The "four million smiles" initiative flagged off recently is taking shape slowly. Cabbies are as irritating as ever, but they beam beautiful smiles and wish you as soon as you get into the cab and also at every available opportunity. They really take their manners seriously. Given below is a hypothetical 'before-after' style comparison of service:-
BEFORE:
Me (getting into cab): Hi, can you take me to BuonaVista please?
Cabbie: OK. which way you wanna go ah? PIE ah? AYE ah?
Me: Any route is fine. Just take me there. Thanks.
Cabbie: AYE shorter ah... Take the exit to North Buona Vista Road, can ah?
Me: OK OK Can Can.
Cabbie (Verifies the route on his map, honks at the car in front of him, changes lanes rapidly): You from India? You work here ah? How much they pay you? (Then goes on to tell me how much he makes per day, explains the entire value chain of the public transport industry also giving me strategies to save a few cents on every trip by choosing the cab companies smartly).
Me: Yeah, you can stop here. Thanks.
Cabbie: 9.50 ah.
I pay 9.50 and get out.
AFTER:
Me (getting into cab): Hi, can you take me to BuonaVista please?
Cabbie: (before I can sit down and finish my sentence) Good Morning, how are you? Where can I take you? Thank you, welcome. (SMILE) OK. which way you wanna go ah? PIE ah? AYE ah?
Me: Any route is fine. Just take me there. Thanks.
Cabbie: (BIGGER SMILE) AYE shorter ah... Take the exit to North Buona Vista Road, can ah? You save 20 cents (and then goes on to explain how it can be invested at 10% p.a to leave a small fortune at the end of 30 years)
Me: OK OK Can Can.
After a while.....
Me: Yeah, you can stop here. Thanks.
Cabbie: (stops a mile ahead of my destination) $11.70 ah.
Me: (!@#$) Why did you come all the way? I asked you to stop a mile behind!!!
Cabbie: (BIIIIG SMILE) Go the extra mile for service lah! :)
I pay 11.70 and trudge back....
3 comments:
Oh I loved the satire, man!
As such S'pore cabbies were a pain in @$$; and now after this campaign, they seem to have got a "license to kill" the hapless passengers with their fake geniality, abominable accent and sickening officiousness.
BIIIIG LOL!
I have actually seen the card, which has been distributed to these cabbies. This card has "strict instruction" to 1. smile 2. Ask the best route 3. wish you good morning and so on and so forth....Not their fault lah....Just follow instructions....can ?
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