Hawker assistant yelled at for not giving customers extra bowls
A group of customers yelled at a stall assistant after the latter refused to provide them with extra bowls to share their dessert, and suggested they pay $0.20 for takeaway bowls instead.
According to the stall owner, Foo Choong Lim, who shared about the incident in a Facebook post, a few from the group then stood in front of the stall and berated the assistant for a few minutes.
"No one does business like this," they allegedly kept shouting.
They then asked for Foo’s contact number and called him to complain as well. According to Foo, they also threatened to make the stall “famous” on social media.
The incident took place at a hawker centre in Ang Mo Kio.
In his post, Foo cited the incident as one of many difficulties hawkers face.
He said it all started when a female customer ordered two bowls of dessert for $3.60 and asked for an extra bowl.
Later, a person from the group approached the stall and asked for four more empty bowls.
But the stall assistant, whom Foo refers to as “auntie” in his post, rejected the request as there were a limited number of bowls and spoons that day.
"The main reason for me writing this is to explain the difficulties we face in operating as a hawker," Foo wrote.
He said there is "very limited space" at the stall to keep bowls and spoons, and the "only feasible time" to wash the dishes is after closing.
If all the bowls are used up, the stall has to give out takeaway containers, which would “cut deeply into our profit".
"Please, when requesting for extra chopsticks, bowls, plates, chilli and sauces, take what you need and request only what is reasonable," Foo urged.
Many of the commenters on Foo's post empathised with the hawker.
One also advised him to put up a sign that said patrons had to pay for extra utensils, to avoid such disputes.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now