10000新币工作日常@Haidilao Plaza Singapura
The trainee manager, Ronghui, has lived in Singapore for two decades and has worked at Haidilao for the past six years.
His salary, higher than that of many university graduates and people with years of working experience, came as a surprise to a lot of people.
The company responded by telling Mothership that Ronghui’s salary was an exception, determined by a number of variables such as his working hours and the location of the store. Haidilao said it “should not be seen as representative of the average income”.
Nevertheless, many online commenters spoke up in favour of Ronghui, seeming to believe that he deserves such a salary since jobs in the food and beverage sector involve hard work over long hours.
One commenter wrote that “it’s not easy working in F&B. Very hard to retain staff”, also calling Ronghui’s salary “reasonable…for a manager”.
“Tbh, not everyone willing to stand and serve customer for 10-12 hours daily, it’s a hard and tiring job,” another chimed in.
A commenter with a friend who works at the chain wrote that their friend finds it “very, very hectic”, with “no weekends or off days” as well as a manpower shortage.
“I think all the OT factored in, so 10k seems reasonable,” they added.
Others pointed to the company’s rewards system, which provides incentives for longtime staff to train new hires.
Some noted that at Haidilao, it’s not just about the food; the company focuses on service, and Ronghui appears to be very good in this aspect.
One wrote that they were “very happy for him” and added, “Well done and keep up the good work.”
A commenter who has seen Ronghui at work wrote, “I recognise this guy, handsome tall guy, very friendly too, love his service, even saw him dance once before, didn’t expect him to be the manager, really respect to work on the ground just like other.” /TISG
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