Monday, December 7, 2009

A $1000 Note

Over the weekend, I read a most ridiculous incident in the newspaper. A man had to pay 80 cents for a cup of coffee. He had the correct change on him, but instead of paying for the coffee, he changed his mind and decided to use 5 cents coins to make the payment. Quite naturally, the cashier asked the man to pay using the correct change he had as he was holding up the line behind him. The man was angry and then pulled out a $1000 note and paid for the coffee using the $1000 note.

He received $999.20 in change.

What I truly do not understand is the tone of the article which suggested that this incident is a case of falling customer service level in Singapore. What fall in customer service level? I mean he had the exact change he needed, then decide not to use them, and then pull out a $1000 note? In what context is that the correct thing to do? The man was an ass! I don’t care about this ‘customer is always right nonsense’, customer is not always right, especially when he pull out $1000 to pay for a coffee that cost $0.80.

In fact, I’m shock that they accepted the $1000 note. Now, that’s good service.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It takes both sides to create a story.

First off, there's nothing wrong with paying your bill with 5 cent coins, especially if you accumulated a lot overtime and want to get ride of them. 80 cents is just sixteen 5-cent coins, so what's the big deal accepting them?

If the cashier is so adamant about having the man use the correct change, he/she should be firm when the man used the $1000 note also, but obviously that wasn't the case, and so I see no reason why the cashier should reject the coins in the first place.

Of course, the man could've make concession and do as the cashier requested. The fact that he made a scene by using a $1000 note could be a fault of his own, or it could be triggered by the cashier's attitude and tone.

I'm sure if the cashier was polite this incident would not have happened. Other customers might have been more forgiving, but the cashier might not have counted on having to deal with a difficult customer as that man in the story. It takes both hands to clap.

Ghost said...

Sorry but I disagree. This man have the change, but then decide to pull out 5 cents coins to pay for it but what if you are in the line behind this gentleman (I’m using the term very loosely here). Then after that, he pulled out a $1000 note. I don’t think the cashier did anything wrong here. The cashier was trying to serve people faster (which he is supposed to do), the man…he was just trying to be an ass.

Anonymous said...

The shop was willing to accept a $1000 note for a coffee that cost $0.80? I agree; that's good service.