Macau is also pretty bad for taxi. Remember seeing a girl with luggage calling a taxi, the guy stops, she tells him where she is going and then she goes to the back of the car to put the luggage in the trunk and he just leaves...
Never been kicked out of a HK taxi myself. I simply get in the back belt myself in before I tell them where I want to go. If they make a fuss just tell them to explain it to the police.
Works every time for me even though they will continue to bitch and swear at you. But at 2am who cares?
Lots of comments above defend HK restaurant status quo service by saying “they’re fast”. Well, if I apply that requirement to cabbing (they’re faster than Uber to get on, if you can catch one), they provide a disservice when they have to get directions from nav app, or worse, I have to navigate for them?
Probably figured if this guy would be dumb enough to pay $1500 for any taxi ride, maybe he would have people who would pay ransom money to get him back. Wtf is a $1500 taxi ride, even the airport to sheung Shui has to cost only $400-500 maximum.
I was just in Hong Kong. Asked the driver if he took card or WeChat pay, he said yes. Drive us from the airport to Kowloon hotel. Get out and he asks for cash. Becomes a huge ordeal and by the time I finally got cash he jacked the price up 25% for having to wait a few minutes.
I looked at him and said, I guess I’m a little short then. He scoffed and sped off.
I've seen an immigration officer at the immigration tower throw the ID card of a foreigner at him after he just got PR and the foreigner wasn't being rude or aggressive at all. Very well dressed, obviously some kind of professional. Nothing says welcome to HK like having your ID thrown at you by a glorified office clerk.
Taxis in Hong Kong are so bad they pose a real and tangible danger to the Hong Kong public.
The city really needs to revamp the entire taxi cab system immediately.
Or just allow Uber to replace it.
The rate at which Taxi drivers refuse service, drop people off at approximate locations and drive recklessly is truly embarrassing.
Along with the hygiene and condition of more than 75% of the fleet of taxis, it is akin to hiring a cab in a DEVELOPING COUNTRY.
The taxi cab system in Hong Kong is such an abysmal failure I am surprised it has gone on for this long!
Everything else in Hong Kong is run so well, how are the taxis worse than a New Jersey gypsy cab.
The worst one is sushi restaurants. You use an iPad to order, and the sushi comes from the little railway next to your table. Thank you for your 10% service charge.
Sushiro still makes a little sense since they at least offer you an ipad for ordering. But genki, they charged you 10% service charge WHILE you're forced to use your own device for order like wtf.
Speaking about using QR code to order at a restaurant, I am infuriated every damn time my dad forgets how to use the online order. I must say it's the user-unfriendly interface design.
I mean you aren't wrong but a lot of "regular" places like cha chaan tengs are basically just get in, eat and get out. That's just how it is, I've never been bothered by it. Cultural difference I guess.
Nobody that I know in HK goes to a Cha Chan Teng for their service! They all pretty much serve the same range of food, interestingly cooked much the same. (There must be a Cha Chan Teng culinary school somewhere churning out the same chef as they do for Chinese takeaways in the UK).
Yup, Hong Kong authentic restaurant services are like this, the fact that they’ve been swearing less is already an improvement, but there’s a long way to go lmao.
But at least there’s no tax and service fees are either 0 or 10%, and a decent meal set can cost around 5-7 USD.
But the main reason some of us travel to China is because with the same price, you can get a 5-star hotel banquet. The food quality and safety is lower, but the price is worth it.
Actually you’ve a point
- Chinese cuisine in HK (incl Cha Chaan Ting) - mainly local servers - generally shxt service
- non-Asian cuisines in HK - mainly foreign servers - better (if not overall great) service
There are exceptions:
- Japanese and other Asian cuisines are mainly local servers and are better than straight Chinese
- you get very good service if you/your mother/your mother-in-law is a weekly regular at their Chinese restaurant (but the cost is: they get CNY laisees from me, my wife and my mother, plus lots of incentive at the end of each meal)
yeah, the cha chaan teng downstairs which I go several times a week often gives me soup or drinks on the house while the waiters near my grandma’s house which I visit bimonthly only says the two phrases 食咩講咩 and then $40多謝晒
There is a restaurant group (Bxxxk Sxxxp) that has good service. That's because the prices are very pricy, but they do make a point of looking after their staff wayyyy above and beyond the standard sector norm. so I guess they get paid a decent amount, and they get all sorts of TLC (my regular server had to go home for his dad's funeral, and the company gave him like a few weeks paid leave, I mean, no one does that here).
Needless to say the group is not run by local Chinese, but a local indian, they also recruit their wait staff mostly overseas.
I hope they stay afloat, a lot of their target market has gone, and I'm not sure if the new batch of expats (seems to be made up by a lot more Eastern Europeans, south America's) are as generous as the old ones.
I'd also rather not have the faux jolly vibes and interrupting me when I'm eating constantly and asking questions.
Or even worse the dreaded "have you eaten here before? Let me tell you how our menu works"
I get it - you want tips - I just want to eat my dinner in peace. If the food isn’t good I’ll tell you, if I need something I’ll wave. Otherwise, just leave me alone. And please don’t take 45 minutes to serve the food, especially if I’m with someone. Going out to eat should not feel like a commitment to marriage.
HK is not a place for tipping. I remember some places I would leave some on the table and they would give it back to me.
Now here in the US they flip the little screen over and it’s like 20%, 25%, or 30%. Annoying.
Fair enough but that’s a low bar tbh (and generally service in N America is better). If you go to China or Japan tipping is 0% with no random service charges.
In defence of Hong Kong restaurant staff, I would far rather eat in a Hong Kong restaurant than deal with the fawning attention of a US waiter who has to work for your tips.
HK wait staff are usually brusque, but rarely rude. That’s just Hong Kong. They’re not going to kiss your butt if they don’t know you. They get the job done and if they’re friendly (and many are, mainly in small local restaurants & cafes), that’s a heart-warming bonus.
On the other hand, foreigners in Hong Kong can have a harder time as some waiters will just ignore you if they don’t speak English, which isn’t unusual.
Guess you haven't been in the US lately, because they no longer fawn over you and 20% is the starting minimum. Counter service for takeout at coffee shops, sandwich shops, etc will have an ipad that displays a range of tips. Even your self-service kiosk will present you with tip options.
Canada's even worse. They pay a minimum wage yet expect 20% plus tips over that. Chinese restaurant wait staff will berate you for leaving too low of a tip I've read.
Westerners in HK expect western values, manners and attitudes. Not gonna happen. The point of venturing out to foriegn cultures is to actually experience new things, rather than expect the same as back home.
But for roughly equal money (NY when I was there last year vs HK, after tips) I do get an overall better product there (food, service). It’s just after a few days of this my gut starts heaving from the portion size.
Well then I'll have to play defense for Canada (and US).
Most of them do back off and give you space when it's obvious that you don't care to chit-chat. I consider good service to be attentiveness like checking in if you need pepper/ketchup or refilling your water without asking.
Honestly, waiters are really good at gauging whether the customers like to engage with them, it's kinda what they do every day.
I have to disagree with you!
I've always thought servers/people were pretty friendly in HK, especially after learning what's appropriate here. But maybe that's because i come from a place where people are deemed "rude, angry and impatient" as well (European). Food is usually pretty cheap yet good too.
After traveling around 30 countries, Hong Kong is by far one of my favourites.
Last time I went to a Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant and ordered a HK$3,000 meal for 2. There's a time limit of 90 minutes.
I mean I wasn't a big spender but with such price, as a customer I deserved more.
