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Q: Do you think the service industry in China will ever improve?
China has absorbed so much western culture but the basic "customer is king" concept still seems completely lost on most restaurant staff. Of course, high-end restaurants are an exception, but the service is appalling in most smaller dining establishments. Just yesterday, I went to a restaurant and the waitress forgot 3 of my dishes. I had to remind them several times to bring them out asap and got no apology or thank you at the end.
11 years 9 weeks ago in Business & Jobs - China
I find service appalling in the so-called fancier restaurants as well. The only difference between the cheap restaurants and the expensive restaurants in China is that generally the expensive ones always leaves me disappointed, as I think the food taste/quality isn't better than the cheap places.
It's of course a general problem not just in restaurants.
If it will ever improve. I really hope so, but it will be an uphill battle. I cannot think anything else than before the establishment of the PRC, it would have been possible to go to a restaurant and get good service. If you compare service in Hong Kong with the mainland, then things could not be further apart. Hong Kong has world class service. If this is the British that has raised the service level, or it is the British that has prevented it from dropping, I cannot tell. However, as the millions of mainlanders who go to Hong Kong every year as tourists, generally are considered by the Hong Kongers as rude, I doubt they get the same experience and as they are just there to buy as much stuff as possible to gain face when they get home, they probably do not enjoy the difference and bring back the story of how nice it is with good service.
As far as I know, some companies, like Starbucks are fighting hard to train their employees to give good service, this has the result that employees, once they have worked at Starbucks a while, will go hunt for jobs elsewhere as they now has "service" on their resume
Samsara:
Starbucks is like a little bastion of civilisation. I am impressed by how well the staff keep it together. Pretty much every Chinese customer who comes in the door (who hasn’t been before) pushes their way straight to the counter, ignoring the queue like it isn’t there. Then they get told to wait in line like everyone else. It’s hilarious to watch.
Consider the level of social retardation we would attribute to this behaviour (pushing in front of a line of customers) if it happened in a Western country. It would be quite surprising to witness.
Scandinavian:
this may be an urban legend, but.... In Hong Kong, people did not line up until McDonalds opened up their first shop. The McDonalds "restaurants" were not capable of working according to the design unless people lined up, and waited for their food. This has forced the concept of lining up, onto the Hong Kongers
Samsara:
That's very interesting. Hong Kong benefited a lot from British occupation*, and I always assumed that Hong Kong people's civilised behaviour in the present day dated from that era. I could be totally wrong - Actually, I was just reading (on SCMP I think) about Kowloon being a densely populated drug/prostitution/gambling den until a few decades ago.
*: Sorry mainland Chinese, but it's true, and Hong Kong people say so themselves. If you would like to submit to foreign occupation, we could turn you all into modern, socially acceptable people too. Unfortunately, Chinese people don't accept constructive advice. Or for that matter, want to learn anything.
Scandinavian:
Here in Zhuhai where I live, we can cross the border to Macau on foot. It's two different worlds. In Macau, the cars drive according to rules, no one throws garbage, no spitting etc, the baby formula is safe, the burgers at McDonalds are better. The difference is so giant. Despite more than 200000 people from the mainland crossing the border to Macau each day, no one is learning a thing.
As an interesting effect in Zhuhai. If you are about to cross a street at a pedestrian crossing, you will get killed if you don't wait until no cars are coming, unless you can see the car approaching in on Macau plates, they always stop.
Samsara:
Completely agree. One of the most striking differences in Hong Kong is the traffic. Hong Kong has very high traffic density, yet everyone gets to their destination much faster because everyone obeys the rules. There is a social consensus (lets all respect each other and obey the law) and everyone benefits. China has absolutely no idea about this yet. It's everyone for themselves and nobody benefits.
A few fundamental things need to change before that happens – which is a nice way of saying “No chance!”
First, Chinese people need to start caring about people they don’t know. Common courtesy to one's fellow human isn’t a concept that Chinese people have grasped yet. In Western society (I haven’t been to America, but certainly in Britain and Australia) people care about the feelings and well-being of other people, whether acquainted or not.
