Shouting At Staff, Not Paying Bill — Diners Misbehave Over Differentiated Dining Rules

Since August 10, F&B establishments have been allowed to reopen for dining in – with a different set of rules for the vaccinated (up to five vaccinated people are allowed to dine in at restaurants), and yet-to-be-fully vaccinated (who can only makan at hawker centres and kopitiams in pairs). Unsurprisingly, certain errant diners from the latter group – either because they haven’t been fully vaccinated (if at all), or don’t possess the proper documentation – have been caught trying to sneak their way into restaurants for a meal. What’s surprising, however, is how bold some of these flouters are, with rampant reports of people flashing fake vaccination screen shots and more. Is eating out really worth the potential shame and punishment when caught? We suppose it’s because there are no manifest penalties set in stone yet for offenders (those caught using fake certificates will face a “severe penalty” was what Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on a Facebook post on Aug 11), hence the brazen behaviour.

Chef-owner Alan Lee tells 8days.sg that the two vaccinated guests who arrived earlier were “expats [who] ordered two gin & tonics while waiting for another friend from Korea to turn up”. While they were waiting, Alan tells us that his restaurant manager briefed them that [the soon-to-arrive visitor] needed the necessary vaccination documentation in order to dine in. “They said: ‘Okay don’t worry,’” shares Alan. “But when the Korean guy came, he could only provide something in Korean, and we couldn’t even tell if it’s a vaccination certificate, plus he didn’t have the TraceTogether app, so he couldn’t check in. The manager told him we can’t really seat you as it’s way too dangerous [for the restaurant], and it’s against the rules,” he shares.

”[The first two guests] started being very rowdy, saying ‘I don’t understand’ — I don’t know the exact words they used, but I don’t think it was very nice. We showed them some stuff that the government sent us [detailing the measures]. This was during peak [dinner] hour at 7.30pm. They made a big hoo-ha at the hostess’ stand and then left without paying,” adds Alan.

According to the Ministry of Health press release issued on Aug 9, short-term visitor pass holders must “update their vaccination status on the NIR (National Immunisation Registry)”.

“Hard copies of overseas vaccination certificates will not be accepted” as it would be “difficult for individual establishments to verify the authenticity of these certificates which are issued in different formats and languages.” The same MOH press release states that an alternative to verifying one’s overseas vaccination certificate would be a negative test result from a Ministry of Health-approved Covid-19 test provider, taken within the last 24 hours.

The expats eventually agreed to return “later in the week” to pay for their drinks after Greenwood Fish Market's restaurant manager called them the next day and informed them that a police report would have to be made otherwise. “It’s not about the money,” Alan tells us. “It’s about the self-entitlement of walking away without paying.”

Wakayama-born chef Taro Takayama, who heads eponymous contemporary Japanese fine-diner Takayama in Shenton Way, faced issues during Saturday’s (Aug 14) dinner service when a diner attempted to use someone else’s cert to prove her vaccination status. “[My captain] asked her to refresh the TraceTogether app to show her vaccination status. Instead, “she went to her [phone’s] photo folder and showed someone else’s vaccination status. [The captain then] asked her to show [her own vaccination status] from her [TraceTogether] app and she refused,” says the chef.

As a last resort, the chef says the customer “took out a letter and gave it to [the staff member] — it said she already completed her second vaccination dose [on Aug 11]”. As the guest’s reservation at Takayama happened only three days after her second dose was administered and was not yet fully in effect, she and her dining companion were turned away.

Adds chef Taro: “She asked about [refunding] her deposit. I said we need to charge it as two seats have been wasted due to ‘immorality’. Then she walked away .

The compact Takayama restaurant serves an omakase-only menu and requires a non-refundable deposit (unless you cancel more than 48 hours before your reservation date) which diners are informed of via the eatery’s booking platforms Chope, their own website or over the phone. During the aforementioned reservation process, diners are also reminded about their deposits being non-refundable if they cannot prove their vaccination status on-site at the eatery.

While the opportunistic guests left without further argument, forfeiting their $200 deposit for two people, the chef explains: “For me, arguing or not arguing is not important. If [you] cannot come, don’t come. Don’t try. I cannot understand these person’s mindset. Our dining counter can only take eight pax. We were supposed to be fully booked [for the] counter — we also had [guests on the] waiting list .

We ask him if the loss of income from two seats — the dinner omakase costs $280 per pax, contrasted against the $100 per person deposit for the cost of expensive, highly perishable ingredients that often can’t be kept for use another day — stings. He says genially: “Not really. I want to believe that people [mainly have] good intentions.”

One-Michelin-starred modern Singaporean restaurant Labyrinth’s first dinner service after reopening on Aug 13 was marred by an altercation with a couple, one of whom was not yet fully vaccinated. Chef-owner Han Li Guang took to Facebook on Aug 14 to detail the incident.

