What Price Service?

Jim goes to a restaurant, orders some food but is not happy with the level of service provided by the waitering staff (even though the restaurant charges the 10% service charge). Then he comments to himself, "Luckily the food is good, else I wouldn't want to come here."

Sounds familiar? Does it resonate with your own personal beliefs / experience?

There has been much debate and discussion on the level and quality of service provided by staff in the service industry. Rude, slow, insensitive, doesn't speak English, ignorant, rigid... the list goes on. No doubt, consumers pay a 10% service charge at most restaurants. Is that why people are lambasting the level and quality of service or is it really out of sheer concern for the future growth and sustainability of Singapore's service / tourism industry?

In the first place, what is the biggest, sole / main motivating factor that is pushing people to want to dine in a particular restaurant? Is the level of service? The ambience? Or is it the food? My bet is that if you are a rational consumer, food would be the main motivating factor (price factor aside since good food does deserve a better premium), else you might as well cook maggie mee and watch TV at home.

Assuming there isn't that 10% service charge imposed by the law (to squeeze some service obligations out of the service providers), the food is simply fantastic and eating it once a day just isn't enough, would anyone else complain about the level of service? Perhaps there will still be 'feedback' aka complaints when the typical Singaporean consumer is fully fed up to the gullet with the 'good' food and the ambience of the restaurant is okay. People are just either plain petty or simply greedy and wants to assert their 'rights' or 'what they think they know best'.

So what's my point in this post? My point is - ask yourself why you are there (in the restaurant) in the first place. If it is because of the food, just sit down, enjoy the food and concentrate on it. If you do not wish to comply with / pay the 10% service charge for whatever reason (that is subjective in nature and cannot really be quantified and valued at 10% of cost), just stay at home or go to a hawker centre.

Good food can be hard to come by so do give the food some due respect and recognition and not be too distracted by the other 'complements'. Keep life simple. :)