Long hours, low pay, rude customers

I CAN'T visualise Singaporeans being in the service sector - we just don't smile enough.

The job is demanding - long hours, subsistence pay and irregular shift work.

The only time that I've worked in the service industry was as a part-time service staff member in a local restaurant. That was while waiting for my O-level results.

Being satisfied with the job meant receiving friendly responses from customers. However, more often than not, the day would end with unhappy incidents. I often wondered if our courtesy campaigns really worked.

Though most Singaporeans may feel that foreigners are taking away jobs in the service industry, I feel perfectly fine about it, especially if they do the job well.

The Filipino nurses at the local polyclinics are friendlier, as are the foreigners in the food and beverage industry.

Once, I was dining at a restaurant and the restaurant lights were faulty, through no fault of the staff.

Nevertheless, a waitress thanked me profusely for my understanding and even apologised. She was from China.

It's a tough arena for Singaporeans. Either we shape up or ship out.

Ephraim Loy, 25, is a second-year social science student at the Singapore Management University

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It's not just about money, but mobility

ONE of the oft-cited reasons why local youth avoid taking up service sector jobs is the sector's relatively low-income stream.

Another legitimate concern is that there is little upward mobility - not just in terms of position but also in upgrading skills and knowledge.

Little has been done to assuage the fear of being trapped in the individual vocations and of not being able to progress.

There is also intense competition in the service industry, making a high turnover among staff nearly inevitable.

What we need are long-term assurances and opportunities to improve one's lot. Only then will local youth be encouraged to make the service industry their career choice.

Alson Yong, 20, has a place to read social sciences at the National University of Singapore

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No way, unless there are no other options

UNGLAMOROUS and low-paying jobs are gradually turning into interesting careers with better prospects.

For example, NTUC's job re-creation programme has reportedly raised the wage bracket for security guards from the previous $800- $900, to a range of $1,300 to $1,600.

But locals, especially graduates, may not bite.

The service sector usually has jobs with fewer barriers for entry, especially with less-educated foreigners willing to be employed at lower salaries.

There is also a negative perception of the industry's intended catchment - those with limited skill sets.

One remedy will be for the Singapore National Employers' Federation to collaborate more with the NTUC and the workforce agency on boosting pay increments and enhancing workers' abilities.

Another option will be to make job titles sound better. Job title inflation helps to attract people who do not want to feel they are doing lowly regarded work.

It may sound like a small thing, but it could make a huge difference to the employee. Without these, a service job could remain as a back-up choice for most.

Berton Lim, 20, has a place to read business administration at NUS

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From fresh and eager to disillusioned

I HAD one of the most unglamorous jobs straight out of junior college - as part of the customer service staff at an airline.

In my five months of employment, I went from a fresh and eager employee to one who now reflects on that experience with mild disdain. Why?

Well, the Singaporean consumer is incredibly difficult to satisfy.

He gets upset with rising fuel costs, is hostile when his haggling over airfares is not entertained, and gets downright cranky when seats on his preferred flight are not available.

Being at the receiving end of his frustration is no fun, not least for a salary that wasn't quite worth talking about.

The pay may have sufficed for my frivolous spending, but it was hardly justifiable for an average employee with a family to support.

Even so, a measly pay cheque cannot be any more demeaning than the condescension that service staff often face.

Alicia Ng, 23, is a final-year accountancy student at SMU