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Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Ex-restaurateur on whether F&B outlets should provide free water: It's about 'sustainability of the business'
An ex-restaurateur shared his perspective on whether F&B outlets should be required to provide free water to customers. Ex-restaurateur on whether F&B outlets should provide free water: It's about 'sustainability of the business' Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight. An ex-restaurateur shared his perspective on whether F&B outlets should be required to provide free water to customers. Stomper Ee Chien, who had previously expressed his disapproval of home-based cafés, alerted Stomp to his LinkedIn post about the debate. He wrote it in response to Aljunied GRC MP Gerald Giam's support for a petition in favour of free water in all F&B establishments started by Dr Yucai Yee. Ee Chien's post reads: "As someone who used to run a restaurant and bar, I'd like to offer a perspective that is often left out of the public conversation. "One of my staff members once strongly disagreed with our decision to stop serving water for free. At the time, I thought it was a small issue. But over time, I realised it was not just about water. "It was about the sustainability of the business." He continued: "If someone has 200 customers a day, and charges just $1 per glass, that would add up to nearly $5,000 a month. That could cover two full-time junior staff salaries. In an environment where rents, utility bills, cleaning costs, and wages keep rising, every small stream of revenue counts. "Water may be inexpensive at the source, but providing it in a restaurant is not. There is cost involved in filtration, chilling, ice, service, glassware, washing, and breakage. It takes real resources and real labour. These are especially significant for smaller operators who are already running on thin margins." He further explained the issue from an F&B establishment owner's point of view. "From recent conversations among my peers, most F&B operators are not trying to profiteer. "One restaurant charges $2 per person for unlimited filtered or sparkling water and waives it without hesitation when a guest objects. Another charges just 50 cents but still receives pushback and frustration. A third offers water for free but finds it difficult to keep up with increasing overheads and customer expectations to give more for less. "Many operators have also shared that more customers now bring their own water bottles, help themselves to ice and occupy tables for long periods with minimal orders. Some even bring outside food. "These behaviours, while understandable, put more pressure on already strained operations. "Some restaurants have considered including the cost of water in menu pricing or offering opt-outs, but these often lead to accusations of being sneaky or dishonest. No approach satisfies everyone." His post sparked discussions among other LinkedIn users with an F&B industry peer in Bangkok commenting: "If you want water, just pay for a bottle of still or sparkling. It is affordable and very common in restaurants in Europe." "Customers should stop this 'me first, self-entitled' mentality and start thinking about supporting restaurants. "Many customers just order a drink and expect to sit for hours despite being informed of a time limit on the table. When the time limit is up, they will look around and say, 'But you are empty, why can't we sit longer?' So why not think differently and say, 'Hey, you guys are empty, let me support you by getting another drink." In his post, Ee Chien summarised the concerns from F&B owners across Singapore. "This is not about refusing to serve water. It's more about context and understanding how a business runs before blindly throwing ideas out. "Perhaps Dr Yee might be open to free medical services as it's a universal right? Most of us want to be hospitable, but we also want to be sustainable. A blanket mandate may unintentionally hurt the very businesses that are already struggling to survive. "I hope future conversations on this topic will take into account both the customer experience and the operational reality of running a food and beverage business in Singapore." Have your say on Stomping Ground! Write in to us at stomp@ or WhatsApp 9384 3761. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
20-06-2025
- Straits Times
Another Stomper receives scam call from fake SGH staff, urges more awareness for elderly
Another Stomper receives scam call from fake SGH staff, urges more awareness for elderly Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight. Yet another person has come forward about receiving a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from Singapore General Hospital (SGH). Stomper GC wanted to share her own experience after reading an earlier Stomp report on how a 71-year-old retiree outsmarted a scammer claiming to be from SGH. The 69-year-old said she received a call on her landline on June 5 from a man speaking in Mandarin and claiming to be from SGH. "I kept asking him to speak in English, but he insisted that in Singapore, the majority can speak Mandarin," recounted the Stomper, who is semi-retired. "I told him, 'No, you called me, so you speak English'. "He was unable to so I raised my voice to tell him to stop asking me to speak Mandarin." Before hanging up, the caller made a remark in Mandarin: "这么激动干嘛" ("Why so worked up?"), which the Stomper called "a great joke." GC said she later contacted SGH's official hotline to check if similar scams had been reported and was told that the hospital was aware of such incidents. She was asked if she had shared any personal information with the scammer. "I told SGH that I did not give them the chance to ask me anything as I had insisted throughout that I wanted to communicate in English only," she said. "My objective in calling SGH was not just to check, but to urge them to raise more awareness among their patients. "Many elderly people at home, who may only speak Mandarin, are their patients and can easily fall prey to such scams." For more information on scams, members of the public can visit or call the ScamShield helpline at 1799. Have your say on Stomping Ground! Write in to us at stomp@ or WhatsApp 9384 3761. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
