Nex restaurant customer refuses to pay service tax after having to foot bill at counter

A customer at a Thai restaurant in Nex refused to pay the $24 service charge after being made to foot the bill at the counter.  

The incident happened on Mother’s Day, Sunday (May 14) at around 9pm at Nex, a shopping centre in Serangoon, reports Shin Min Daily News via Lianhe Zaobao. 

The 52-year-old manager of the restaurant told reporters that business was brisk due to the special occasion, and he only knew of the incident after an employee told him that a customer was dissatisfied having to make his payment at the counter. 

Said the manager:

“Our store has been shorthanded for a while.

“Three months ago, we implemented this policy that customers would have to make their payment at the counter.

“I have been working in the F&B industry for 10years now and this is the first time I have encountered such an unreasonable customer.”

The 30-year-old cashier who was on duty during the time of incident said that the customer had visited the restaurant with seven family members that day.

He said:

“He seemed friendly and even had a nice conversation with a waiter.

“When he came to the counter later to make payment, he suddenly looked angry, and told me that he will not be paying the 10% service charge. 

“He just left $240 in cash at the counter and left.”

The cashier also said that the customer had intended to foot the bill via his credit card, but ultimately paid by cash as he did not want to incur the service charge:

“He just threw the money at teh counter and left before we could react.”

When reporters spoke to the 50-year-old customer, he said that he had visited the restaurant thrice before the incident, and his family members love the food there. 

He clarified:

"We were in high sprits, celebrating Mother's Day at the restaurant.

"But when we raise our hands to signal the waiter to take our orders, they simply stood aside and chatted amongst themselves.

"We waited for three full minutes before they noticed us.

"When they told me I had to make my payment at the counter myself, I was really angry."