Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
While Google reviews aren’t the sole measure of a business, negative ones can certainly have an impact. But what about petty issues that entail a 1-star rating, plus the fact that the customer didn’t even try your food? That was what Jesline Chua, wife of Terence who owns the 3-month-old The Prawn Story at 20 Ghim Moh Road Market & Food Centre, had to face.
Responding from a 1-star review which has since been removed, Mr Tang stated these exact words: “The Stall people have a strange attitude. I needed the whole table that was in front of their stall for my family. There was a bit stack of trays on the seat and I politely asked then if I could take the seat. The female helper looked very unfriendly and said that if i needed the seat, I have to move the trays myself because the trays were not theirs and not left there by them. I gladly moved them. This is really lousy attitude.”
Jesline responded to that on Instagram stories by first apologising for having an RBF (resting b*tch face). She then proceeded to say this: “You expected a lady smaller size than you to shift a whole load of trays? 101% self entitlement. It’s so unfair to us and you didn’t even patronise our stall.”
Terence also responded by telling Mr Tang that they are not obligated to move the trays for him. They also didn’t stop him from claiming the table and simply asked him to move it himself if he wanted the table.
Terence said that Mr Tang’s facial expression changed after being told that he had to move the trays himself. “But the trays are yours!” Mr Tang exclaimed. Terence explained that, for convenience, the hawker centre’s cleaning staff place trays on chairs in front of each stall, saving them trips back and forth.
If I owned a hawker stall, my paramount priority would be ensuring food quality and efficiently getting orders out to paying customers. Whether I’d have time to entertain requests from others would likely depend on the specific circumstances.
What do you guys think? Do you feel that this is a case of self-entitlement? Does the stall deserve a poor rating based on this situation? Or do you think that both sides need to play their part in preventing such disputes? Do let me know in the comments.