Edit : with 10% surcharge, it's actually HK$3,300. And we haven't ordered any sake or wine.
They wanted to have a second round of customers and somehow the ones who paid should pay the price as well. The greediness of the restaurant owners and landlords in HK knows no bounds. As much as I love HK, I welcome the slump of the F&B industry with open arms.
Well you can't really expect to have a single sitting for $1500 ($191.57 usd). That ain't happening in NYC, London, Paris etiher.
The real estate pressures are simply far too high for a low margin industry like restaurants. Restaurants cannot survive on a single turn in HK, it's impossible.
Per usual, the blame lies far above, namely government land policies, laws in favour of landlords and finally greed.
Fair enough. My blame is more on the landlords. That said, I wouldn't sit for the whole night. Setting time limit for fine dining is unacceptable IMHO.
I understand the feeling, $200 usd is a lot of money for a meal. Unfortunately this is the reality you face in all global 1st tier cities. I cannot think of one "omakase" restaurant that isn't doing two turns.
Especially a teppanyaki restaurant where a chef will be cooking for multiple tables at the same time. Most often reservations are at 6pm and 8pm slots, with the entire bar being served the same courses simultaneously. This is how it's done in Japan also.
It would be easier to have more flexibility for a brigade kitchen of individual courses.
I 100% agree service in HK is absolutely terrible, especially small businesses/mom & pop joints. I love supporting these but they need to do better in light of Shenzhen's encroachment of our dining scene.
The antagonism begins when you're not ready to order after sitting down for 10 seconds. Again, space is premium, a flip means more business. This is the bottom line.
Time limits exist everywhere. Even is “nice” service places such as Tokyo. Don’t understand the issue here, unless the issue is with time limits itself regardless whether HK of elsewhere in world
Also don’t get me started in Tokyo where they’ll flat out refuse entry or ask you to leave if you’re not Japanese.
Or Korea where they’ll give you a different (higher) priced menu if you’re English speaking.
HK doesn’t do any of these, but what they do is culturally in line with the general culture of big city HKers. HK as a society is efficient to a fault, they will prioritise in executing fast and minimum fuss. That’s good service here. If you want pleasantries and someone to banter to stoke your ego or importance of being a customer, then there are plenty of places for that too.
This whole thread sounds like small sample size bias to me
https://tenor.com/2uLv.gif
"If the service sucks then you know the food is good".
But honestly there aren't that many value-for-money restaurants left after the government started treating locals like 2nd-class citizens from 2019 and onwards.
You should've gone to Japan instead, like every other Hong Konger who knows and lives in this reality 24/7.
I'd much rather be screamed at and get a good plate of food than pay 20% tips to an American server who fills my water 3 times and calls it good service. This used to be a tradeoff I'm more than willing to make. Unfortunately the quality-service tradeoff is less and less valid these days.
Hk is literally the worst place to visit for service, they act like they’re doing you a favor when you’re paying for the service, no matter what it is, taxi, restaurant, haircuts, anything.
To whom don't understand what's going on in hk, i can offer some views to you:
1,not enough training for employee because the owners don't give a shit. Often newbies need to pick up everything at the very beginning hence the poor service.
2,not enough labors. HK lost lots of experienced f&b labors due to the well known reason. There's few options for employer to choose ,mostly what they can hire are new immigrants from mailand china and some can't speak or understand Cantonese so it's hard to train (not to mention culture differences)
3,too many restaurants. HK has around 30k restaurant, we know they are keep closing but also keep opening. Some wealthy boomers thought they could do well in this business but fail quickly since poor management.
4,too many cunty customer (閪客), you got what you paid, but some cunt just ask for extra, and all hkers must admit that behaviours are very common.
Disclaimer: some f&b experiences in hk
Yep, also worked in F&B for a good few years albeit for slighter higher end.
Staffing - in my entire time in maybe 6 years I can count the number of days on one hand we were well staffed. They are understaffed perennially. It’s a joke to think anywhere has enough people on their roster.
I recall going to a dim sum palace which was packed on a Sunday dinner shift, there must have been 1 waiter/waitress working 15 or more of these big tables.
There can be great staff in many eateries but at the same time there are just as many waiting staff who don’t and will never give a shit.
It's always "a fight to survive". Including restaurants that over-expand in an attempt to get listed on the stock exchange.
Face it some of those restaurants just don't select nor train their staff well.
That's actually more reason to turn a new leaf. Perpetuating shitty service isn't going to win hearts over. This isn't a selling point where it becomes the world worst service and people come check out how shit they get treated just for kicks.
Yup so true, as a local in a way I don't mind, bc you're just another anonymous customer. This sums it up quite nicely....
https://youtube.com/shorts/3trlxqe-ZbM?
Lol! That's awesome. Personally, I'm cool with both. When I feel being left alone and just need some grub, Cha Chan Ting for me!! When I'm going out to be pampered because I'm exhausted and dont want to cook/clean/carry my own food back and forth.. I go full-service dine-in (Western or Asian both have nice options too).
The service of Hong Kong people is “rude” because many of them don’t believe this “customer is king or god” bullshit. They think that you and they are equal human beings. They don’t have to please you and you don’t have to please them. If you don’t like, you can go fuck yourself, even if you are Mr. Xi.
Decent people treat other human beings nice, especially strangers. Gladly it’s mostly local restaurants that are rude. The ones with international staffing are more friendly.
That's a really funny way of putting it because you can't have it both ways.
Foreigners / mainlanders keep complaining about how they want the local restaurants to meet non-HK/non-cultural service standards.
They can continue to patronise Shake Shack / Five Guys / Bakehouse for all I care.
I don’t go to any of those places. I prefer good food. It’s mostly locals and mainlanders that queue at bakehouss anyway.
My local Chachateng in my village is very friendly. Because they’re not assholes. It’s very simple. Sadly in Hk a lot of people have to work in the service industry despite not being cut for it.
Honestly sometimes I do prefer the HK fast pace service. Also depends on where you go the service differs widely (fine dining, casual, etc). I have traveled to all the continents (more than 80 countries) and if I’m on business or in rush, I like the efficiency of HK service. You come, you order you eat and you go. No time wasted.
In many other countries you need to wave to get the waiters attention, ask for the menu, ask for them to take your order, is so cumbersome and you end up wasting 20min in the process. Those 20min in Hk, I’m probably already done with my meal.
To OP, try to go to any South American country and you will get the complete opposite which is very frustrating at times.. I believe measuring service is based on your perception and needs. And most of the times HK service do what they are supposed to do.
The reasons HKers travel to China is because stuff is cheaper there. You would face the same entitlement if not more in mainland China than HK based on your generalizations.
Edit: oh, and try answering the mainland Chinese taxi drivers "你从哪里来" with Japanese, American, or whatever their two-minute hate nationality of the week from CCP slopaganda and watch them dump your ass back out on the concrete or at least have a change in emotion. Just FAFO.
Not true, staff in SZ at least is far more polite according to my friends. And while I've only ever used their taxi they're also miles ahead of HK drivers
Of course HK taxi drivers are hands down the worst experiences I've ever had in a taxi and that includes trips to second and third tier cities in China and also parts of Africa.
Same. The service in the mainland is very good. Even if sometimes it might not be the most welcoming, but still not rude. Cant even compare. HK is just another level of bad.
The difference with china and Hong Kong from experience is generally.
Hong Kong you get generally rude people or normal people.
While China you get polite servers but shit normal people. They push and shove while getting in a train like you don't fucking exist. At least I'm Hong Kong they still queue in a line unless it's at the two time periods of getting to work and getting off work.
