A FoodPanda rider, @man_pandarider, shared how he ended up sending an order late because the eatery sign was in Chinese, which he couldn’t read, and only managed to find it by asking others for help.
The Malay rider shared in his video about the difficulties he faces in some of his food deliveries because of the language barrier.
He shared a screenshot of the customer’s delivery order from a stall named La Shi Ni Mala Xiang Guo, which was transliterated on the app in English.
The rider said that “it was written in English and I’m a male, I don’t know how to read Chinese, so I was looking around for this shop.”
The shop’s signboard was written in mandarin and not in English, and the rider spent a long time looking for it and had to ask around for the shop.
He finally found the shop and picked up the order but was delayed because of his difficulty finding it, and when he arrived at the customer’s home with their food, their dog was at the door barking at him.
The rider then said that he didn’t mean to be late, he just can’t read Chinese.
Netizens’ comments
- Maybe should add an additional sign with all the stalls’ names and unit number in standardised non-stylised sans serif font that is big and clear so that everyone can see it clearly. A lot of the signboards also don’t display the unit numbers clearly.
- The issue is the seller should advertise exactly the same. So if their signage is in Chinese characters then the app should display in Chinese characters and not in hanyu pinyin. This should avoid confusion. By the way can small business register only in Chinese characters for Singapore?
- Need extra homework liao…riders may create a lost with symbols/logo matched to each ‘chinese/japanese/vitnamese/thailand etc.’ stalls. Maybe an app to link up everything will be most welcoming too for all our riders! All the best! Happy working and ride safely
- To include other forms of alphabets is fine but must be accompanied by latin-script alphabets. This is what is being practised in Southeast Asia. The authorities should enforce.
- Should have asked anyone for location. Sure people will help. My experience in finding locations in my years of working I never encountered any problem. Ask politely. Surely you will never be disappointed. Never ask never know.
@man_pandarider #foodpanda #foodpandariders #fooddelivery #grabfood #mannasir #deliveroo ♬ original sound – Man Pandarider