In a recent incident shared by a concerned netizen, a routine task turned into a frustrating experience for their father at Yishun MRT station. Attempting to top up his EZ-Link card with a $50 note, the encounter with a staff member named Z**** unfolded into a perplexing situation, raising questions about customer service and legal tender acceptance.
The EZ-Link Card Dilemma
The incident began when the netizen’s father faced a predicament at the EZ-Link card machine. With only a $50 note on hand, the machine’s limitations prompted a visit to the concession counter, setting the stage for the unfolding events.
At the concession counter, the encounter with Z****, a staff member, took an unexpected turn. Z**** asserted that the $50 note appeared old and requested a new one. This left the netizen’s father in a 20-minute queue, adding frustration to an already time-sensitive situation.
The netizen’s father, already under the pressure of rushing to work, faced an extended wait at the concession counter. The time-sensitive nature of the situation compounded the frustration, leading to the netizen’s decision to bring attention to the incident.
Reached out to SMRT
The netizen expressed confusion about the rejection of the $50 note based on its appearance. A broader question emerged – since when are old notes considered unacceptable in Singapore? This raised concerns about the legitimacy of the staff’s decision.
Attempting to address the issue, the netizen reached out to SMRT for resolution. However, the response received was perceived as an attempt to protect the staff, leaving the netizen dissatisfied and prompting them to share the incident on social media.
Here is what the netizen said
Hello, I’m reaching out to you to share about an incident my father experienced by a staff in SMRT. He wanted to top up his EZ-Link card for $10 at the machine in Yishun mrt station but he had $50 note so can’t top up in the machine therefore he went to the concession counter to top up his card.
The staff, a lady name Z**** said that “the $50 note looks old so we can’t accept the note and asked for new $50 note.” After queuing for 20 mins to top up his card my father got this response from the staff, he was rushing to work also.I brought up this issue here because I don’t understand why the staff had to say like that and she doesn’t have the rights to reject a legal note.
Since when old notes are not acceptable in Singapore??
We reached out to SMRT but didn’t get a proper closure as they are trying to save their staff only. I just wanted to share this here so that SMRT staff can learn their mistake and hopefully no one has to experience this again. I have attached pictures for reference. Thank you.