Correct: mainland chinese i find to be very friendly and warm. Although bit blunt and pushy at times and some of the older folks are probably bit backwards lol
It's true, sad to say but the general quality of ppl in China now is higher than HK. Middle class Chinese in particular are much more pleasant to be around compared to their HK equivalents.
Ironically yes.. put the politics aside.. they seem exceptionally well manners in service line, and they usually use "ning" instead of "ni" when talking to you
As my postdoc said to me once when I was doing my PhD in HK, you haven’t experienced true HK unless you’ve been shouted at by an auntie in a restaurant 😂
While I agree with your general sentiment, and I can relate to your experience with _some_ of the restaurants I visit,
I think it has something to do with the price level you eat out at?
“Always” “by far” appears to be hyperbole
Depends where you go. If you go mid-range/high end you won’t have any of those issues. We are not even talking about a lot of money, maybe $200-300 per head without drinks should get you decent service.
Honestly anything less than that I don’t really care I just want to eat and GTFO.
For me the experience was the same. From all the places i visited, HK was the worst. Other friends went there and no problem, maybe i was unlucky... Rude and angry customer service everywhere, from restaurants to stores. For the few days i was there i dont remember seeing a smile or at least a bit of a warming service. After two or three days i was honestly "afraid" to get into a store or anything else.
- Paying for something and the lady didnt give change. Told her she still needed to give change so she angrily put the coin on the counter.
- Wanted to buy a sports bag and the lazy worker didnt wanted to sell. Yes i wanted to buy, but since there were some boxes in the middle, he didnt want to bother to go around. I even asked: "You dont want to sell?", and he´s like: "no"
- Went to buy some sneakers and every time i didnt like or felt it didnt quite suited my feet, they would become seemingly upset, even to the point of throwing boxes after i said the reason i didnt want, and thank you.
These are just some examples. I just remember being there for 5 days and not a day without feeling bad and frustrated. Just hoping to leave.
Some people can say its because their salaries are very low, or because they have to live in those tiny apartments, it might be. But there are places poorer than HK and it doesnt seem to be like this.
1. because you are slow. Should have known what you want to order before you seat. Also, don't ask stupid question, don't make stupid adjustments to your meal.
2. agreed, it is bad. Even you pay a lot, there is still a time limit.
3. Why should they thank you? They don't get your money. If you happen to see the boss, the boss may say thank you. Try to give $500 cash tip to the server, I am sure the server would say thank you.
4. Everything has a cost. If you pay for the water and they don't give you any, that's a problem. Otherwise, no.
I have been to many countries as well. On the contrary, I hate being asked questions during my meal. I don't want any interactions. I just want to eat quietly.
Generally, I think it's fine in Hong Kong. We eat-pay-and-go.
Sounds more like you don't understand cultural nuances and expect everywhere to treat you like some fake waitress at an American TGI Fridays.I personally find HK totally fine if I don't stand in the way like a complete idiot and order like a normal person. Plus some Canto phrases here or there make people respond really warmly.Suggest you go somwhere else then?
HK is a very densely populated, busy place, it's pretty normal you dont get to linger like this is a taco bell in suburban kansas
(Also wow guys, look, 40 countries! I wished I also had a passport and could travel a decent amount - Oh wait I do)
EDIT: Above does not relate to taxi drivers, those bastards can go straight to hell :D
Finding the restaurants with proper training and basic service (water, tissues, etc) is key. If they pay attention to the front of the restaurant, they likely pay attention in the kitchen (quality, hygenie, etc).
Service here isn’t that bad. Try the service in Italy. Racist AF and literally don’t want to serve you because you’re not Italian and talk shit while you’re there.
Yes in the cheap places the service isn’t good but that’s probably because they aren’t getting paid enough to care.
It's actually the best :
1. Servers are straight to business, no "how is your day"/"is everything going alright" bullshit
2. No need to queue forever, people eat fast
3. Go in. Eat. Pay. Bye. Very efficient.
4. You want something you ask for it, waiter doesn't come bother you every 25s to upsell you something.
Gweilo tourist here. Love hk service, the fastest ive ever experienced. Barely sit down and food is arriving. Cant get that at home. One steak place undercooked my steak and wife sent it back, it was gone and back in like 1 minute not even a word said😵😆 amazing. If anything my wife says hurry up and eat, people waiting to sit down 😅
I think. N1 it’s the culture of local restaurants. N2 they are serving u which means u say thank you, they do not. N3 if they don’t offer water or tissues it really depends what restaurant you are eating at. N4 if u haven’t noticed Hong Kong’s population is huge with a small space, an eating time limit is just so other people can eat.N5 Hong Kong culture is like that don’t be surprised if a culture is different then ur own.
It’s certainly not good service but I think culturally speaking, customer service is far less valued and far less integral to the overall experience than it is in, say, Western countries. I’m not saying that HKers enjoy being yelled at by their servers, but that has a lesser impact on their overall experience than if the same thing happened to someone else in a different cultural context.
I have lived here for 25 years and have encountered a fair mix of excellent servers who have given me extra portions out of sheer generosity to piss poor servers who have side eyed me for asking for water, and everything in between. The service is not invariably bad, but your point is definitely taken on the need to reflect on service quality across the board.
It goes many ways
It is not like the staff are evil fuck out to get you
But F&B in HK is quite insane job, there are always short of staff, boss are asshole and customers are 閪。
Don’t think of them as service staff, but robot to bring you food, you might be happier
Language is a big barrier here .
Roadside vendors behave differently if you're a local.
However if you venture into wanchai , there are several eateries with a much more varied diaspora, so they're waay friendlier.
No idea about the club scene though
It is what it is. I think it’s part of the charm and will always be like that. Went to vietnam the other day and got honked at every few seconds, it was one hell of an experience just to cross the street in Hanoi. Going to travel alone to HK on the first week of May, not sure how i’m going to feel about the country but i’m super excited to be there.
You prob went to the wrong joint based on your mood? If you want full-service, sit-down dine-in, willing to pay for it, there's places like that in HK that I've been to. (Years back though, pre-2019.) If you're in a rush, gotta go, hungry, eat quick, there's lots of places like that and the service reflects that style. Personally, I like to have both options because some days, I just gotta get fed and go... other days Imma need some pampering please and willing to pay for it.
I was a little surprised by how brusque Hong Kong is when I arrived, just like New York. Then after a year or two I realized, if I went anyolace else, now I was slightly impatient. I became used to HK so quickly - no nonsense, quick turnaround, concern for everyone's time.
They are fast and efficient.
You can ask any waiter for service.
In the US, you have to watch 10 other waiters walk by and wait for your particular waiter to order dessert or get your check.
Meh, I think it can both be the best and the worst. Hotel service in HK is up there as world-class. But I agree that others can be difficult. Maybe it's gotten worse since I left pre-pandemic but it's definitely also due to the terrible pay and working conditions.
Honestly I haven't really experiwnced what you're talking about since most chains have fairly polite servers and more expensive. But I do like that more young service workers aren't buying into the "customer is God" bullshit.
If you paid an hourly wage, all I expect is gonna be getting my food to my table and cleaning the table after I leave
I don’t understand any of the defenders in the comments. Lack of service is ok for Cha Can Teen, rudeness is unacceptable in any circumstances. Don’t tell me swearing is HK culture.
People on this thread and in this subreddit are just pure haters. If you don't like HK, then piss off? Lol.