When in public, we are considerate of others, because we understand that we are basically the same as them – we have the same needs, and would all prefer to be treated with respect. Thus, we reached the consensus (without even saying it – it’s just that obvious) that if everyone is good to each other, everyone benefits. We are glad to be part of society, so we try (without even consciously thinking it) to maintain that framework by being nice to each other.
China does not have social cohesion (let alone “social harmony” – Ha!). Most Chinese people could not honestly care less about anyone they don’t know, let alone care about an abstract concept like “society”. No Chinese person wants to go to any personal effort to make their society a nice place. The idea of showing courtesy to someone you don’t know (unless you stand to benefit materially) is completely foreign to them.
So I wouldn’t hold my breath.
I went to London a few months ago, and was blown away by the customer service (simply by virtue of having lived in China for 3 years). Service staff smile at you, ask you how your day was, make conversation – and they give you your change instead of dropping it on the counter.
Apparently during the Industrial Revolution in England, people (being ultra-materialistic at that time) acted with no regard for society and no respect for their fellow humans. China is experiencing a similar situation now, so maybe in a hundred years they will become civilised, sophisticated and considerate humans. Maybe.
I have been to plenty of restaurants and am usually quite pleased with the service. Sure no "how was your day, did you enjoy your meal" type conversation but do you really think that the fake be nice to you small talk in restaurants in other countries is generated by anything other than groveling for a tip. Considering how the staff are treated in China by some of their customers I find they do OK. Had a great meal at a BBQ place the other day and both my host (a Chinese businessman) and myself as well as the rest of our party were thanking and joking with the staff as they took orders and served our dishes and it was an efficient, enjoyable and relaxed meal with great service. I have also been to a private restaurant the same host and it was probably one of the best meals I have ever had and the service was superb. I quite enjoy the casualness of eating in China but that is me and others may like the more formal approach.
Samsara:
"Do you really think that the fake be nice to you small talk in restaurants in other countries is generated by anything other than groveling for a tip?"
I do. In Australia and the UK, restaurant staff don't expect a tip. People working in all customer service positions are well-mannered and sociable.
This is because A) they know it will reflect well on their place of business, and B) because civilised humans are social creatures who like getting along well with others.
Scandinavian:
It's not even the superficial smiling etc. I miss in the restaurants here. It is very basic things like getting the food that I ordered, not getting bugs in the food, getting the food warm etc, and if any of these fails, you can be sure that it will end in a lengthy discussion, specifically designed to make the customer resign and just live with the restaurants mistake. And you can be sure you will be charged full price unless you start another lengthy discussion, where the waiter will tell you that he/she will get fired etc. the manager will come and say they cannot subtract anything from the bill because it will be taken from their salary etc. You will be fed a thick bowl of guilt for your trouble of pointing out that something is wrong. Instead of a "thank you for telling your opinion, now we can improve"
the restaurants that give me good service have me as a steady repeat customer, but i have to admit, out of 50 restaurants in one kilometer range, only 6 meet the service level of me coming back again, perhaps when labor is no longer cheap, this will change, but somehow i doubt my optimistic thinking.
In China: bad service brings about no complaints due to the fact that it may "mess up this harmonious society". hahaha
Complaining sometimes brings about change; but that doesn't compute here whatsoever.
Sad.
no, slave labor, ignorance, hyper-competition, rude culture, no accountability
Well if you figure that everything is always changing and that the service industry couldn't get much worse, then yes, I'd say it must improve.
I hate when they bring you a menu and then hover over you while you look at it so you feel rushed.
LAR:
"I..............rushed." Then, you need to speak up and say something.
Ha ha Ha ha Ha ha Ha ha Ha ha Ha ha Ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!! 
You're joking right? * It's not just restaurants..it's the dry-cleaners,small markets,supermarkets,the information desk at the metro station,department stores,bakeries,print shops..on and on and on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! * It's not even just about the "customer is king" concept. * It's the constant BORED,UNFRIENDLY,STUPID,ETHNOCENTRIC,XENOPHOBIC,HIGHLY CHILDISH,ANNOYING,STRANGE,PUSHY,RUDE,ARROGANT..HEAD UP THE *** ATTITUDE!!! * Take your pick or a combination thereof!
