At the risk of sounding biased, I would say, from my personal experience, that there is a higher chance of receiving better service from a foreign front-line staff member than a local one.

There are quite a few Chinese nationals working at the neighbourhood coffee shops near my estate. I find them to be generally more polite. For example, they are more likely to smile and say 'thank you' when the food is served.

Recently, I had lunch at a small eatery in Orchard Towers. The China waiter was not only polite, but also eager to learn English. He spoke in English to my foreign colleagues, but did not know what 'sugar cane' was. He asked me later about the words and their pronunciation.

Currently, I am training some China workers in customer service and English language skills, and have the opportunity to understand them better. A third of the class are hardworking, eager to learn and have a desire to succeed. But some among the rest are unhappy and negative because of bad experiences with local customers.

It is unfortunate they cannot accept that there are difficult customers everywhere, and rise above the challenge.

Tan Chin Aik

This article was first published in The Straits Times on 29 June 2008.