I need more money...
this is a frequent statement i hear every now and then, especially in these few years..
let's don't talk about the bad economy... jus talk about our little island, Singapore...
50 dollars seem to be equivalent to 10 dollars nowadays...
why is everything so expensive?
or what are we exactly spending unnecessarily on now?
Last night, i went to a super famous chinese-hongkong style restaurant for dinner..
I asked for a glass of plain water and the waitress told me that they charge money for that..
?
i know most of you may not feel surprised about it cos even places like kopitiam charges 20c for a glass..
But issue is,
WHY are we paying for that water when we are eating a plate of stir-fried kai lan that cost 12 dollars there?
The bucket of water i use to bathe my guinea pigs are even cheaper than that glass of water of what PUB charges me..
Okay you might say that if you charge lesser for vegetables, what are you going to earn....
The issue is not really the vegetables, it is that a multi-million or billion company like this couldn't afford to do the most basic courtesy of offering people free glass of water when they come and dine at your restaurant?
There's a chinese children rhyme that goes like this:
客人来,看爸爸,
爸爸不在家,
我请客人先坐下,
再请一杯茶。
Direct translation would be:
Guest drops by, asked to see Daddy,
Daddy was not in,
I invite the guest to sit down,
and offer a cup of tea.
--------------
So do you charge your guest for the cup of tea??
What happened to the most basic courtesy we had in our hearts?
All we think of is how to make more and more money...
Squeezing people dry, counting every dollar and cent for every service or the cup of tea?
Talk about competition
Our good friend, Hong Kong...
Total Population, twice of Singapore...Land area, slightly bigger than Singapore, Number of eateries/restaurants? - MUCH MUCH MORE THAN SG...
More business competition there than here right?
BUT,
if you've been there, you will notice that when you enter to any eatery, they will bring you a glass of hot tea, FOC!
Is it also because in SG, the big big restaurants have less competition here, so they try to earn every cent of their guests whenever they can?
-------------------------------
What i want to say to these multi-mil & bil companies (not only to restaurants), is that not to want charge things that is unnecessary and by greed...
Similarly for servicing lines, serve with a heart.. if the person thank you for serving but not buying anything, smile back and not give a black face and speak ill of that person behind the back..He/She reserves the right of browsing through and not buy anything..
`Give more and not to be tempted by greed or returns..
Do-do`s~
P/S: It's Christmas, Give and Share!