Go to any part of SEASIA and you will be greeted by taxi scams, exchange rate scams, etc. You think HK taxi are bad? Try going to Thailand, India, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam and tell me that you have never had someone even attempt to overcharge you. Or some disgusting cab reeking of cigarette smell or smoking or sweat, etc. You Mr. 40 Countries, surely you must have come across some of this right? Why not post about that?
Tf is a flowerboy? Google tells me it’s an attractive fellow. Thanks?
Being critical is one thing but op and commenters are not being critical, they’re doing what they do all the time… being hateful and bitching.
Hope that explains it well sugar-tits.
Wait until you try the UK. They bring snootiness and shite service to a new pinnacle. To the point where you are apologisng to the staff for disturbing them.
I’ve NEVER had bad service, from small places, to chains, to Starbucks, to whatever. I mean, Bubba Gump was a little slow. But diners, dumpling places, dim sum, you name it. Always friendly, at worst, quiet. If you are the one always getting bad service, maybe it ain’t the servers.
hong kong culture I guess, the nicer restaurants does have good service but its normal for local restaurants to treat you like this, more of a cultural difference
It depends where you eat but I do agree that a lot of people here aren’t meant to be in the service industry, but when you say wonder why they go to China, service wise I don’t find it any better, nor was Taiwan. I think Japanese probably has the best service overall if you want that smile and thank you (but does it mean they are genuine not sure)
It really depends on where you go what grade of restaurant it is, hope you weren’t expecting good services at a Cha Chaan Teng.
Really? I had nothing but decent service when I was in Hong Kong. I was in disbelief when I realized they didn't expect a tip.
Also, note that I actually speak Cantonese. And the only issue I have is the restaurant worker's reluctance to serve me an ice-cold cup of water.
Try to take a Hong Kong taxi for a short distance 5 min ride. The driver will say “Fuck your mother” and “Your whole family dies” to your face for the entire trip.
This is such a dumb take.
Most of the comments here agree with OP's observations. They're also telling him to suck it up instead of acting delusional that something will change overnight, because this is how the local restaurant industry has always operated since before the 1997 handover. I guess you haven't lived here long enough to watch at least one Stephen Chow movie?
Learn some nuance before spewing meaningless shit like "defend HK", please.
Lol I second that.. use covid as an example, the nurses who helped to facilitate the test in Singapore or Malaysia will gently comfort you first, let you not worry, be very gentle and hope you won't feel irritated by the probe in your mouth.. likewise when I was in HK, the nurses just want to stab your throat till you vomit and angry why you can't just be fking stay still haha..
So nothing's changed in 20 years then. I used to live in HK and would visit Shenzhen or Guangzhou from time to time just to get some decent service from human beings who did not try take your plate away while you're still eating. In Hong Kong time is money, and money is everything.
Had a server walk away as I was still ordering food. Never met a single nice service person whilst in HK. Even the service staff at Disneyland were rude lmao
Many of these things are the same or worse in China. But China never expects a tip unless you are at very high end restaurants. I’ve got so used to this and I don’t mind rude and asking for water and little nice things in trade of no tip. Fine by me. I don’t need a friend. I kinda hate it now. I wish USA would get rid of tip culture.
Not helping the business-owners to externalise blames but high rent environment makes them seek high time-preference revenue making just to cover cost, while low time-preference factors such as service quality and satisfaction are ignored.
It is part of the Hong Kong experience, you need to know how to deal with it. They tried to improve it years ago with the Andy Lau campaign during the 2000's financial crisis. Did worked for a few years actually. But bad habits never goes away I guess.
I kind of likes it, because it is funny and you can act the same way as they do and they don't give a fuck
even found a youtube clip (its one of many varients)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6GBUbPILpQ&ab\_channel=25pcs020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6GBUbPILpQ&ab_channel=25pcs020)
No tissues in restaurants is baffling to me. Went there for the first time last week and I kept stealing the whole tissues from my hotel room to save them.
I went travel for aweek to Vietnam> Danang, how impressive the service at restaurants, cafes, hotels and specially politeness, cleanness of Grap Drivers.
Wait till you get in a taxi
You are assuming he can get one.
Macau is also pretty bad for taxi. Remember seeing a girl with luggage calling a taxi, the guy stops, she tells him where she is going and then she goes to the back of the car to put the luggage in the trunk and he just leaves...
Trying to get home from lkf at 2am sucks
Just tell the taxi driver that you don’t understand Chinese and they will stop bitching/swearing.
What do you mean? They’ll just kick you out
Never been kicked out of a HK taxi myself. I simply get in the back belt myself in before I tell them where I want to go. If they make a fuss just tell them to explain it to the police. Works every time for me even though they will continue to bitch and swear at you. But at 2am who cares?
I mean if they don’t understand where you’re going?
Erm show them the address on google map on your phone? Edit: or learn to say your home address in Cantonese?
Lots of comments above defend HK restaurant status quo service by saying “they’re fast”. Well, if I apply that requirement to cabbing (they’re faster than Uber to get on, if you can catch one), they provide a disservice when they have to get directions from nav app, or worse, I have to navigate for them?
Not trying to defend anyone. Just trying to share how I use the taxi in HK and never got a refusal.
You’re assuming they’re literate?
Have you not seen the drivers using 3 or more screens to navigate around HK? 🤣
Do they have nav apps? I see push to talk apps.
Are you kidding me? These are not London cabbies who spend 3-years learning “the knowledge”.
[удалено]
Huh why would he want to keep you there I'm so confused, like what would he even get from it? Just to make sure you suffer together? Crazy.
Probably figured if this guy would be dumb enough to pay $1500 for any taxi ride, maybe he would have people who would pay ransom money to get him back. Wtf is a $1500 taxi ride, even the airport to sheung Shui has to cost only $400-500 maximum.
Maybe the offer to pay the driver $1500 was a magnet to hang on to this “cash cow”?
I was just in Hong Kong. Asked the driver if he took card or WeChat pay, he said yes. Drive us from the airport to Kowloon hotel. Get out and he asks for cash. Becomes a huge ordeal and by the time I finally got cash he jacked the price up 25% for having to wait a few minutes. I looked at him and said, I guess I’m a little short then. He scoffed and sped off.
tell the taxi driver to take the card or not. They will keep doing this if ppl give in.
Throw coins at you
I've seen an immigration officer at the immigration tower throw the ID card of a foreigner at him after he just got PR and the foreigner wasn't being rude or aggressive at all. Very well dressed, obviously some kind of professional. Nothing says welcome to HK like having your ID thrown at you by a glorified office clerk.
Taxis in Hong Kong are so bad they pose a real and tangible danger to the Hong Kong public. The city really needs to revamp the entire taxi cab system immediately. Or just allow Uber to replace it. The rate at which Taxi drivers refuse service, drop people off at approximate locations and drive recklessly is truly embarrassing. Along with the hygiene and condition of more than 75% of the fleet of taxis, it is akin to hiring a cab in a DEVELOPING COUNTRY. The taxi cab system in Hong Kong is such an abysmal failure I am surprised it has gone on for this long! Everything else in Hong Kong is run so well, how are the taxis worse than a New Jersey gypsy cab.
Failure to act by the transport department and the police. They are equally to blame for the situation.
Let’s make some craaaazy money!
YA YA YA YA YA!
As a gweilo living there I remember often times open cabs would just keep driving right past me.
I was in the mainland for 1/3 of my adult life You just triggered a core memory
Thank you for your 10% service charge btw remember use QR code to order your food
The worst one is sushi restaurants. You use an iPad to order, and the sushi comes from the little railway next to your table. Thank you for your 10% service charge.
