Singkie retail staff really CMI

[Cthulhu]

I ever kena this incident at Borders. The old woman in front of me at the cashier was not purchasing anything. She just wanted to ask some questions. Cashier 1 cannot answer and asked Cashier 2 for help. Both numbnuts attended to her while I stood behind like a dummy. If both cashiers cannot answer the question, why not ask the woman to stand one side while they page for the store manager to assist?

I agree that some local retails staff sucks. I had some experience once when I approach sales staff while he was busy attending some customer with electronic setting.

All he have to do is, answer me just tell me to wait for awhile, sure I will understand.

One thing I realized that some local service staff cannot handle multi-tasking job even the job didnt take too much effort.

As for FT, some are equally bad attitude because they always think that they are protected by employer even if customer complaint about them.

Local need reasonable salary but unfortunately, local bosses only think of themselves.

While FT dont mind low salary because when they convert singdollar to their currency, these FT still earn luxury income.

Singaporean still lose no matter what.

Afterall, indirectly govt is spending the budget for FT, not singaporean.

Keep continue to vote LKY and his PAP platoon and let them screw singaporean for life.

 

[Cthulhu]

The simple answer is that all frontline retail staff should be on some form of commission or profit sharing scheme, even those who man foodcourt and hawker stalls. Once you have that in place, they will have the incentive to get more business and give good service.
Although there are many lousy Singkie retail staff, I have also encountered many horrible foreign retail staff in Singapore and other countries. Have you ever had a China national throw your change back at you or a Fillipina retail staff ignore your questions about their products or an Australian retail staff glare at you?

In Australia, I ever approached the cashier in David Jones and said I wanted to buy this item but the packaging is badly creased. Would she help me check if there is another one in the storeroom? Otherwise, can the shop give me a discount because of the item's condition? The cashier, who was an angmo auntie readily helped me check. It turns out that was really the last piece and the shop policy was against such discounts. Despite this, I still bought the item because the cashier was quite helpful and the item itself was not damaged.

Till this day, I have yet to try such a stunt in SG.

 

[cowbehcowbu]

I think the solution is to create curtesy and service attitude among our LOCAL sales and service staff, like what HK did several years back..when they realise that tourism is their life and blood ...all the movie stars also roped into the many TV ads..
The service attitude of the HK staff are way above of singapore as a result of their whole-hearted campaign..have we done any of that sort??
Just employing foreign low-cost workers IS NOT the solution...it will put off the many tourists coming to singapore....
The government agencies should seriouly considered to emulate what HK has done very successfully...with the IRS coming ..we are going to have many well-heeled tourist......

 

[red amoeba]

actually despite the influx of the FTs here - I find the PRC staff here also have the fuck-up attitude. I cannot imagine what goes on in the kitchen of the eateries - its a case of if you don't see, you don't worry mentality.

When I go to China, the attitudes of the staff there is horrendous - even in a 5-star hotel and its a vicious cycle, because the PRCs customers there are also very harsh to the service staff there in China. Likewise when it comes to Singapore, the PRC staff have fuck-up attitude and the local customers are equally harsh too. So, its chicken and egg, you are a fuck up customer, and you get fuck up attitude.

 

[besotted]

I know people here don't like FT but there are some areas where Singkees suck big time. The most obvious is retail.

I feel that unless you are dealing with the boss, the typical retail staff has a can't care less attitude. If you ask them for something, their standard reply is "don't have, everything is already on the shelf". Very few bother to look in the store, almost none will take the initiative to suggest an alternative.

Sometimes if you go into a shop dressed casually, the staff will see you no up. When an aryan complexioned customer walks in, their attitude does a 180. Some staff can just sit one corner chatting among themselves, trying very hard to ignore you. I even caught one youngster playing PSP behind the counter before.

Even though certain staff appear to have worked in the same shop for many years, they never bother to learn more about what they are selling. As a result the customer sometimes know more than the staff. This doesn't deter the staff from laying smoke though.

With these kind of locals, can you really blame employers for hiring FTs?

well said. thank you for your thread

i talked in my thread about attitude of locals compared with my PRC workers and Burmese but instead of changing their attitude i got a lot of puerile responses

 

[shelltox]

Singporeans dont deserve good service bcos they are rude and demanding. If singaporeans know how to treat people with more courtesy, singaporeans think that customers are always right and they have the right to treat sales staff like dirt.

 

[NissanViP]

I ever kena this incident at Borders. The old woman in front of me at the cashier was not purchasing anything. She just wanted to ask some questions. Cashier 1 cannot answer and asked Cashier 2 for help. Both numbnuts attended to her while I stood behind like a dummy. If both cashiers cannot answer the question, why not ask the woman to stand one side while they page for the store manager to assist?

