A local diner relates this on the newpaper.
When I speak Mandarin to foreign front-line staff, my experiences have mostly been pleasant. I find these Chinese nationals to be generally courteous.
However, whenever English is used, problems start surfacing.
I have dined in restaurants where the staff cannot even understand a request for warm water in English.
Recently, at a Peranakan restaurant, my non-Chinese-speaking friend asked the waiters what some of the dishes contained.
This drew a few blank looks from the service staff, until a brave soul stepped forward to explain - in Mandarin - that he could tell us what meat went into a certain dish, but would not be able to explain beyond that.
Eventually, I had to ask their Singaporean supervisor to help explain.
With regard to the report, 'Service grouses spill to Facebook', I do not agree with the Giant supermarket spokesman who appealed to Singaporeans to be patient with non-English-speaking service staff, saying 'it will take some time for them to learn a new language'.
When you put someone in the front line, he should be trained already, whether in service or language.
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