Woman aghast after paying 10 cents for takeaway cup lid at Jurong cafe, says cashier was 'misleading'

[UPDATE: Nov 8]

In response to AsiaOne’s queries, the Coffeeman cafe shared that the charge of 10 cents for a takeaway lid has been implemented since their opening in 2019 under the name The Upper Room.

"We would like to extend our apologies, as our staff may not have been clear in communicating about the extra 10 cents per lid during order-taking," said the cafe.

The cafe also shared that their customer base mainly consists of "regulars who patronise almost daily, and hence already familiar with such nitty gritty works at our outlet".

"That being said, we shouldn't have assumed the same for all customers," said the cafe.

The cafe added that they have tightened their SOPs and are committed to providing a better customer experience.

In wanting to get a cup lid for her hot beverage, a woman was charged an additional 10 cents for a "takeaway lid" at a Jurong East cafe.

Upset that the cashier also did not mention the extra charge for the lid, Koh Shu Zhen took to Facebook page Complaint Singapore yesterday (Nov 6) evening, pointing out that "even bigger cafes like Ya Kun Kaya Toast don't charge customers $0.10 for lid".

She and her friend had visited the Coffeeman cafe, located at the Devan Nair Institute, and ordered two cups of tea at around 3.20pm on Nov 6.

According to Koh, the cashier had reportedly asked her and her friend whether they wanted to "cover" their drinks, instead of asking if they would like to take away their beverages.

"It's not about $0.10 or not, it's about misleading the consumer," she wrote.

All the drinks in that cafe were served in takeaway cups, said Koh. 

Koh, 34, told AsiaOne that she "felt cheated and pissed" as the cashier "only asked me whether or not to cover, and didn't mention about any charges".

She added that she only noticed the extra charge when her friend was checking through the receipt, and did not approach the staff to ask about the charge as she had already consumed her beverage.

While her order receipt displays a 10-cent charge for one takeaway lid, Koh clarified that both their beverages were capped.

"We both don't mind the lid but if we knew we're being charged, we'll reject the request," she explained.

ALSO READ: Fair or not? Man pays 10 cents for takeaway cup when dining in

lim.kewei@asiaone.com