: In a recent Facebook post, Makansutra founder KF Seetoh shared an experience that underscores a shift in attitudes toward customer entitlement. While visiting a hawker center with his wife, Seetoh witnessed a customer angrily confront a hawker, despite receiving extra free soup on previous occasions. The hawker calmly responded, “Consider this the last meal I will serve you,” signaling that respectful treatment of staff is non-negotiable.
Seetoh’s post, which states that “customers are no longer king,” has sparked widespread agreement. He argued that sincere service is more important than catering to self-entitled behavior, especially in an industry where service workers often endure abuse. Seetoh, a strong advocate for hawkers, suggested that service providers should also be able to review customers.
His reflections resonate with growing reports of rude and belligerent diners in Singapore’s food and beverage industry. Just last month, two men made headlines for smashing plates at a Punggol restaurant when told they couldn’t consume outside food on the premises.
Seetoh’s post has ignited conversations on social media about the balance between customer service and respect for workers. Many agree: the era of “the customer is always right” may be over.