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 Say No to Overcharged Economy Rice, because you are the customers!

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TSwymsinn
post Jun 18 2012, 11:34 AM, updated 12y ago

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Say No to Overcharged Economy Rice

It happened last Friday. I was at H**k L*m Restaurant in PJ.

It was lunch time, but I was not every hungry because of late breakfast. I walked to the economy rice stall and asked for a “small rice.” Then I scooped a piece of long bean fried egg and a bit of fried mixed vegetable.

I went to the counter to pay. The lady boss looked at my rice and said, “Three” in Cantonese. However, before she finished saying that, she looked up, saw my face and stared at me for about a second. Then she changed her mind and said, “Four Ringgit.”

I asked her, “Why four Ringgit? It’s only 1 egg and 1 veggie? And it’s small rice.”

She was annoyed and answered, “Nowadays broccoli is very expensive; it’s more than 10 Ringgit per kilo!”

Then I said, “It’s too expensive, I don’t want it anymore.”

Just as I turned back and walked away, she pointed her right index finger at me and shouted, “If you have no money, don’t come in and eat!” She was clearly very mad at me, but I didn’t care. Why should I pay for food that I think is unfairly charged? In addition, there was no price list. Judging from the amount of dishes left behind, I would say that not many people like to have their economy rice there.

I’ve had economy rice in many parts of Klang Valley. Even in air-conned restaurant, rice + 1 veggie + 1 egg only cost me RM3. The most would be RM3.50. The lady boss at H**k L*m Restaurant wanted to charge me around RM3, but when she saw my face she changed her mind. I’m not sure why. But this was not the first time I experienced this. There were people who tried to cheat me because of how I look. Because I have a childish face? Because I look gullible? I’m not sure why. Maybe I need to improve my look?

Anyway, I ignored her and went to sit with my hubby. I didn’t want to argue with her or scold her back. In the past sometimes I’d pay the money and then felt bad while eating. This was the first time I said No to overcharged economy rice.

Maybe you are thinking, it’s only RM4, why are you so stingy? True, RM4 is not a big amount. But why should I pay for something I know is unfairly charged? H**k L*m Restaurant is not air-conned. It’s just a Chinese kopitiam, and the surrounding is not very clean.

Usually when I complained that the economy rice is expensive, the boss would reduce the price or apologize to me. However, this lady boss at H**k L*m just shouted at me. By her doing so, I’d never go back to her restaurant anymore, and I’d also tell my friends not to go there too (worse still, I’m writing about it here!). By shouting for less than 5 seconds, she not only lost a RM4 business, but also RM4 from many others. RM4 is really not a lot!

It’s not against the law if we don’t want to pay for overpriced food. If you think you are unfairly charged, just put down the plate and tell the boss directly, “It’s too expensive, I don’t want it anymore.” No need to feel ashamed – you haven’t started eating yet; it’s your money, you are the customer and you decide whether you want to pay or not. If we let them charge whatever they wish, economy rice is going to be less and less economy.

[Anyway, I heard that the Wan Ton noodle at H**k L*m Restaurant is very nice and famous. But I wouldn’t go there anymore.]

user posted image
Where H**K L*m is located. The restaurant doesn't have a signboard.


What would you do if your economy rice is overcharged?

This post has been edited by wymsinn: Jun 18 2012, 11:45 AM
TSwymsinn
post Jun 18 2012, 12:21 PM

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QUOTE(stimix @ Jun 18 2012, 12:04 PM)
Haiya, most chapfan restaurants are likedat. Very subjective wan..Sometime you can get cheap but sometime expensive.. very normal.. all depending on the cashier/owner mode and also the type of dish you taken.

I normally take 3 dishes - 1 meat, 1 vege & 1 tofu.egg

The price can be as cheap as RM3.50 till RM5.50. and these from the same chapfan restaurant. When I asked why so expensive compare to last week.. like you said.. vege mahal Today or even they will said yu taken more than usual..so I just let it be lor bcos, sometime, I do get super duper cheap dishes there too haha.
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You are right... it's quite subjective.
But I still think that RM4 for 1 small rice + 1 veggie + 1 egg is quite unreasonable.
In addition, the lady boss wanted to charged me RM3+ but changed her mind after staring at my face for a while.
Maybe I look very rich? hahahaha~ biggrin.gif
TSwymsinn
post Jun 19 2012, 01:33 PM