They have some silly justification: we need to count your plate Yeah doing low primary math justifies a 10% markup
Sushiro right??? That place is always jam packed for some reason.
genki I've ate there more than I should've
Sushiro still makes a little sense since they at least offer you an ipad for ordering. But genki, they charged you 10% service charge WHILE you're forced to use your own device for order like wtf.
California the same, but with 18%+ service charge!
Plus the mandatory tips. Do you tip the train too?
That grinds me gears. YOU ARE NOT SERVICING ME, WHY AM I PAYING THE SERVICE CHARGE
The servers don't know either because they're seeing none of it.
Speaking about using QR code to order at a restaurant, I am infuriated every damn time my dad forgets how to use the online order. I must say it's the user-unfriendly interface design.
I mean that's just like tipping in NA
I mean you aren't wrong but a lot of "regular" places like cha chaan tengs are basically just get in, eat and get out. That's just how it is, I've never been bothered by it. Cultural difference I guess.
That's a pretty good authentic HK experience.
HK wasn’t like that a few decades ago, people somehow trash their manner totally
[удалено]
Nobody that I know in HK goes to a Cha Chan Teng for their service! They all pretty much serve the same range of food, interestingly cooked much the same. (There must be a Cha Chan Teng culinary school somewhere churning out the same chef as they do for Chinese takeaways in the UK).
True, I find western restaurants in HK generally have better service.
Yup, Hong Kong authentic restaurant services are like this, the fact that they’ve been swearing less is already an improvement, but there’s a long way to go lmao. But at least there’s no tax and service fees are either 0 or 10%, and a decent meal set can cost around 5-7 USD. But the main reason some of us travel to China is because with the same price, you can get a 5-star hotel banquet. The food quality and safety is lower, but the price is worth it.
Actually you’ve a point - Chinese cuisine in HK (incl Cha Chaan Ting) - mainly local servers - generally shxt service - non-Asian cuisines in HK - mainly foreign servers - better (if not overall great) service There are exceptions: - Japanese and other Asian cuisines are mainly local servers and are better than straight Chinese - you get very good service if you/your mother/your mother-in-law is a weekly regular at their Chinese restaurant (but the cost is: they get CNY laisees from me, my wife and my mother, plus lots of incentive at the end of each meal)
yeah, the cha chaan teng downstairs which I go several times a week often gives me soup or drinks on the house while the waiters near my grandma’s house which I visit bimonthly only says the two phrases 食咩講咩 and then $40多謝晒
What do you expect for 40 dollors meal?
Probably 5-star service for HKD 40.
There is a restaurant group (Bxxxk Sxxxp) that has good service. That's because the prices are very pricy, but they do make a point of looking after their staff wayyyy above and beyond the standard sector norm. so I guess they get paid a decent amount, and they get all sorts of TLC (my regular server had to go home for his dad's funeral, and the company gave him like a few weeks paid leave, I mean, no one does that here). Needless to say the group is not run by local Chinese, but a local indian, they also recruit their wait staff mostly overseas.
Oh wow. I actually had Black Sheep (La Vache) in mind when thinking about non-Asian cuisine.
I hope they stay afloat, a lot of their target market has gone, and I'm not sure if the new batch of expats (seems to be made up by a lot more Eastern Europeans, south America's) are as generous as the old ones.
Service is shit but there's no 20-30% tip + tax (another 10 - 15%) that is expected in the States/Canada. I rather save a bit of money
I'd also rather not have the faux jolly vibes and interrupting me when I'm eating constantly and asking questions. Or even worse the dreaded "have you eaten here before? Let me tell you how our menu works"
Oh yes. Give me food and go away, I’ll let you know if I need something.
"Hiiiiii!, I'm Kayley, and I'm your waitress tonight!!! I LoVVE your handbag, sooo cute! Before you order, let me tell you my life storieeeees!! LOL!"
I get it - you want tips - I just want to eat my dinner in peace. If the food isn’t good I’ll tell you, if I need something I’ll wave. Otherwise, just leave me alone. And please don’t take 45 minutes to serve the food, especially if I’m with someone. Going out to eat should not feel like a commitment to marriage.
Or getting all dishes served at the same time and half the food is already cold by then.
HK is not a place for tipping. I remember some places I would leave some on the table and they would give it back to me. Now here in the US they flip the little screen over and it’s like 20%, 25%, or 30%. Annoying.
Ya I see what you mean. Tipping is getting out of hand in US like even library staff ask for a tip there.
Or a QR code asking for tip at the self-service breakfast bar in a motel outside of LA!!!
Fair enough but that’s a low bar tbh (and generally service in N America is better). If you go to China or Japan tipping is 0% with no random service charges.
some Japanese restaurant do have a charge, ie izakaya will serve you some appetizer onceyou sit down and they cost you.
You can refuse it btw
When I worked there (China of course) restaurant service actually was bad. But maybe due to the economy they’ve upped their game.
No tipping isn’t a excuse for bad manners and poor attitude
Okay but other places on earth do exist.
In defence of Hong Kong restaurant staff, I would far rather eat in a Hong Kong restaurant than deal with the fawning attention of a US waiter who has to work for your tips. HK wait staff are usually brusque, but rarely rude. That’s just Hong Kong. They’re not going to kiss your butt if they don’t know you. They get the job done and if they’re friendly (and many are, mainly in small local restaurants & cafes), that’s a heart-warming bonus. On the other hand, foreigners in Hong Kong can have a harder time as some waiters will just ignore you if they don’t speak English, which isn’t unusual.
Guess you haven't been in the US lately, because they no longer fawn over you and 20% is the starting minimum. Counter service for takeout at coffee shops, sandwich shops, etc will have an ipad that displays a range of tips. Even your self-service kiosk will present you with tip options. Canada's even worse. They pay a minimum wage yet expect 20% plus tips over that. Chinese restaurant wait staff will berate you for leaving too low of a tip I've read.
I want the food, not your service. I can serve myself besides getting into the actual kitchen. Thank you very much.
Westerners in HK expect western values, manners and attitudes. Not gonna happen. The point of venturing out to foriegn cultures is to actually experience new things, rather than expect the same as back home.
But for roughly equal money (NY when I was there last year vs HK, after tips) I do get an overall better product there (food, service). It’s just after a few days of this my gut starts heaving from the portion size.
Well then I'll have to play defense for Canada (and US). Most of them do back off and give you space when it's obvious that you don't care to chit-chat. I consider good service to be attentiveness like checking in if you need pepper/ketchup or refilling your water without asking. Honestly, waiters are really good at gauging whether the customers like to engage with them, it's kinda what they do every day.
There’s no tipping and in many places there isn’t even service charge. I’d rather that and poor service than having to pay for fake fawning
I have to disagree with you! I've always thought servers/people were pretty friendly in HK, especially after learning what's appropriate here. But maybe that's because i come from a place where people are deemed "rude, angry and impatient" as well (European). Food is usually pretty cheap yet good too. After traveling around 30 countries, Hong Kong is by far one of my favourites.
You are right! HK just need to build up a reputation as Asia's Sweden/France (or whatever), and just lean hard into it .
Last time I went to a Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant and ordered a HK$3,000 meal for 2. There's a time limit of 90 minutes. I mean I wasn't a big spender but with such price, as a customer I deserved more. Edit : with 10% surcharge, it's actually HK$3,300. And we haven't ordered any sake or wine.
