Is water ever going to be free in Singapore??
Was reading the Sunday Times abt restaurants starting to charge for drinking water. Just some thoughts abt it.
Firstly, I can understand the plight of the restaurants. But I think charging for water is just a quick solution to abusers but it will costs a lot in the long term. It is like punishing the majority because of what the minority did. Such actions will irk most pple especially in humid Singapore where a glass of plain water has greater value compare to one in Austrailia or anywhere else.
Whether a restaurant will offer free plain water would definitely factor into my decision of patronising especially when I am a huge drinker of water. I would not mind paying more for food since offering plain water would add value to the food, I am eating. Imagine I am eating a super spicy meal and had to spend another buck to get plain water, to extinguish the fire in my tongue, sucks!!! If that money was already 'factored' into the meal, then I don't think I will mind. I will still patronise the place but will not order the spicy meal of cos!
Some restauranteurs claims that some extra hands will be hired to pour water, but I have seen restarants where the 'extra' hands really are 'extra' hands, idling around doing nothing to improve service.
At the end of the day, restauranteurs are making business decisions, but I must warn these pple that offering free drinking water is a 'clean' factor. Having it does not improve your business but without it, your business can suffer. A similar analogy is, having a degree now is a basic level pple should have, but having it does not provide distinct advantages.
I am sure there are other ways to curb the abuse of certain group of customers and improve the overall service level in Singapore. You definitely need time to review your service level, employee and training, service systems and come up with the suitable solution.
For example, cashiers can double up as drink pouring, or only pour when there customers require. (I as a customer do not mind asking a waiter for refill if there is a need cos the waiter also does not know when we are leaving) Or stop filling plain water once customers have finished their food(Why would they still need water since they have finish their food?) and many more.
Cheers!
Firstly, I can understand the plight of the restaurants. But I think charging for water is just a quick solution to abusers but it will costs a lot in the long term. It is like punishing the majority because of what the minority did. Such actions will irk most pple especially in humid Singapore where a glass of plain water has greater value compare to one in Austrailia or anywhere else.
Whether a restaurant will offer free plain water would definitely factor into my decision of patronising especially when I am a huge drinker of water. I would not mind paying more for food since offering plain water would add value to the food, I am eating. Imagine I am eating a super spicy meal and had to spend another buck to get plain water, to extinguish the fire in my tongue, sucks!!! If that money was already 'factored' into the meal, then I don't think I will mind. I will still patronise the place but will not order the spicy meal of cos!
Some restauranteurs claims that some extra hands will be hired to pour water, but I have seen restarants where the 'extra' hands really are 'extra' hands, idling around doing nothing to improve service.
At the end of the day, restauranteurs are making business decisions, but I must warn these pple that offering free drinking water is a 'clean' factor. Having it does not improve your business but without it, your business can suffer. A similar analogy is, having a degree now is a basic level pple should have, but having it does not provide distinct advantages.
I am sure there are other ways to curb the abuse of certain group of customers and improve the overall service level in Singapore. You definitely need time to review your service level, employee and training, service systems and come up with the suitable solution.
For example, cashiers can double up as drink pouring, or only pour when there customers require. (I as a customer do not mind asking a waiter for refill if there is a need cos the waiter also does not know when we are leaving) Or stop filling plain water once customers have finished their food(Why would they still need water since they have finish their food?) and many more.
Cheers!
posted by Strategist at 4:27 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home