'We gave him a second chance': Noodle chain fires employee who argued with customer at Tampines stall

The noodle stall worker who argued with a customer over the "free upsize" in a Tampines coffee shop has been fired.

Stomp contributor Kenneth had paid $5 for the minced meat noodle at the Chao Yuan Noodle stall in the 24-hour coffee shop at 138 Tampines Street 11 on Nov 10 at 10.20pm.

The stall offered a "free upsize" for noodles, which the Stomp contributor asked for.

He recounted: "The worker did not give me the upsized noodles even though my order said 'upsize'. I went to confront him and asked why it was not upsized as advertised in the menu.

"He shouted back, denying that my order was not an upsized, and even took a video."

The customer shared his own video of the incident.

After the report was published, another customer also contacted Stomp about the same worker.

Stomp contributor LY said: "This guy at Chao Yuan Noodle stall truly has a bad attitude problem. Very rude. I have stopped patronising the stall.

"The food is average and I am wondering how long can the boss be in business."

In response to a Stomp query, a spokesperson for Chao Yuan Noodle said on Nov 12: "We truly value our customers and their feedback.

"After receiving this complaint, we promptly reached out to the customer to try and resolve their concerns directly. However, it appears that they have chosen to share their experience on multiple social media platforms instead.

"Our priority remains to listen to our customers, understand their perspective and find a positive resolution."

On Nov 13, the Chao Yuan Noodle contacted Stomp with an update: "After a thorough investigation, including a review of CCTV footage and the video posted by the customer, we have made the decision to terminate the employment of the staff member involved.

"There had been a prior incident with this employee, and we gave him a second chance, believing in the importance of providing opportunities for improvement. Unfortunately, he did not meet the standards we uphold.

"As a small business owner managing multiple outlets in Singapore, we recognise that it can be challenging to oversee all employees closely. Nonetheless, we are committed to providing excellent service across all our locations and are continuously working to address these challenges.

"We thank you for your kind understanding and support as we strive to improve and provide a positive experience at each of our outlets."

Chao Yuan Noodle has more than a dozen outlets around Singapore with two in Tampines.

When contacted by the Stomp about the worker getting fired, the Stomp contributor said: "That man is not suitable to be part of a service crew.

"I hope he learns to treat people better in his next job."

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This article was first published in Stomp. Permission required for reproduction.