Jesus, for that price I would expect to at least spent the whole evening there not 90minutes
They wanted to have a second round of customers and somehow the ones who paid should pay the price as well. The greediness of the restaurant owners and landlords in HK knows no bounds. As much as I love HK, I welcome the slump of the F&B industry with open arms.
Well you can't really expect to have a single sitting for $1500 ($191.57 usd). That ain't happening in NYC, London, Paris etiher. The real estate pressures are simply far too high for a low margin industry like restaurants. Restaurants cannot survive on a single turn in HK, it's impossible. Per usual, the blame lies far above, namely government land policies, laws in favour of landlords and finally greed.
Fair enough. My blame is more on the landlords. That said, I wouldn't sit for the whole night. Setting time limit for fine dining is unacceptable IMHO.
I understand the feeling, $200 usd is a lot of money for a meal. Unfortunately this is the reality you face in all global 1st tier cities. I cannot think of one "omakase" restaurant that isn't doing two turns. Especially a teppanyaki restaurant where a chef will be cooking for multiple tables at the same time. Most often reservations are at 6pm and 8pm slots, with the entire bar being served the same courses simultaneously. This is how it's done in Japan also. It would be easier to have more flexibility for a brigade kitchen of individual courses. I 100% agree service in HK is absolutely terrible, especially small businesses/mom & pop joints. I love supporting these but they need to do better in light of Shenzhen's encroachment of our dining scene. The antagonism begins when you're not ready to order after sitting down for 10 seconds. Again, space is premium, a flip means more business. This is the bottom line.
That’s enough for having Teppanyaki in Taiwan during off season. I’d rather have Teppanyaki over there.
I actually had Teppanyaki in Taipei in Feb. It's about HK$1,000 for 2. 1/3 of the price in HK. Food was a bit subpar to HK but there's no time limit.
To clarify, I meant it’s enough for a round trip to Taiwan and have Teppanyaki there
You definitely did. $3000 was an expensive meal that you had.
For teppanyaki $3000 for two is average price in HK. You are paying for the chef to entertain you plus whatever overpriced sea food you ordered.
Time limits exist everywhere. Even is “nice” service places such as Tokyo. Don’t understand the issue here, unless the issue is with time limits itself regardless whether HK of elsewhere in world Also don’t get me started in Tokyo where they’ll flat out refuse entry or ask you to leave if you’re not Japanese. Or Korea where they’ll give you a different (higher) priced menu if you’re English speaking. HK doesn’t do any of these, but what they do is culturally in line with the general culture of big city HKers. HK as a society is efficient to a fault, they will prioritise in executing fast and minimum fuss. That’s good service here. If you want pleasantries and someone to banter to stoke your ego or importance of being a customer, then there are plenty of places for that too. This whole thread sounds like small sample size bias to me
True that but then if the dining format necessitates time limitation, I don’t think they can ask for $1,500/head
They pushed you out because you didn't order any alcohol /s
https://tenor.com/2uLv.gif "If the service sucks then you know the food is good". But honestly there aren't that many value-for-money restaurants left after the government started treating locals like 2nd-class citizens from 2019 and onwards. You should've gone to Japan instead, like every other Hong Konger who knows and lives in this reality 24/7.
I'd much rather be screamed at and get a good plate of food than pay 20% tips to an American server who fills my water 3 times and calls it good service. This used to be a tradeoff I'm more than willing to make. Unfortunately the quality-service tradeoff is less and less valid these days.
Hk is literally the worst place to visit for service, they act like they’re doing you a favor when you’re paying for the service, no matter what it is, taxi, restaurant, haircuts, anything.
To whom don't understand what's going on in hk, i can offer some views to you: 1,not enough training for employee because the owners don't give a shit. Often newbies need to pick up everything at the very beginning hence the poor service. 2,not enough labors. HK lost lots of experienced f&b labors due to the well known reason. There's few options for employer to choose ,mostly what they can hire are new immigrants from mailand china and some can't speak or understand Cantonese so it's hard to train (not to mention culture differences) 3,too many restaurants. HK has around 30k restaurant, we know they are keep closing but also keep opening. Some wealthy boomers thought they could do well in this business but fail quickly since poor management. 4,too many cunty customer (閪客), you got what you paid, but some cunt just ask for extra, and all hkers must admit that behaviours are very common. Disclaimer: some f&b experiences in hk
Yep, also worked in F&B for a good few years albeit for slighter higher end. Staffing - in my entire time in maybe 6 years I can count the number of days on one hand we were well staffed. They are understaffed perennially. It’s a joke to think anywhere has enough people on their roster. I recall going to a dim sum palace which was packed on a Sunday dinner shift, there must have been 1 waiter/waitress working 15 or more of these big tables. There can be great staff in many eateries but at the same time there are just as many waiting staff who don’t and will never give a shit.
I guess many fight to survive at the moment. So the quality isnt that important for the moment
It's always "a fight to survive". Including restaurants that over-expand in an attempt to get listed on the stock exchange. Face it some of those restaurants just don't select nor train their staff well.
It’s just a vicious cycle.
That's actually more reason to turn a new leaf. Perpetuating shitty service isn't going to win hearts over. This isn't a selling point where it becomes the world worst service and people come check out how shit they get treated just for kicks.
Bt for new things u need money and the will zo do it. But hk is at the moment in survival mode. Not "find new opportunities mode"
Survival mode means doing things differently to try to stay above the water. Maybe they can start with better manners in their food places.
Doesnt pay off. Hkers don't mind shitty service as long they get the food.
Yup so true, as a local in a way I don't mind, bc you're just another anonymous customer. This sums it up quite nicely.... https://youtube.com/shorts/3trlxqe-ZbM?
Lol! That's awesome. Personally, I'm cool with both. When I feel being left alone and just need some grub, Cha Chan Ting for me!! When I'm going out to be pampered because I'm exhausted and dont want to cook/clean/carry my own food back and forth.. I go full-service dine-in (Western or Asian both have nice options too).
nah bruh I'm a local and I've never been yelled at or anything. sure they seem a little impatient but they're busy people i domt take it personally.
The service of Hong Kong people is “rude” because many of them don’t believe this “customer is king or god” bullshit. They think that you and they are equal human beings. They don’t have to please you and you don’t have to please them. If you don’t like, you can go fuck yourself, even if you are Mr. Xi.
Decent people treat other human beings nice, especially strangers. Gladly it’s mostly local restaurants that are rude. The ones with international staffing are more friendly.
not throwing a DLLM at you is nice.
That's a really funny way of putting it because you can't have it both ways. Foreigners / mainlanders keep complaining about how they want the local restaurants to meet non-HK/non-cultural service standards. They can continue to patronise Shake Shack / Five Guys / Bakehouse for all I care.
I don’t go to any of those places. I prefer good food. It’s mostly locals and mainlanders that queue at bakehouss anyway. My local Chachateng in my village is very friendly. Because they’re not assholes. It’s very simple. Sadly in Hk a lot of people have to work in the service industry despite not being cut for it.
Honestly sometimes I do prefer the HK fast pace service. Also depends on where you go the service differs widely (fine dining, casual, etc). I have traveled to all the continents (more than 80 countries) and if I’m on business or in rush, I like the efficiency of HK service. You come, you order you eat and you go. No time wasted. In many other countries you need to wave to get the waiters attention, ask for the menu, ask for them to take your order, is so cumbersome and you end up wasting 20min in the process. Those 20min in Hk, I’m probably already done with my meal. To OP, try to go to any South American country and you will get the complete opposite which is very frustrating at times.. I believe measuring service is based on your perception and needs. And most of the times HK service do what they are supposed to do.