According to chef Li Guang’s post, it was discovered that the guest was not yet indicated as fully vaccinated on his TraceTogether App as 14 days have yet to pass since his second dose. The guest was thus refused entry into the restaurant and told by the general manager (GM) that their reservation deposit ($120 deposit per pax for a dinner that ranges from $178 to $238, according to Li Guang) will be forfeited. The guest “immediately [went] into a rage”, claiming to have made the booking prior to new regulations whilst being unaware of the 14-day window. However, this was untrue. “His reservation was made on August 8, two days after the news came out,” Li Guang tells 8days.sg

“[The guest] then proceeded to hurl profanities [at] my GM and another staff (the F word was used twice),” says Li Guang in his post. “[He] even mocked their intellect and threatened to go online to post about the incident to let the netizens ‘decide’.”

“Labyrinth is a reservations-only restaurant. All reservations have to be done through our online platform, Chope. The system was closed throughout any Phase 2 HA period, which means there was no way for the customer to have booked it before the new laws were passed,” Li Guang explains to us.

When making a booking through the Chope platform, a pop-up box detailing the vaccination-differentiated safe management measures must be acknowledged before customers can complete the booking. They must also tick a check box reiterating said measures further into the form.

All of these steps are done before one even makes a deposit. Finally, guests who’ve made a booking receive a confirmation email, further detailing the measures.

According to the owner of Labyrinth, the general manager offered to allow the guest’s partner (who was fully vaccinated) to dine in alone while waiving the partially-vaxxed guest’s deposit. The unvaccinated guest refused, before “verbally abusing my staff and storming off. We couldn’t offer any takeaway or delivery, as Labyrinth[‘s fine-dining options] are not takeaway-friendly,” Li Guang shares.

Despite conflicting responses to his FB post — some netizens criticised him for not refunding the deposit for an unfulfilled meal while many others supported him — LG stands by his decision to not waive the forfeiture of the deposit for both guests. He reasons: “the customer has already been informed not once, not twice, but three times [via the Chope booking platform and email] of the rules.”

“We don’t make money on deposits. It only covers the cost of ingredients, not the opportunity cost. $120 per head – that’s just the food. It doesn’t cover manpower, it doesn’t cover part-timers that I hire [during busier days], it doesn’t cover rent or other overheads at all,” the chef explains.

“We want to make the sale. We want to make customers happy. But we can’t break the law. We have to create an environment that is safe for both diners and our staff to work in,” he adds.

According to chef Li Guang’s Facebook post, his staff “held firm and remained calm throughout the exchange.” The errant guest, however, was dissatisfied with their service nonetheless.

Following the incident, the guest left a one-star Google review (which Li Guang reposted on his Facebook on Aug 14) on the restaurant stating, “Not only did their reservation staff fail to confirm with us prior on vaccination (received my second shot a week prior), they were incredibly unprofessional during the safe entry process.”

Li Guang clarifies: “As part of our regular service, we already call customers a day before [the reservation date] to check if they have special occasions, any dietary requirements and so on. We also inform customers of the new laws. They didn’t pick up our calls, twice – we can’t keep calling them”.

All three chefs interviewed are adamant that diners shouldn’t try to circumvent the rules – nor should they become abusive when caught.

“It’s sad. Everyone is trying their best to do their part. We are trying to enforce [the rules] so everyone gets to dine in [safely]. One out of 100 customers try to be funny and sneak somebody in – it’s irresponsible, and it’s childish,” Alan of Greenwood Fish Market says.

“Rules are set by the government, and we as a restaurant are just enforcing the rules. We have to bear the responsibility if our customers break the rules.” adds Li Guang on his Facebook post.

The chefs also hope that authorities will come up with measures to curb errant diners for as long as vaccination-differentiated dine-in measures are here to stay. “There should be clear penalties for those attempting to game the system, and for restaurants who knowingly admit them,” Li Guang adds. “For example, part-timers will have a hard time dealing with customers determined to break rules. Restaurants are at the mercy of [misbehaving] customers.” He also thinks that a hotline to enforcement agencies in the event of unruly diners would be helpful.

“I believe people [naturally do the right thing], but I think we should impose tough penalties on those who do not. I hope the government will announce some penalties for these people,” chef Taro of Takayama adds.

“The government should enforce stricter checks on incoming travellers that aren’t locals. Help them get the [TraceTogether] app, convert their vaccination certificates upon landing, etc,” shares Alan. “[Restaurants] should not be the ones to suffer for customers without decent dining ethics.”

“If people abusing F&B staff [aren’t met with] resistance, they will keep doing it,” Alan says. “It’s unnecessary grief. We hope that people can be more generous, and kinder.”

As for the owner of Labyrinth, he says, “Verbal abuse is not acceptable. I have to protect my staff. No staff should be allowed to be subjected to any verbal abuse. That is a fact and cannot be argued with.”

Photos: Yip Jieying, Florence Fong, Greenwood Fish Market, Restaurant Labyrinth, Takayama, Unsplash/Deepika Murugesan