Recently, we encountered the most disgusting rules set by this particular jamming bar. After ordering our drinks, we have had the rudest experience!
This so-called popular jamming bar along Circular Road (Boat Quay) had a long history but had many "change of hands". Not only the service is getting from worst, it crumbles to the most annoying that you can imagine, especially if you are a patron there for 10 over years...YOU WILL BE HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED.
At first, we were poached by some unfriendly Filipino male waiter, who likes to tap on patrons’ shoulders to ask for orders (NEVER EVER do this unless you are super familiar with the customers but even though, its considered as a rude gesture especially if you are dealing with business owners, its considered as "BAD-LUCK-TAP” on shoulders or back.
Then this was what we found out later, that every individual(s) has/have to order at least 1 drink! If not, you are told to leave ABRUPTLY?!? One of our invited friends, whom just had his fill, was one of the victims. He mentioned many times, that he would order much later of course, after a heavy meal. Yes, they kept pestering him every 5 to 10 seconds. And it was already quite embarrassing even when we tried to reason out that we did ordered ours earlier. Unfortunately, we caught this other male Filipino "manager" red handed when he imposed his ill-mannered treatment towards our friend, by asking him to leave immediately!!!
Does this bar/pub ever value/treasure any loyal customer(s); be it for any future referrals by them, or so…these actions, made us even more disgusted with them. By giving such lousy service quality standard during such recession period, would only means that nobody in sane mind would patronize them ever after in future.
Before that, we were also told that anybody who does not buy any drink cannot jam at this free jamming place. It’s a great irony to hear such remarks when it is a jamming place for anybody besides musicians and you cannot jam when you don’t order? Was it so compulsory that 1 in a group, MUST buy something??? And to make matters worst, the rudeness & aggressive behavior of this Filipino "manager" turns us off immediately when he started tapping another (whom ordered drink earlier) again, then challenged all of us to leave immediately too.
We were so taken aback by his action when he did these actions repeatedly again and trying to humiliate every customer(s) individually "AS A PAYING CUSTOMER". It doesn't work this way for a business to run or to act like a bouncer in a small bar/pub.
The situation got worst when we confronted the so-called "PERSON-IN-CHARGE". He plainly said that "Yes, its their policy", and said the reason that people who don't order will OCCUPY more SPACE for the rest of the people who wish to enter their bar/pub....What a laughingstock he made out of himself because when he said that, that very night itself had less than 10 regular patrons.
We heard from another jamming place, that this was not only our complaint. They have heard from 3 other expatriates who went there the same night suffered big time humiliation too!
So, this means that service quality is still number One in Singapore and even if you don't practise it - it will only eventually show the ugly side of Singapore especially for any tourists/expatriates and even to locals, that Singapore is nothing but a RUDE country, no doubt of being rated the safest city to stay.
VERDICT: HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED! GO AT YOUR OWN RISK IF YOU WISH TO BE HUMILIATED AT LARGE. Don’t ever patronize this place call the “Actors” at Circular Road (Boat Quay). You will regret if you deal with their ill mannered staff and feel unjustified with their horrific & lousiest service!
Date: 03 Sep 2009
Dear, all valued customers,
I do apologize for my late reply as I was unaware of this forum, and any inconvenience it may cause with above distorted story by Ms Carol Chia . Firstly, let me introduce myself. My name is Henry Lin Htet. I work in Actors The Jam bar as its Bar Manager. I am originally from Myanmar., with a graduate degree from U.K with Hospitality Management B.A (Hons).
Secondly, I will explain what had happened on that night in reality. The writer, Ms Carol Chia, her Blangadeshi husband and their invited guest (a gentleman with a very good looking and shiny guitar) came to our bar 3 times during that week. On the earlier 2 nights, Carol and her husband ordered 1 drink each. But the third companion, who carried a very good looking and shiny guitar, did not order any. They were jamming happily in the pub for over 2 hours during these 2 days. On the 3rd night, I decided that it was time to approach this gentleman to support us, in order to survive in this time of bad economy.
On this third night, the following event took place :
The writer, Ms Carol Chia, her husband and their guest, came to our bar. She and her husband ordered a beer and a glass of red bull. The gentleman with the shiny guitar, said he will order later. 10 minutes past and we asked again, he said later. After the 3rd time of politely asking him, he still refused to place any orders.
I approached this gentleman and again, politely asked if he would want to order a drink. He said ‘later’. Also at this time, music was so loud and I just touched the gentleman’s back to let him know about his friend, hoping that since this was his guest, Ms Chia’s husband will buy his friend a drink. They were angry with me for touching his back. They wanted to speak with my boss, and asked for his contact number. I told them it wasn’t necessary to speak with my boss. Carol’s husband irritably asked to talk ‘outside’. I told him it wasn’t necessary. From this point, he started spouting vulgarities at me, and demanded I return to the bar counter. I continue to explain to him coolly that if his friend did not order a drink, he should leave our bar. He then asked my colleague who is in charge of music, if his friend must order a drink. My colleague explained to him that he should buy a drink.
Finally, he shouted at the top of his voice and they left the pub. Regular customers who witnessed this event asked me what had happened. I explained to them and they agree that I was correct in my handling of the situation.
We are running a pub business, with jamming facilities for our customers, and needless to say, we depend solely on our customers’ support by ordering drinks. However, there are some people, like Ms Carol Chia’s guest, who come into Actors, jam for a few hours over a consecutive 3 nights, then leave without having a drink. If we are to continue having ‘customers’ like these, we will, for sure, close down in a couple of months. I am very certain that it is a custom everywhere we go, whether it’s to a pub, a bar, a lounge, a coffee house, or any F&B outlet, we must order something, be it a drink, a food item or a dessert. We go to a cinema, we buy tickets to watch the movie. We book a jam studio, we pay for the hours. These are rules, said or unsaid.
On the other hand, we also have lots of GOOD regular customers who understand and support us all the way. For these Good people who buy drinks, sometimes they question why we allow those who don’t buy any drinks to jam for 2-3 hours?? How do I answer to these Good Regular customers????
In Actors, we don’t put in a cover charge or impose any fixed rules. But we certainly would like to have a “win win” situation with our all customers - run our business as per normal and let you guys have fun and enjoy the jamming sessions at the same time. That’s the major philosophy of our management and this philosophy certainly goes well with me too.
We respect and accept all our supporters’ and real customers’ views and complaints with all our sincerity and will do our very best to satisfy all requirements. For those who claim to be a regular patron or customer, but expect free jam sessions at our expense, we apologise - with due respect, we don’t need these patrons of such high level.
Thank you very much. We welcome any further comments and suggestions.