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QUOTE(etigge @ Jun 19 2012, 11:57 AM)
Chap fan sellers tend to be very temperamental and even more if they cook it on their own. Sometimes when the supplies comes in with higher prices, they will go in a fit! rclxub.gif  everything has gone up, right from seasonings to the ingredients. Can you believe that a Ghee Hiang seasame oil which I used frequently has gone from RM7.50 (long time ago) to RM12 and now it is almost RM20. I can't blame TS for saying it is expensive but 'Chap Fan is a' "LAI SEONG POH HARR" kind of business. You lose some and you make back elsewhere. TS style of eating, maybe she was a small eater or kiamsiap, whichever you look at it, it's your opinion, is the losing type. So, the 'chap fan' seller don't look too hihgly on these type of customers. Maybe she's trying to discourage her from patronising again and the most polite way is what she did.

Most patrons thinks the easiest way that is, "if someone can sell it, why can't she/he" That's generalising without taking account the situations. Shop rental, distance from place of business to home, place where she gets her supplies etc. Although the vendor was rude in shouting at her, TS was also not entirely right either. I mean the plate where she pick up will be thrown away, right? Any vendors will be mad, afterall TS was not forced to buy it from her. She was the one who wanted to buy and when the price was not to her expectation, she just walk away leaving the vendor to throw away what she has choosen. I would have grumbled or exclaimed that it ws expensive and still buy it but refrain from patronising the vendor again. Afterall there's no price restriction on such food, she can choose to sell at whatever price she sells.

Both were wrong but TS drew the first blood in this case! icon_rolleyes.gif The vendors only wrong was shouting at her and not selling it at a high price. That's her right.  FYI, there's no such thing as 'economy rice' anymore, everyone has changed to 'mixed rice'.
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Actually the lady boss at H**k L*m didn't throw away my dishes and rice. She put them back and resell to other customers. Do you think a boss like her will throw away resellable food? I really doubt it...
It's her right to shout at me. It's her right to charge whatever price she likes. But it's also a customer's right not to pay for overcharged food. biggrin.gif
In addition, I haven't eaten the food yet.
Actually she was the one who drew the first blood - she overcharged me at the first place after seeing my face. Not paying her the RM4 was my reaction towards her first action.
I still think that RM4 for 1 small rice + 1 mixed veggie + 1 egg in a not-so-clean Chinese kopitiam is very unreasonable.
She wanted to charge me RM3+, but only changed her mind after seeing my face. Why should I pay RM4 for this kind of service?
Why should we endure the unfairness? If everyone is enduring unfairness, things are going to get more and more expensive.


Added on June 19, 2012, 1:35 pm
QUOTE(7chai @ Jun 18 2012, 01:32 PM)
TS duno that shop, is memang expensive 1. I stay there for 20+ years that shop is memang famous expensive 1 la. haha.

even they charge those stall rental also damn expensive rates. next time u go there, eat their wantan mee. is PJ State punya legendary food stall lai geh.
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I also heard that the Wan Tan Mee there is very nice. But I don't think I'd ever go there anymore.
smile.gif


Added on June 19, 2012, 1:37 pm
QUOTE(raizil @ Jun 18 2012, 01:36 PM)
i sokong that boss. u no money, cook yourself
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So you are willing to pay for overcharged economy rice?


Added on June 19, 2012, 1:42 pm
QUOTE(wodenus @ Jun 18 2012, 04:36 PM)
Don't eat there then. No one forced you to eat there smile.gif people like to charge a lot for food because there are people who enjoy boasting about how much they spend on food complaining about the price of food.

If they charge a high price for food, people get to enjoy complaining about how much it costs, and restaurants make a lot of money. Win-win situation right tongue.gif
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You are right, it was my first time eating there, and also my last. smile.gif
Actually the purpose of my post here is not to complain (I didn't tell everyone not to go to H**k L*m Restaurant); it's to urge everyone to say NO to overcharged food or any products. It's a customer's right to say No. smile.gif

This post has been edited by wymsinn: Jun 19 2012, 01:51 PM
TSwymsinn
post Jun 20 2012, 11:56 AM

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QUOTE(trinityz @ Jun 19 2012, 02:06 PM)
face problem. confirm.
maybe can you post a picture of your face so that we can understand the whole situation better?

i always had economy rice at kota damansara and usually they charge me between RM3.00 - RM3.80 for small rice, 2 vege and 1 egg (or tofu)
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Hahaha... maybe I look childish? or very rich?
But it's not the first time people try to cheat me because of my face. I think I need to look more mature! hahaha!