16-06-2025
- Straits Times
Hougang resident finds own parcel left unattended at lift lobby, helps himself to it
Hougang resident finds own parcel left unattended at lift lobby, helps himself to it Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight. A Hougang resident was puzzled to see two large packages left unattended at a HDB lift lobby in Hougang. He was even more surprised when he realised that one of the packages belonged to him. Stomper Roger said: "J&T Express left the parcels unattended in the front lift lobby (not level 1) on June 5. "I saw these parcels in the morning when I was heading to work at 6.20am. When I returned from work at 9pm, the parcels were still there, so I decided to take a look. "It surprised me that one of the parcels belonged to me while the other belonged to the next block. "Based on my tracking records, the parcel should still have been outbound in the sorting centre." Roger said he contacted the delivery company the next day and sent them a photo of the unattended packages. He asked: "Do you often see this kind of issue? "I told J&T that the lift lobby doesn't have any CCTV cameras. What if people took the items? They told me to provide CCTV footage from the lift and told them they should check with the authorities if they wanted it. "Anyway, I did not want to make trouble and told them I had already taken my own parcel." Have your say on Stomping Ground! Write in to us at stomp@ or WhatsApp 9384 3761. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
16-06-2025
- Straits Times
Hougang resident asks if unattended parcels are a common sight after stumbling upon his own package
Hougang resident asks if unattended parcels are a common sight after stumbling upon his own package Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight. A Hougang resident was puzzled to see two large packages left unattended at a HDB lift lobby in Hougang. He was even more surprised when he realised that one of the packages belonged to him. Stomper Roger said: "J&T Express left the parcels unattended in the front lift lobby (not level 1) on June 5. "I saw these parcels in the morning when I was heading to work at 6.20am. When I returned from work at 9pm, the parcels were still there, so I decided to take a look. "It surprised me that one of the parcels belonged to me while the other belonged to the next block. "Based on my tracking records, the parcel should have been still outbound in the sorting centre." Roger said he contacted the delivery company the next day and sent them a photo of the unattended packages, but has yet to receive a response. He asked: "Do you often see this kind of issue?" Have your say on Stomping Ground! Write in to us at stomp@ or WhatsApp 9384 3761. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
12-06-2025
- Straits Times
71-year-old retiree outsmarts scammer claiming to be from SGH with fake name and info
71-year-old retiree outsmarts scammer claiming to be from SGH with fake name and info Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight. A 71-year-old retiree recently received a call from an alleged scammer who nearly tricked her into divulging personal information. Stomper Sarah told Stomp she received a call on her landline on June 4. "When I picked up the call, it immediately started with a recorded message in PRC Mandarin, which immediately put me on high alert," she said. "The message then continued and claimed to be calling from Singapore General Hospital (SGH), and that they were calling regarding a problem with my records." A man later introduced himself as a representative from SGH, asking for Sarah's name, to which she responded with a fictitious one. "I put on a soft, feeble voice to mimic that of a frail old woman," she shared. The scammer then proceeded to ask personal questions, and Sarah, suspecting the call was a scam, began feeding him misleading information. "He asked me to wait a while and came back shortly, saying he had checked his computer and found my name and medical record," she recounted. "I told him I was 72 and a retired bank manager to lure him into thinking I had plenty of savings. "I also told him I was living alone, had no children and needed a walking stick. "Despite my telling him I hardly left the house, he said according to his records, I had ventured overseas on May 17 and May 23 and bought several syringes of intravenous morphine. "I denied it but he kept insisting. "I told him not to ask again or I would hang up, so when he did, I immediately ended the call." However, the scammer's persistence didn't stop there. A few minutes later, another man with a Chinese accent called, claiming to be the first scammer's supervisor. "He thought I was an easy target and tried to pressure me again," Sarah said. This time, Sarah switched to her normal voice, telling the caller that she had given a fake name and was aware that he was a scammer. "I told him what he was doing was evil, that heaven has eyes and that karma would strike him and his loved ones," she added. "Of course, he hung up immediately." Sarah told Stomp that whenever she receives such calls, she indulges them to find out what 'fairy tales' they are going to tell her so that she can report them on ScamShield. "I also share these with my contacts so they can be alert to such scams," she said. "I always tell these fraudsters that they are truly evil to scam old folks and that karma will strike their loved ones one day." However, despite her efforts, some people she has warned still fall for scams. "My ex-colleague in her 40s was scammed of her life savings," she said. "She is a divorcee working as a clerical officer and supporting two children and her old parents on her salary. "Now, she has no savings. I hope the scammers will be visited by karma. "I also know a dishonest person, a gambler and con-man with many unpaid debts. "He admitted he finally knows karma is real, watching his father suffer terribly because of his actions." Have your say on Stomping Ground! Write in to us at stomp@ or WhatsApp 9384 3761. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
