'Short-tempered and brusque': Chinese tourist says Singapore service staff unfriendly compared to Malaysian counterparts

We may be neighbours, but the service standards of staff in Singapore and Malaysia are worlds apart — or at least, that's what this Chinese tourist has claimed.

Content creator Teacher Gogo singled out Singaporean-Chinese service staff in particular for their less-than-friendly attitude, after most of them left him with a bad impression.

This is especially so in comparison with their Malaysian counterparts, he said in a TikTok video uploaded on Sunday (Oct 15).

"I feel like my past few days exploring Singapore as a tourist has made me … think that most Singaporean-Chinese don't have good attitudes towards service," Gogo ventured. 

Whether they are public transport drivers or food and beverage vendors, these service staff have been "short-tempered and brusque" in dealing with him, he said.

"Is it my mistake in thinking so, or does anyone else who has visited Singapore feel the same?"

Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Gogo then compared service staff in Singapore to Malaysia, stating that their attitudes are "on opposite ends of the spectrum".

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He explained: "Most Chinese service staff in Malaysia are exceptionally friendly and warm-hearted, whereas Chinese in Singapore — especially a majority of hawkers — have really bad attitudes."

While netizens were divided on whether Gogo's observations were accurate, some felt that there could be various reasons for any rude behaviour that the tourist encountered during his time in Singapore.

"There are many explanations… but you'll need to become a hawker and understand their pain," a user commented.

Said another: "You're spot on, it's the stress that causes it!"

"Singaporeans have too much stress. In order to make a living they work hard, and when they see a tourist having fun, they feel ill at ease," one joked.

A user also elaborated: "It's because everyone's busy and don't have enough time to properly respond to others.

@gogolaoshi

新加坡华人服务态度差？

♬ 原声 - Gogo老师

"But when push comes to shove and someone needs assistance, Singaporeans are still willing to extend a helping hand."

'Treated us like we owed them money'

Responding to comments in a separate video uploaded on Monday (Oct 16), Gogo shared how many netizens had agreed with his views. 

Some stated that Singaporean service staff often pulled a long face "like we owed them money" and "didn't seem to want to serve us", he recounted.

He also tested a netizen's theory that service staff may respond more politely if one spoke to them in English instead.

He asked his wife, a Filipino, to approach the owner of the same eatery who had given him the cold shoulder before and place their order in English.

But the end result "was the same", Gogo said. "He treats everyone the same way, even if they were the 'heavenly king'."

After briefly pondering if the attitudes of service staff here are dependent upon the customers' country of origin, Gogo surmised that from his understanding, "Singaporeans treat everyone the same, no matter if they're white, black or multi-coloured".

He added: "I really feel that Singaporeans don't like to smile. Everyone just lives in a fast-paced, modern society with daily pressures — but where does that pressure come from? Vehicle prices? Housing prices? I don't really know."

AsiaOne has reached out to Gogo for comment.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com