A man in Singapore was recently told to pay an additional 50 cents for adding a common condiment – milk – into his fish soup.
This incident, which occurred at a popular fish soup stall in Vivo city, has sparked an uproar among Singaporeans over what they perceive to be an unjust and excessive fee.
50 cents for a splash of milk?
The netizen who posted the receipt on Facebook said: “Hmmm… I didn’t know Fish soup if wanna add milk must pay $0.50 now… Is it the norm nowadays?”
The man had ordered a fish soup from the stall and asked for a serving of milk to be added to it. To his surprise, the stall attendant did not even tell him that an additional 50 cents charge was applied for the milk.
Only after looking that the receipt he realised he has been charged an extra 50 cents.
However, the incident has since been shared widely on social media, with many calling out the stall for its unfair practices. Many Singaporeans feel that the fee is excessive given that milk is a common condiment which is available at other fish soup stalls in the area for no additional cost.
A netizen who saw the post said:
“Now hawker just anyhow charge,later if you use extra chopstick and spoon charge 20cents each.”
Many Singaporeans are still unhappy with the incident, citing it as an example of how establishments can take advantage of customers by charging exorbitant prices for basic condiments. Some have even called for a boycott of the stall, in protest of the 50 cents charge.
While it is understandable that businesses need to make a profit to stay afloat, Singaporeans feel that charging an additional fee for a basic condiment such as milk is an injustice. It remains to be seen whether the stall in question will be able to regain the trust of its customers, or if its reputation has been irrevocably tarnished by the incident.