Diner vs hawker: Man complains about stall’s service & container charge, but stall holder answers back point for point

SINGAPORE: A post on a local online complaint group ended up with a response from the noodle house complained about, with the hawker saying they have CCTV footage refuting the post author’s claims.

On the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE Facebook page, a group member wrote about an “unpleasant experience” he had at a stall at Jurong West Hawker Centre, starting from the “unfriendliness” and “harsh tone” of the woman who prepared his order.

“I brought my own container for Lor Mee, but was still charged an additional $0.30, saying that my container was ‘too small’” and that she had “No time to pour the gravy into my container.”

However, the post author, who attached a photo of his container, claimed that it was “sufficiently large.” Moreover, he alleged he had been told that “customers who bring their own containers would have to wait longer, unless they opted to use the shop’s container and pay the extra $0.30.”

What the hawker said

The woman the post alluded to answered the post author in a lengthy comment that started with “We have CCTV footage of the full incident, so please do not spread misinformation. We never said we had ‘no time’ to pour gravy or that customers with their own containers must wait longer — that is completely untrue.”

The stall’s issue with the post author was that the opening of his container was too small.

“Our ladle is twice the size of the opening, and lor mee gravy is thick and boiling hot,” the woman wrote, saying that not only did she risk scalding her hand if she were to pour gravy into the man’s container, there was also “no way we can fit the noodles, ingredients and gravy inside without reducing the portion.”

She reminded the post author that the container he provided is meant mostly for soup, “not an entire portion of noodles, ingredients, and gravy.”

Had she used the container he provided, “we risk getting another comment about our pathetic portion,” she added.

The stall holder underlined that “Safety comes first—and if you don’t believe us, you’re welcome to try it yourself and see if you’ll scald yourself. What you call ‘big enough’ is your own perception.”

Since the post author is not the one who handles the food at the stall, he doesn’t have the same experience that would inform him whether a container would be appropriate or not.

“Do not expect us to fit the food into any random container you bring. Please be more considerate and bring something bigger. We cannot be expected to perform the impossible and end up injuring ourselves,” she added, also refuting the claim that earning an additional 30 cents is not the issue.

She also clarified that the stall earns nothing from takeaway orders, since the cutlery and a container already cost over S$0.20.

“We have many loyal customers who bring their own proper containers, and we have never had any issues. You are the first to bring your own tiny container, expect so much, and then stir up trouble.

Let’s not forget — we are running a business, not a charity. We operate on razor-thin margins, and of course, we must prioritise survival and earnings like any small business,” she wrote, reminding the post author that “spreading false claims about what we said is potentially defamatory and can get you into legal consequences if our business is affected by your careless post.”

The Independent Singapore has reached out to the post author, as well as to the stall, for further comments or updates, and will update if we receive a response from either. /TISG

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