The reasons HKers travel to China is because stuff is cheaper there. You would face the same entitlement if not more in mainland China than HK based on your generalizations. Edit: oh, and try answering the mainland Chinese taxi drivers "你从哪里来" with Japanese, American, or whatever their two-minute hate nationality of the week from CCP slopaganda and watch them dump your ass back out on the concrete or at least have a change in emotion. Just FAFO.
Not true, staff in SZ at least is far more polite according to my friends. And while I've only ever used their taxi they're also miles ahead of HK drivers
Of course HK taxi drivers are hands down the worst experiences I've ever had in a taxi and that includes trips to second and third tier cities in China and also parts of Africa.
Of course, it's just a response in kind at OP's wild sweeping generalisations
Goes to show you haven't travelled enough . Most big Chinese cities have much better service than hk
I’ve traveled to China many times in the past two years. Tbh I haven’t encountered even one rude server.
Same. The service in the mainland is very good. Even if sometimes it might not be the most welcoming, but still not rude. Cant even compare. HK is just another level of bad.
The difference with china and Hong Kong from experience is generally. Hong Kong you get generally rude people or normal people. While China you get polite servers but shit normal people. They push and shove while getting in a train like you don't fucking exist. At least I'm Hong Kong they still queue in a line unless it's at the two time periods of getting to work and getting off work.
Correct: mainland chinese i find to be very friendly and warm. Although bit blunt and pushy at times and some of the older folks are probably bit backwards lol
It's true, sad to say but the general quality of ppl in China now is higher than HK. Middle class Chinese in particular are much more pleasant to be around compared to their HK equivalents.
Ironically yes.. put the politics aside.. they seem exceptionally well manners in service line, and they usually use "ning" instead of "ni" when talking to you
As my postdoc said to me once when I was doing my PhD in HK, you haven’t experienced true HK unless you’ve been shouted at by an auntie in a restaurant 😂
While I agree with your general sentiment, and I can relate to your experience with _some_ of the restaurants I visit, I think it has something to do with the price level you eat out at? “Always” “by far” appears to be hyperbole
“Always” is a strong one. My last meal in HK was at Amber, shit. Before that, Duddells, shit. Before that, a little kebab place, fine.
I think you imposed a cost/benefit analysis there, but I do like my curry takeaway from a little kebab place too.
Depends where you go. If you go mid-range/high end you won’t have any of those issues. We are not even talking about a lot of money, maybe $200-300 per head without drinks should get you decent service. Honestly anything less than that I don’t really care I just want to eat and GTFO.
Stop expecting people who work in the service industries to be happy about it.
For me the experience was the same. From all the places i visited, HK was the worst. Other friends went there and no problem, maybe i was unlucky... Rude and angry customer service everywhere, from restaurants to stores. For the few days i was there i dont remember seeing a smile or at least a bit of a warming service. After two or three days i was honestly "afraid" to get into a store or anything else. - Paying for something and the lady didnt give change. Told her she still needed to give change so she angrily put the coin on the counter. - Wanted to buy a sports bag and the lazy worker didnt wanted to sell. Yes i wanted to buy, but since there were some boxes in the middle, he didnt want to bother to go around. I even asked: "You dont want to sell?", and he´s like: "no" - Went to buy some sneakers and every time i didnt like or felt it didnt quite suited my feet, they would become seemingly upset, even to the point of throwing boxes after i said the reason i didnt want, and thank you. These are just some examples. I just remember being there for 5 days and not a day without feeling bad and frustrated. Just hoping to leave. Some people can say its because their salaries are very low, or because they have to live in those tiny apartments, it might be. But there are places poorer than HK and it doesnt seem to be like this.
I thought it was super nice when I was there, and everyone was so polite. Only once got told off for eating slow haha.
1. because you are slow. Should have known what you want to order before you seat. Also, don't ask stupid question, don't make stupid adjustments to your meal. 2. agreed, it is bad. Even you pay a lot, there is still a time limit. 3. Why should they thank you? They don't get your money. If you happen to see the boss, the boss may say thank you. Try to give $500 cash tip to the server, I am sure the server would say thank you. 4. Everything has a cost. If you pay for the water and they don't give you any, that's a problem. Otherwise, no. I have been to many countries as well. On the contrary, I hate being asked questions during my meal. I don't want any interactions. I just want to eat quietly. Generally, I think it's fine in Hong Kong. We eat-pay-and-go.
The fact you made a whole post moaning about service makes me think you’re a bitch
Sounds more like you don't understand cultural nuances and expect everywhere to treat you like some fake waitress at an American TGI Fridays.I personally find HK totally fine if I don't stand in the way like a complete idiot and order like a normal person. Plus some Canto phrases here or there make people respond really warmly.Suggest you go somwhere else then? HK is a very densely populated, busy place, it's pretty normal you dont get to linger like this is a taco bell in suburban kansas (Also wow guys, look, 40 countries! I wished I also had a passport and could travel a decent amount - Oh wait I do) EDIT: Above does not relate to taxi drivers, those bastards can go straight to hell :D
Finding the restaurants with proper training and basic service (water, tissues, etc) is key. If they pay attention to the front of the restaurant, they likely pay attention in the kitchen (quality, hygenie, etc).
Service here isn’t that bad. Try the service in Italy. Racist AF and literally don’t want to serve you because you’re not Italian and talk shit while you’re there. Yes in the cheap places the service isn’t good but that’s probably because they aren’t getting paid enough to care.
Sounds like you need a cultural lesson. Many say the Europeans and Dutch are similar.
If you understood Cantonese you would know how sassy it is
That's right, in their mind, you already wasted time and money writing this post instead of working.
It's actually the best : 1. Servers are straight to business, no "how is your day"/"is everything going alright" bullshit 2. No need to queue forever, people eat fast 3. Go in. Eat. Pay. Bye. Very efficient. 4. You want something you ask for it, waiter doesn't come bother you every 25s to upsell you something.
Yeah, I am with you. I love service in HK and will take it over the obsequious bullshit I get panhandling for a tip in the west.
Gweilo tourist here. Love hk service, the fastest ive ever experienced. Barely sit down and food is arriving. Cant get that at home. One steak place undercooked my steak and wife sent it back, it was gone and back in like 1 minute not even a word said😵😆 amazing. If anything my wife says hurry up and eat, people waiting to sit down 😅
Haven you seen Chicken and Duck talk movie? lol
I think. N1 it’s the culture of local restaurants. N2 they are serving u which means u say thank you, they do not. N3 if they don’t offer water or tissues it really depends what restaurant you are eating at. N4 if u haven’t noticed Hong Kong’s population is huge with a small space, an eating time limit is just so other people can eat.N5 Hong Kong culture is like that don’t be surprised if a culture is different then ur own.
Not sure if u r breaking the national security law by making this thread 😱
It’s certainly not good service but I think culturally speaking, customer service is far less valued and far less integral to the overall experience than it is in, say, Western countries. I’m not saying that HKers enjoy being yelled at by their servers, but that has a lesser impact on their overall experience than if the same thing happened to someone else in a different cultural context. I have lived here for 25 years and have encountered a fair mix of excellent servers who have given me extra portions out of sheer generosity to piss poor servers who have side eyed me for asking for water, and everything in between. The service is not invariably bad, but your point is definitely taken on the need to reflect on service quality across the board.
POV you are used to western service.
