I AM writing to express my displeasure with the customer service at Prima Deli's Bedok branch.

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did she understand english? if not, how to "scribble some numbers for the price of the eclairs"? that might have explained why "she stood completely still and stared at [you] the whole time as [you] waited for her reply."

why do you even need to "speak good english" to answer a question like the price of something you're selling?

how did you ascertain that she was a "foreign worker"?

i am speculating here, but sometimes, i really don't understand some people/singaporeans. if you believe that someone doesn't understand you/r language esp bec she's a foreigner, why do you even bother speaking to her (in that language), politely or not? i go to a rural village in laos for instance and i just point and either ask "how much" or "taolai" and get a reply either verbally (and hopefully one i understand) or with the help of a calculator if my point is to find out how much something costs.

Why didn't the writer just ask the other staff that was next to the Cashier???? Yes! Ladies and Gentlemen! Yet another "WULIAO" Singaporean with nothing better to do than complain over the most petty issues!

Originally Posted by unewolke

... how did you ascertain that she was a "foreign worker"?

Most, if not all, Singaporeans are educated in both English and their mother tongue. Even previous generation which were educated in only their mother tongue would know some english. Even those not educated but were 'interacting' with the community would know some english. I would venture that only those no need to work, stay at home all the time, confined contact to family members, are likely to be zero english proficient ... and how likely is that to be, AND is now working?

I would like to say 'statistically speaking', but I have done no survey, so I can only say 'common sense'? Taking into number the 'conditions' for a local WORKER to be zero english proficient, the totally zero english proficient WORKER is likely a foreign one.

p.s I caps the word 'worker' because I am only talking about those who are working, thereby excluding those ah mas, ah gongs who likely confined their contact to family/relatives and peers who speak their language.

Originally Posted by unewolke

i am speculating here, but sometimes, i really don't understand some people/singaporeans. if you believe that someone doesn't understand you/r language esp bec she's a foreigner, 1why do you even bother speaking to her (in that language), politely or not? 2i go to a rural village in laos for instance and i just point and either ask 3"how much" or 4"taolai" and get a reply either verbally (and hopefully one i understand) or with the help of a 5calculator if my point is to find out how much something costs.

1. From the name of the writer, I am guessing she may only speak English. Hence even faced with the prospect of someone who does not know your language, you still speak your own language, albeit slower or 'broken'.
2. This is not a rural village in laos. This is not just anywhere. This is your home/country where you have always gotten by with your current language ability.
3. Which I think she did.. but the staff didn't understand.
4. Refer to 1.
5. How many people bring a calculator to shopping in their OWN country? Most people do this when they go overseas (e.g a village in laos) but not when they shop at 'home'.

Lisa Darlis is the prima donna here, not the sales person. Lisa should just gesticulate just as one would do if you visit a non-English speaking country while on holiday. What's so difficult? Must the world revolve around Lisa's language disability?

maybe lisa is trying to bring the message that basic english is necessary to work in singapore

but while the transformation is going on in the service industry, lisa could have resorted to many other ways to communicate esp on simple matter like the price of something. If the situation is in France, or Cambodia or Spain, the expected lingua franca would not be English, it will be French, Cambodian, or Spanish.

Surely the sales girl is not the only person in Singapore that does not speak english. There are many hawker aunties and uncles who are not educated in english but are Singaporeans. Why I have no problem buying from Malays or Indian shop keepers without having to speak their language and why Lisa finds it such a big deal that a sales girl does not understand her. A few simple hand gestures and they will know what is needed.

Even when overseas, I have not problem bargaining with local shopkeepers even if I don't speak a word of their native language? So Lisa, be adaptable, don't expect the world to evolve around your limitation. The world will not change for you.

Yes.. the whole does not revolve around you, Lisa. Just like you dont speak Thai in Bangkok, but you would still go shopping and bargin for the prices right?