Costs SHOULD BE Obviously COMMUNICATED BY BUSINESSES: Situation
CASE leader Melvin Yong responded to CNA’s questions by stating that the consumer guardian has received five issues about seafood restaurants so far this year.
Additionally, it received the exact number of complaints as last year, up from three in 2020 and one in 2021.
Consumers generally complained about the rates they were charged for shellfish food, and some complained that they weren’t informed of the costs when they placed their purchases.
Despite the menus stating that these were already included in the prices, some customers claimed they were charged separately for the Goods and Services Tax ( GST ) and service charge.
According to Mr. Yong,” CASE generally holds the opinion that it is the responsibility of companies to clearly speak prices and any GST or service demand to customers and obtain their consent before proceeding.”
Restaurants may want to offer a preliminary costs in writing for customers to ensure their orders in order to prevent unneeded disputes that may later come out of good company practice and transparency.
In order to direct companies on how to show prices and inform customers of price changes, CASE has even created a set of best practices.
Mr. Yong advised consumers to compare the market prices of seasonal goods before placing their requests.
He added that they should ensure the unit of measurement for the quoted charges, the weight of the seafood products, and the total amount owed.
WHAT LARGER Stores ARE SAYING
For reply, CNA contacted some larger shellfish restaurant chains.
According to a spokesperson for the well-known Chinese restaurant chain TungLok Group, which runs some seafood restaurants in Singapore, its employees are trained to inform patrons of the cost per 100g and the total cost after the dish has been weighed. All food that are charged by fat fall under this category.
To prevent any conflict when paying the bill at the conclusion of the meal, she added,” this is to make sure guests are thoroughly conscious of how much they are paying.”
Visitors frequent the Gardens by the Bay and Orchard Central buying store, where TungLok Seafood has two locations.
A cooked chilly crab-style Alaskan king crab was offered at a” market value” on the menu at these locations. On the menu of Seafood Paradise, it was also listed at a” annual price.”
According to the TungLok spokesman, the total cost of a meal is clearly stated on the smart buying program at its another, busier franchises, such as the Singular Heen at Resorts World Sentosa.
CNA’s questions were no answered by Jumbo and Long Beach, which also have eateries along the Singapore River.