When I speak Mandarin to foreign front-line staff, my experiences have mostly been pleasant. I find these Chinese nationals to be generally courteous.

However, whenever English is used, problems start surfacing.

Related link: » Service grouses spill to Facebook

I have dined in restaurants where the staff cannot even understand a request for warm water in English.

Recently, at a Peranakan restaurant, my non-Chinese-speaking friend asked the waiters what some of the dishes contained.

This drew a few blank looks from the service staff, until a brave soul stepped forward to explain - in Mandarin - that he could tell us what meat went into a certain dish, but would not be able to explain beyond that.

Eventually, I had to ask their Singaporean supervisor to help explain.

With regard to the report, 'Service grouses spill to Facebook', I do not agree with the Giant supermarket spokesman who appealed to Singaporeans to be patient with non-English-speaking service staff, saying 'it will take some time for them to learn a new language'.

When you put someone in the front line, he should be trained already, whether in service or language.

Tan Chin Aik

This article was first published in The Straits Times on December 07, 2008.