Hong Kong Customer Service

Everyone always says that Asia has the best customer service. At the high end designers, Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, that’s definitely true. If you’re ready to spend an exorbitant amount of money on a handbag, pair of shoes, or anything else that embodies the materialistic culture that is so prevalent in Hong Kong. Basic services, however, makes me wonder.




Last week, it was a co-worker’s 25th birthday. 10 of us went to Night Market, a Taiwanese restaurant that serves decent street food. The food is not bad and we often frequent the restaurant as a firm favorite. As we walked in, we managed to get a table quite quickly. However, two of our friends were finishing up work and was coming later. The restaurant owner simply refused to save chairs for them, even though there was plenty of space available. That part is understandable. A busy restaurant depends on turnover for revenue.



When our friends showed up, there was only one extra chair at the table given the rest of the long table was taken up by another party. We asked the manager if we could add a chair at the end. He point blank refused. There was plenty of space but he claimed there are no chairs in the restaurant. Given it was our friend’s birthday, we said, fine, let’s just all share on the chairs. So the two girls shared a small chair together (thank goodness for small Asian girls). At that point, the same waiter, who is the manager in charge during lunch, refused to allow them to order, citing the fact that they won’t be able to eat their food on the same chair….



How are we supposed to have a birthday lunch if two members of our party cannot order? We decided it’s time to go then, because we can’t enjoy the food at the restaurant if they refuse to serve our friends. The waiter-manager then threatened to call the cops on us on his power trip of making our meal as difficult as possible. I took out my blackberry and said “What’s the number for the police?”



Once he realized that we’re not afraid the cops will show up, for we have done nothing wrong but trying to enjoy a birthday lunch, his entire attitude changed. He begged us not to call the cops (for I think the actual manager would not be happy with him). Once he realized that he overstepped his power trip, he quickly got our food out. It was a sad realization that in Hong Kong, they serve based on money and fear, rather than delivering good service to its customers as a principle, even in the service business.