Nicholas M Ong

A couple of nights ago, I decided to stop by Boat Quay for a quick drink before I headed home for the night. I wasn’t really in the mood for Jazz so I reckoned I scouted the area to see if I could find an interesting water hole. There wasn’t much happening along the river front so I decided to go have a look along the back at Upper Circular Road.

I was halfway done the street when I noticed
the Archipelago Brewery Co. at the same spot where the famous Bak Kut Teh shop used to be some 8 years ago. I remember having that beer once almost 11 months ago which was pretty good so I figured why not?

Walked in and a lady server sat me at the bar since there were no available tables. Must have been the happy hour crowd at work there. Strangely, the lady forgot all about me. She did walk past me a number of times thereafter but never stopped to take my order. Me, I began to wonder just how long it would take for someone to come get my order so I decided to wait. It wasn’t a whole 7 minutes before the bartender noticed I have been sitting there tapping my fingers on the bar top. Once my order was placed, it took less than 60 seconds and my Straits Pale was standing in a tall pint in front of me. Verdict?

Silly house rule number 1: Only the bartender takes orders at the bar?

10 minutes later, the cashier approached me a asking if I would like the bill or I would like to keep the tap running. Being halfway through my first pint, I choose to keep the tap running. As expected, the obvious was next…

Cashier: Sir, can I have your credit card to hold?

Me: Uhm.. but I’m sitted right here at the bar…

Like a well rehearsed script… she went on…

Cashier: Sorry sir. It’s the house rule.

Cashier: Everybody has to give me their credit card.

Cashier: Everyone here is doing it.

As a soft-skills trainer, before she completed her first sentence, my mind started cranking and I had thought of a hundred and one retorts to challenge her. Why is it even a house rule? This is an instance where applying the Jones Theory isn’t all that appropriate. In my mind, I had wanted to respond in the following manner…

“Well, just because everyone else is handing you their credit card doesn’t mean I have to. Do you even believe in the house rule because I do not sense any conviction in your tone…

If you look around, I am the only person sitting at te bar and facing the bartender. Tell you what, you hand me your ID and I will hand you my credit card. Deal?!? I just want be sure you don’t run away with my card too you know?”

Now of course, I wasn’t that mean to the cashier. She’s just doing her job right? BS. I still handed her my card since all I wanted was to get a lousy drink. Verdict?

Silly house rule number 2: Hold the customers card and hopefully they forget about it?

I’m sure these are not the only silly house rules of establishments. Had I been in a crappier mood, things might have been a little different? Don’t know man. I will tell you when I find that out.

Tags Upper Circular Road,Archipelago Brewery,House Rules,Keep Tap Running,Credit Card