Why is Thai service so abysmal

[richard_smith237]

10 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

EVERYONE should have a choice of how to pay. You think they shouldn't, that they should be dictated to by a business that is MEANT TO SERVE YOU, not the other way around? I've read of many people, including on this thread, who refuse to use a business that refuses to accept legal tender.

 

I agree with this...     we should have a choice of how to pay - any smart business will give the customer as many payment options as possible to avoid disappointing the customer - especially in a service industry where repeat custom is often essential. 

 

 

That said, there are many 'anti-cashless' arguments are are highly flawed and revolve around a lot of 'whativery'... 

 

Many systems have their pro's and cons...    Cash, Credit Card, Debit Card, Tap'n'go, QR Payment, PromptPay, ApplePay, GoogleWallet etc...   

 

In these times, even for those who for whatever reasons are against cashless payment it would be sensible for anyone to have a back-up option... especially in Thailand where that backup option is  local account with QR payment - its not hard to set up at all. 

 

 

Also... many argue against cashless payment yet forget credit cards and debit cards have been around for years - are they also uncomfortable using these ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, whatsupdoc said:

Why is Thai service so abysmal? Sorry, but for the last couple of years I've travelled all over Europe and I am longing for the usually fast and correct service I am used to getting in Thailand....

 

Customer service in Thailand is not bad at all compared to most other places in the world.

 

 

There is certainly an element of familiarity breeds contempt in a lot of the responses.... 

 

There are a lot of places where the customer service is excellent....  But there are a lot of places and companies where it is attrocious.

 

Try and make a complaint to a business here and its very difficult. 

Try and make a complaint to any form of public entity and its impossible.

 

Its not all about whether or not the staff top up your beer and remember to add one ice cube instead of two....   A lot of customer service is about an establishment being able to respond to questions... Thailand does seem rather poor at this especially if the questions are outside of the usual 'colouring lines'... 

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Does the Op not have a local Bank Account linked to his phone ?

It would be very surprising for anyone to go to an establishment and find out they don't accept cash, but I guess that issue is growing. 

 

I don't want to use my local account. I want to use cash via ATM from an account in the UK. Why is my business.

 

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Its a very foolish policy IMO

 

Yes. I've read too many tales of potential or actual fraud, or the bank app not working here. I do internet banking only on my laptop. I see no advantage at all in putting my account at risk just to join the 'modern age'. Putting your finances at risk isn't progression, it is the opposite.

[chuang]

WHY are some customers so demanding...

[brewsterbudgen]

17 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

Thanks for the message, sure I'll never visit it because I only want to pay cash.

Cash is King.

 

Are you allowed to make a statement like that here?  Maybe lose the capital K 🤭

[JimTripper]

21 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Obviously, in that specific circumstance they would accept another payment method.

They are talking about not being able to pay at all, obviously, because they did not have alternates ready.

 

Likely the Op would be escorted to an ATM neaby for cash. If they can't access cash it's treated as a dine and dash. Those usually are just let off or police are called, maybe tourist police. I don't think many places will restrain you, but who knows.

Edited May 10 by JimTripper

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, JimTripper said:

23 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Obviously, in that specific circumstance they would accept another payment method.

They are talking about not being able to pay at all, obviously, because they did not have alternates ready.

No, that was not what was being talked about, it was a hypothetical, he was never there in that situation, obviously, you'd know that if you bothered to read the OP.   If it had been a real situation he'd have been an idiot for taking a crowd of business colleagues to an expensive venue with no means to pay except a foreign credit card that he wouldn't have been able to use.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 5/8/2024 at 10:09 PM, Bangkok Barry said:

On the second time of calling them they answered the phone and couldn't answer my question. They said they would ask the manager and call me back. They didn't. 

I'd guess that they probably couldn't be arsed wasting their time calling back someone who suspected that his credit card may not work when they had real customers who could pay the bill without issues. 

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, JimTripper said:

23 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Obviously, in that specific circumstance they would accept another payment method.

They are talking about not being able to pay at all, obviously, because they did not have alternates ready.

 

Likely the Op would be escorted to an ATM neaby for cash.

That's what I said, they, obviously, would (have to) accept an alternative payment method, such as cash. 

[JimTripper]

29 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

No, that was not what was being talked about, it was a hypothetical, he was never there in that situation, obviously, you'd know that if you bothered to read the OP.   If it had been a real situation he'd have been an idiot for taking a crowd of business colleagues to an expensive venue with no means to pay except a foreign credit card that he wouldn't have been able to use.

If he was talking about it, he did not have to really be there, obviously. It could be a hypothetical situation.

[richard_smith237]

14 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Does the Op not have a local Bank Account linked to his phone ?

It would be very surprising for anyone to go to an establishment and find out they don't accept cash, but I guess that issue is growing. 

 

I don't want to use my local account. I want to use cash via ATM from an account in the UK. Why is my business.

 

Then it is your inflexibility which is causing you issues, then you complain about it.

 

I get your point and agree that all payment options should be available to the customer, but they are not - so you are just making life harder for yourself. 

 

I expect that more places will become cashless.

 

14 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Its a very foolish policy IMO

 

Yes. I've read too many tales of potential or actual fraud, or the bank app not working here. I do internet banking only on my laptop. I see no advantage at all in putting my account at risk just to join the 'modern age'. Putting your finances at risk isn't progression, it is the opposite.

 

I'm nearly 100% cashless here... never an issue.   

