SINGAPORE: A resident needing some minor handyman work done took to social media on Thursday (March 20) to share his surprise over the difference between what a local handyman was charging and what a foreign handyman charged him. In response to the post, many Singaporeans exchanged sentiments regarding such differences. One commenter pointed out, “You can see this dichotomy play out on this (online forum), whenever we want services we need to pay for, we look for cheaper alternatives and do not mind having foreigners do our work. When it comes to getting paid for our jobs, we suddenly do not want efficiency and complain about foreigners taking our jobs.”
“Needed a quick handyman job done—nothing major, just a 45-minute fix,” the post read. “Wanted to support local, so I reached out to a local guy. He quoted me S$130 for the job and was super slow to respond.” The writer shared that, despite the price being a bit too high for his liking, he was still considering it.
“Then I found a foreigner doing similar work—he quoted S$80, was highly responsive, and actually showed up on time. He did a great job, so I even tipped him another S$10,” he added. “A total of S$90 versus S$130.”
To end his post, he shared that, although he sees the importance of supporting local businesses, “At what point does it just not make sense?” Despite being in favour of fair wages, he argued, “When the service isn’t even there (slow replies, high prices), it’s hard to justify.”
He then turned to Singaporeans for their insights on the matter. “Is this just a foreigner versus local thing at the ground level or is something else going on?”
Singaporeans weigh in on the issue
In the comments section of the post, there was a mixed response. While some people came up with possible explanations for the difference in price and quality of service, others shared their opinions on such matters, with some agreeing with the writer and some disagreeing. “Nah, I think those who charge steep probably got away with it several times, since not every potential customer bothers enough to shop around and compare prices,” said one, who also pointed out that his conclusion could be a generalisation that all local handyman work costs a lot.
Another supposed that perhaps the local handyman had more jobs and therefore took longer to respond as well as more experience, which could explain the price he was charging. While one was of the opinion that locals tend to feel more entitled to charging more, another argued “Foreigners have the option of going back to their homeland and being rich, but locals don’t.”
Still, one commenter questioned the writer’s claim that he wanted to support local. “Do you really have the mindset of ‘supporting local’ if price matters more to you than whether the product is local or not?” he wrote. “It sounds more like a ‘supporting cheaper labour’ mindset, doesn’t it? When I choose to support local, I don’t focus on comparing prices.” He then used buying locally grown vegetables at the supermarket as an example, saying he is aware they could be priced higher than imported alternatives.
“However, I genuinely want to support local businesses, so paying a little extra isn’t a deterrent,” he said. “I’m not saying that your preference of choosing the cheaper one over the more expensive one is wrong (of course everyone wants a good deal!), but you can’t say you ‘want to support local’ when price matters more.”
Another was of the opinion that what the local handyman was charging was not high. “S$130 for a 45-minute job, which doesn’t include transport time/money, and you think it’s steep?” he asked. “News flash—you are living in one of the most expensive countries in the world. Please pay accordingly.”
See also: “Intern role but by a graduate, full time $800”: Singaporeans share low-paying jobs
Featured image by Freepik / jcomp (for illustration purposes only)