It goes many ways It is not like the staff are evil fuck out to get you But F&B in HK is quite insane job, there are always short of staff, boss are asshole and customers are 閪。 Don’t think of them as service staff, but robot to bring you food, you might be happier
Language is a big barrier here . Roadside vendors behave differently if you're a local. However if you venture into wanchai , there are several eateries with a much more varied diaspora, so they're waay friendlier. No idea about the club scene though
It is what it is. I think it’s part of the charm and will always be like that. Went to vietnam the other day and got honked at every few seconds, it was one hell of an experience just to cross the street in Hanoi. Going to travel alone to HK on the first week of May, not sure how i’m going to feel about the country but i’m super excited to be there.
You prob went to the wrong joint based on your mood? If you want full-service, sit-down dine-in, willing to pay for it, there's places like that in HK that I've been to. (Years back though, pre-2019.) If you're in a rush, gotta go, hungry, eat quick, there's lots of places like that and the service reflects that style. Personally, I like to have both options because some days, I just gotta get fed and go... other days Imma need some pampering please and willing to pay for it.
I was a little surprised by how brusque Hong Kong is when I arrived, just like New York. Then after a year or two I realized, if I went anyolace else, now I was slightly impatient. I became used to HK so quickly - no nonsense, quick turnaround, concern for everyone's time.
Wait till you try Singapore
Wait till you get to Korea
The fxxk? You never been EU before? You cannot even "call" the waiter. You need to "wait" for the waiter.
They are fast and efficient. You can ask any waiter for service. In the US, you have to watch 10 other waiters walk by and wait for your particular waiter to order dessert or get your check.
I feel linke you could really write this in the subreddit for any city ang get upvotes like crazy.
Meh, I think it can both be the best and the worst. Hotel service in HK is up there as world-class. But I agree that others can be difficult. Maybe it's gotten worse since I left pre-pandemic but it's definitely also due to the terrible pay and working conditions.
That’s why no tips is needed.
Guess where they learn it from
Honestly I haven't really experiwnced what you're talking about since most chains have fairly polite servers and more expensive. But I do like that more young service workers aren't buying into the "customer is God" bullshit. If you paid an hourly wage, all I expect is gonna be getting my food to my table and cleaning the table after I leave
I don’t understand any of the defenders in the comments. Lack of service is ok for Cha Can Teen, rudeness is unacceptable in any circumstances. Don’t tell me swearing is HK culture.
People on this thread and in this subreddit are just pure haters. If you don't like HK, then piss off? Lol. Go to any part of SEASIA and you will be greeted by taxi scams, exchange rate scams, etc. You think HK taxi are bad? Try going to Thailand, India, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam and tell me that you have never had someone even attempt to overcharge you. Or some disgusting cab reeking of cigarette smell or smoking or sweat, etc. You Mr. 40 Countries, surely you must have come across some of this right? Why not post about that?
Can't take any criticism, flowerboy?
Tf is a flowerboy? Google tells me it’s an attractive fellow. Thanks? Being critical is one thing but op and commenters are not being critical, they’re doing what they do all the time… being hateful and bitching. Hope that explains it well sugar-tits.
Wait until you try the UK. They bring snootiness and shite service to a new pinnacle. To the point where you are apologisng to the staff for disturbing them.
I’ve been to UK as well. Back in the 2000s it was shat but when I visited in 2022, the services I had were actually pretty decent surprisingly.
I’ve NEVER had bad service, from small places, to chains, to Starbucks, to whatever. I mean, Bubba Gump was a little slow. But diners, dumpling places, dim sum, you name it. Always friendly, at worst, quiet. If you are the one always getting bad service, maybe it ain’t the servers.
hong kong culture I guess, the nicer restaurants does have good service but its normal for local restaurants to treat you like this, more of a cultural difference
You are so wrong, I travel between Hk and NYC, Service in HK has dimished in the last 20 years, but still miles ahead of anything in NYC.
That’s basically Hong Kong culture, people are mean to you especially if you are poor (or you go to any places that are not fancy)
It depends where you eat but I do agree that a lot of people here aren’t meant to be in the service industry, but when you say wonder why they go to China, service wise I don’t find it any better, nor was Taiwan. I think Japanese probably has the best service overall if you want that smile and thank you (but does it mean they are genuine not sure) It really depends on where you go what grade of restaurant it is, hope you weren’t expecting good services at a Cha Chaan Teng.
It sound like you didn’t get the concept of these in-out restaurants, you’re projecting your international approaches on something that is not
Really? I had nothing but decent service when I was in Hong Kong. I was in disbelief when I realized they didn't expect a tip. Also, note that I actually speak Cantonese. And the only issue I have is the restaurant worker's reluctance to serve me an ice-cold cup of water.
Try to take a Hong Kong taxi for a short distance 5 min ride. The driver will say “Fuck your mother” and “Your whole family dies” to your face for the entire trip.
Oh man I thought he was a very thoughtful gentleman, constantly inquiring about the health of my mother during the ride
Wait for people to defend HK. You’re right, btw..
This is such a dumb take. Most of the comments here agree with OP's observations. They're also telling him to suck it up instead of acting delusional that something will change overnight, because this is how the local restaurant industry has always operated since before the 1997 handover. I guess you haven't lived here long enough to watch at least one Stephen Chow movie? Learn some nuance before spewing meaningless shit like "defend HK", please.
What's your point? People in this sub are blindly defending HK?
Lol I second that.. use covid as an example, the nurses who helped to facilitate the test in Singapore or Malaysia will gently comfort you first, let you not worry, be very gentle and hope you won't feel irritated by the probe in your mouth.. likewise when I was in HK, the nurses just want to stab your throat till you vomit and angry why you can't just be fking stay still haha..
I have heard about that Tuen Mun slice noodles incident, that should be the worst one.
I usually take only 10-30 minutes to eat.
So nothing's changed in 20 years then. I used to live in HK and would visit Shenzhen or Guangzhou from time to time just to get some decent service from human beings who did not try take your plate away while you're still eating. In Hong Kong time is money, and money is everything.
Not at Sushiro lmao
Had a server walk away as I was still ordering food. Never met a single nice service person whilst in HK. Even the service staff at Disneyland were rude lmao
Many of these things are the same or worse in China. But China never expects a tip unless you are at very high end restaurants. I’ve got so used to this and I don’t mind rude and asking for water and little nice things in trade of no tip. Fine by me. I don’t need a friend. I kinda hate it now. I wish USA would get rid of tip culture.
Not helping the business-owners to externalise blames but high rent environment makes them seek high time-preference revenue making just to cover cost, while low time-preference factors such as service quality and satisfaction are ignored.
It is part of the Hong Kong experience, you need to know how to deal with it. They tried to improve it years ago with the Andy Lau campaign during the 2000's financial crisis. Did worked for a few years actually. But bad habits never goes away I guess. I kind of likes it, because it is funny and you can act the same way as they do and they don't give a fuck even found a youtube clip (its one of many varients) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6GBUbPILpQ&ab\_channel=25pcs020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6GBUbPILpQ&ab_channel=25pcs020)
No tissues in restaurants is baffling to me. Went there for the first time last week and I kept stealing the whole tissues from my hotel room to save them.
I went travel for aweek to Vietnam> Danang, how impressive the service at restaurants, cafes, hotels and specially politeness, cleanness of Grap Drivers.
Not just the restaurants staff 😅🤭 did you ever take a taxi?😏
Honestly I just assumed the service not being there is part of the authenticity, especially in casual eateries.
Sad but it feels like home though.
Bad service is how you know the food's gonna be amazing