I dont know what I am saying is correct, sales staff has been brainwashed with " First come, First Serve" mentality.

Sometimes they (sales staff) need to do abit of multi-tasking job ( of course if it doesnt take it too much effort).

Well.... FT can do anything mentality but they can make you wait like no tomorrow instead until you remind them again.

While some customer are quite demanding and wanted 1001% attention from sales staff.

Afterall, this is life, there is good and bad, it just our luck to be serve the right one.

 

[red amoeba]

actually its a chicken & egg issue - when the service staff sees ang moh, straight away, their face brightens up and their service is 360 degree different. They see local, they go back to their fuck-up attitude again.

why? becos ang moh are more polite ? Or are they known as sure buy type? I know French are known to be rudest people on earth - so, it debunks the theory that they are more polite.

Sure-buy --> not entirely true as well because I know many rich towkays dress shabily and wear slippers to shop but they pay with wads of cash and not hesitate to splurge on things they like.

the staff shld really learn from the Taiwanese, even if you don't buy anything, they are not offended and will still chirp please come again in future. After hearing that, even if i don't buy the first round, i will make an effort to come back especially when the taiwanese girls tend to say the greetings with some "teh-ness"

 

[tonychat]

I know people here don't like FT but there are some areas where Singkees suck big time. The most obvious is retail.

I feel that unless you are dealing with the boss, the typical retail staff has a can't care less attitude. If you ask them for something, their standard reply is "don't have, everything is already on the shelf". Very few bother to look in the store, almost none will take the initiative to suggest an alternative.

Sometimes if you go into a shop dressed casually, the staff will see you no up. When an aryan complexioned customer walks in, their attitude does a 180. Some staff can just sit one corner chatting among themselves, trying very hard to ignore you. I even caught one youngster playing PSP behind the counter before.

Even though certain staff appear to have worked in the same shop for many years, they never bother to learn more about what they are selling. As a result the customer sometimes know more than the staff. This doesn't deter the staff from laying smoke though.

With these kind of locals, can you really blame employers for hiring FTs?

These staffs know that there is no need to give good services to sinkies. The sinkies deserve it.

 

[Lestat]

I don't know if its entirely the pay. bcos when i go to taiwan, I am also served by Taiwanese (non-PRC) and their service attitude is superb. The serveurs in the resturants are well-mannered and attentive.

I don't think they have shares in the outlets or resturants. And i don't find the prices of food exoribitant - they are in fact cheaper than Singapore - so it couldn't be that the owners pay them sky-high salary.

I think it boils down to the attitude of the individuals. In Thailand, the service is also excellent.

I agree with this. It's about the individual doing his/her job that makes a difference.

 

[Conan the Barbarian]

These staffs know that there is no need to give good services to sinkies. The sinkies deserve it.

How does one give good service when one feels that the customers look
down on them. The typical Singaporean feels that retail service jobs are
demeaning, even those who work in it out of necessity.

 

[red amoeba]

How does one give good service when one feels that the customers look
down on them. The typical Singaporean feels that retail service jobs are
demeaning, even those who work in it out of necessity.

its true - in China, its exactly the same case - the customers are rude and the service staff is equally rude too.

 

[denzuko1]

I'll just share with you guys some good services. They all happen when I shop at departmental stores on men's clothings, I get this experience at OG, Robinson and Seiyu (last time).

I always get good services by the aunties. They are always very helpful in finding the right match, they will even recommend me to test out more than one selection and they are not troubled when I feedback that the selection does not fit me.

It seems to me that the more senior attendants are better in their service.

 

[red amoeba]

I'll just share with you guys some good services. They all happen when I shop at departmental stores on men's clothings, I get this experience at OG, Robinson and Seiyu (last time).

I always get good services by the aunties. They are always very helpful in finding the right match, they will even recommend me to test out more than one selection and they are not troubled when I feedback that the selection does not fit me.

It seems to me that the more senior attendants are better in their service.

exactly - I tend to find aunties more patient and sometimes quite corny which done suitably, makes a pleasant experience and funny as well. I experience this sometimes with mcdonalds even.

Unfortunately, nowadays alot of PRCs and Pinoys replace aunties and they are all fucked up. I don't think you need to pay aunties alot right? Most of them are just to kill time by working partime - or is it because of CPF that employers are not hiring them.

 

[pia]

exactly - I tend to find aunties more patient and sometimes quite corny which done suitably, makes a pleasant experience and funny as well. I experience this sometimes with mcdonalds even.

Haha.. sometimes they get too motherly.. I was slapped on the wrist by one McD auntie when I tried to take away the tray before she put the full order on it