Dine-ins have resumed at restaurants, albeit for the fully vaccinated. In case you’re unsure, full vaccination takes effect 2 weeks after your 2nd Covid-19 jab.
F&B establishments that aren’t located at coffee shops or hawker centres cannot allow customers who aren’t fully vaccinated to dine in.
Unfortunately, one customer who made a reservation at a Michelin-starred restaurant didn’t get the memo and showed up a week after getting his 2nd jab.
When the staff turned him away, he allegedly went on a tirade and then left a 1-star review of the restaurant.
Chef and owner Han Li Guang, better known as LG Han, took to Facebook to address the customer’s behaviour and urged the public to respect staff — they do not make the rules.
Mr Han shared on Saturday (14 Aug) that the previous night, when Restaurant Labyrinth reopened, a couple with a reservation walked in.
But the general manager (GM) found out that the man wasn’t fully vaccinated as per the TraceTogether app.
As a result, the couple wasn’t allowed in, with the GM even empathising with the man since he himself had to wait until he was fully vaccinated as well.
However, the man allegedly went into a rage upon being denied his reservation deposit.
He claimed the following:
He also allegedly started yelling profanities at staff, including mocking their intellect.
During the tirade, the man allegedly said he’d post about the incident online to let netizens “decide” and that he’d escalate the matter to the GM.
Little did he know that he was talking to the GM the entire time.
Meanwhile, the staff held firm and remained calm throughout, which Mr Han was proud of. However, he was saddened by the fact that they were verbally abused.
Mr Han added that what his staff went through apparently isn’t isolated. Other restaurants have seen customers behaving badly and trying to cheat the system as well, he said.
But he stressed that restaurants are merely enforcing the rules that the government has set.
Restaurants will bear responsibility if customers break the rules, so he hopes that the public can be more understanding.
Mr Han urged customers to wait the full 2 weeks to be fully vaccinated before dining in or making reservations at restaurants.
Unfortunately, the customer left a 1-star review of the restaurant, claiming that staff were “incredibly unprofessional” during the SafeEntry process and alleged that reservations staff failed to confirm their vaccination status.
Mr Han noted that the restaurant had tried to contact the man’s partner before the reservation date but could not reach her.
In a follow-up post on Sunday (15 Aug), Mr Han clarified the restaurant’s policy of not refunding the man’s deposit even though he was turned away.
He explained that Restaurant Labyrinth relies solely on reservations, and when it announced that it was reopening, the requirement for full vaccination to dine in was stated.
The man had made his reservation on 8 Aug, 2 days following the announcement of the new measures.
Additionally, the requirement to be fully vaccinated has been widely publicised, Mr Han noted.
Instead, the man chose to try his luck on the day itself instead of clarifying with the restaurant beforehand, he lamented.
The restaurant also prepares food on the day itself in accordance with the exact number of customers dining on that day since they only accept reservations.
If someone is turned away due to being ineligible for dine-in, that will result in losses incurred. Mr Han noted that the deposit “does not even cover the loss”.
Lastly, customers will have been reminded that they must be fully vaccinated when making their reservations.
He noted that the GM was professional in adhering to the law and company protocol by forfeiting the deposit, but was verbally abused for that.
Mr Han hopes for more awareness regarding treating F&B workers with respect, considering they merely enforce rules set by the government.
In this case, the protocol was followed, but not only were the staff treated to a tirade, there was also a 1-star review blaming them.
The customer is not, in fact, always right, especially during this period. Being fully vaccinated is important, even though it may be frustrating to wait for 2 weeks.
We hope that customers can be more understanding as well because this is all for safety’s safe. Please do not try your luck before you are fully vaccinated, as this will put restaurants in a tough spot.
Nobody wants to turn away someone, and taking your frustrations out on staff doesn’t do anything but distress others.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Esplanade.
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