You're over egging the risk - that said, I use a 'smaller' account for the day to day transactions, QR payments etc...  and only have that one ATM card in my wallet (as there is a risk of skimming too)...   only a little amount is kept in that account which is topped up when needed

 

 

Sometimes our own stubbornness causes us problems or issues - its seems this is the case here (no offence intended with that, but it does appear to be the case).

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

14 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Yes. I've read too many tales of potential or actual fraud, or the bank app not working here. I do internet banking only on my laptop. I see no advantage at all in putting my account at risk just to join the 'modern age'. Putting your finances at risk isn't progression, it is the opposite.

 

Dealing with this specifically...  How is making payment via prompt pay or QR code putting your finances at any greater risk than using internet banking ??

 

You seem to be expressing a degree of paranoia or just looking for reasons not to evolve with the times.

 

I agree with something just being a 'personal preference' but that is an emotional choice which you are attempting to back up with some flaky reasoning and bias - potential issues which are most commonly cited by those who don't like cashless payments are extremely rare, these same people who don't like PromptPay and QR code payments etc... must surely have been using debit cards for years, no ? - thats also cashless...

 

So, it seems its the use of the mobile phone itself to make the transaction which develops some resistance for some, but the excuses are often quite flawed when looking at the bigger picture pro's and con's in comparison with cash. 

 

- I have had the Bank App not work once, for about 5 mins... (that was a few years back)....

 

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

46 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

If he was talking about it, he did not have to really be there, obviously. It could be a hypothetical situation.

 

I blocked Liverpool Lou for a reason, long ago.

[Bangkok Barry]

25 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Then it is your inflexibility which is causing you issues, then you complain about it.

 

What I complained about had nothing to do with them not accepting cash. It was finding their contact address didn't work, the fact that such a place couldn't even get their opening hours correct on their website, and I was told my call would be returned and it wasn't. Abysmal customer service all round.

[spidermike007]

Always call them out by name. Never let cowardly defamation laws deter you from doing the right thing. Those laws were written by cowards, for cowards, who are afraid of truth. 

[Bangkok Barry]

24 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Dealing with this specifically...  How is making payment via prompt pay or QR code putting your finances at any greater risk than using internet banking ??

 

You seem to be expressing a degree of paranoia or just looking for reasons not to evolve with the times.

 

I agree with something just being a 'personal preference' but that is an emotional choice which you are attempting to back up with some flaky reasoning and bias - potential issues which are most commonly cited by those who don't like cashless payments are extremely rare, these same people who don't like PromptPay and QR code payments etc... must surely have been using debit cards for years, no ? - thats also cashless...

 

So, it seems its the use of the mobile phone itself to make the transaction which develops some resistance for some, but the excuses are often quite flawed when looking at the bigger picture pro's and con's in comparison with cash. 

 

- I have had the Bank App not work once, for about 5 mins... (that was a few years back)....

 

 

 

 

We've had at least two occasions when people's accounts have been drained by small withdrawals being made, lots of them and too small to raise an alarm, and as far as I know they all occurred with mobile banking apps. I prefer not to take chances with my money when I don't have to, and that is my personal choice. Your personal choice is to mostly not use a system that has operated flawlessly and with no risk of fraud for hundreds of years. Each to their own.

[Bangkok Barry]

7 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Always call them out by name. Never let cowardly defamation laws deter you from doing the right thing. Those laws were written by cowards, for cowards, who are afraid of truth. 

 

And if you do that, right on cue we have this lead story in the afternoon email from AN.

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

And if you do that, right on cue we have this lead story in the afternoon email from AN.

 

That wasn't one review... It was a lot of negative and reportedly false reviews in a 'targeted campaign' after a disagreement about access to accommodation which was apparently 'through a restaurant'....  (which seems very odd in itself)...

 

 

 

 

[mrwebb8825]

Thai service is not "abysmal", it's Thai. Get used to it.

[Middle Aged Grouch]

Many places avoid cash to avoid theft from the staff.

 

Service can be awful and  more the place is popular, the worse it can get. And not only in Thailand.

 

But with all the foreigners in Thailand, trying to play it jet-set-two-week-millionnaires,  who just smile and say no problem, why should tthe local popular restaurants bother to consider better forms of service ?

 

Last but not least, often they don't care when it's a foreigner, as they only want the falang's money and not really have the falang around. Not everywhere of course, but it's the case in many restaurants. And the more popular the town with foreigners, the worse it can get.

 

Just post the name of the place and mention how bad it is...but only once you are out of Thailand of course😁

[mogandave]

On 5/10/2024 at 6:24 PM, Middle Aged Grouch said:

Many places avoid cash to avoid theft from the staff.

 

Service can be awful and  more the place is popular, the worse it can get. And not only in Thailand.

 

But with all the foreigners in Thailand, trying to play it jet-set-two-week-millionnaires,  who just smile and say no problem, why should tthe local popular restaurants bother to consider better forms of service ?

 

Last but not least, often they don't care when it's a foreigner, as they only want the falang's money and not really have the falang around. Not everywhere of course, but it's the case in many restaurants. And the more popular the town with foreigners, the worse it can get.

 

Just post the name of the place and mention how bad it is...but only once you are out of Thailand of course😁

 

Is theft from the staff an issue?

[JimTripper]

15 hours ago, mogandave said:

 

Is theft from the staff an issue?

I'm da maann...daa maan...

[mogandave]

7 hours ago, JimTripper said:

I'm da maann...daa maan...

And your husband is the woman? 

 

[JimTripper]

12 hours ago, mogandave said:

And your husband is the woman? 

I'm a maaaan, can you help me?