Added on June 20, 2012, 12:04 pm
QUOTE(vey99 @ Jun 19 2012, 02:13 PM)
sigh, so lansi customer.

ppl also trying to cari makan.

u take liao and reject the food.

over one ringgint u here crusading and try to bring them down and cry bloody murder

i guess the only way to do business with your type is to give it to you for free.
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Hahaha... I'm not asking for free food. I'm only asking for a fair price.

Imagine this, if you are in a boutique and find a nice dress. You try it and you like it very much. There's no price tag and you ask about it. Then you are told that, let's say, it cost RM250. If you think it's expensive, isn't it your right to put down the dress and walk away? Why not with economy rice? You haven't consumed the food yet, why is it wrong to refuse to pay and walk away?

Yes, the lady boss is trying to cari makan. There are many ways to cari makan, why must she does so by overcharging? Over the long run it won't do any good to her business because she's going to scare her customers away. A lot of people are selling economy rice at a reasonable price, and yet they could survive.

I'm not trying to bring down the restaurant. I didn't ask you not to go to that restaurant. You are the customers, if you are willing to pay the $$, that's your choice.
I'm just trying to urge everyone not to overlook unfairness, even a little unfairness like overcharged food. A lot of social injustice started with initial indifference to minor unfairness.


Added on June 20, 2012, 12:06 pm
QUOTE(MrCare @ Jun 19 2012, 02:15 PM)
Kudos and bravo to you. I am with full support for your action. Thumbs up!
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Thanks! smile.gif

This post has been edited by wymsinn: Jun 20 2012, 12:06 PM
TSwymsinn
post Jun 22 2012, 01:25 PM

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QUOTE(mrg220t @ Jun 20 2012, 03:57 PM)
The correct example is if you get the person to tailor make your dress for you then you decide  you don't want.
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If you tailor made your dress, at least you still can ask the tailor to alter the dress if it doesn't fit.
Furthermore, before you ask a tailor to make dress, usually a price will be negotiated and agreed upon. This is different from buying economy rice, where you don't know how much you will be charged.


Added on June 22, 2012, 1:37 pm
QUOTE(mrkenn @ Jun 21 2012, 02:00 AM)
TS, if u're so aware about pricing(being charged 50 cents or rm 1 more), ask the price first before taking any dishes. Your act is like u order seafood(people usually dont know the exact prices(agak2 only)until they pay and get the receipt), and when the food is served, u found out the price is far more expensive than wad u thought so u don wan the food already....lol

If everyone is doing the same thing as u, take dishes to cashier price a bit different then dun wan..aduh...if the price of the food is normally rm 3, they charge rm 4, they just tell urself u wont be eating this mixed rice for the second time. If they charge rm 8 or rm 10 than that's a shocker...unless she already confirmed with u the price is rm 3...but charged rm 4 instead..

Then nextime, if i visit mamak...i ordered teh tarik and forgot to check/ask for the price. I"m expecting it to be rm 1, mana tahu rm 1.40....tak mau la bang kasi balik u...haahahahhah

I know u just wanted a fair price, its not wrong to say no to overcharged economy rice.....but u must do it the right way...

I'm sorry if im being rude. peace icon_rolleyes.gif
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It's OK. You are not being rude. This is an open forum, everyone has a right to express his/her opinions. smile.gif

Maybe it's my fault that I didn't ask for the price before I take any food. In a Chinese kopitiam like that you'd expect your economy rice not to be overcharged. Anyway, thanks for your suggestion, next time I'll ask before I take anything.

The problem with that lady boss at H**k L*m was that she wanted to charge me RM3+ but changed her mind after seeing my face. If she saw my face and changer her mind, then why can't I also change my mind after listening to her price?

In Mamak the price is usually stated on the wall. So if you are charged more than that stated price, of course you can refuse to pay!

I think if everyone is doing the same thing like I did - refusing to pay for overcharged food - then the vendors will not simply increase their food price.
In Malaysia there's a weird phenomenon - when sugar's price is increased, for example 10 sen per kilo, a cup of teh tarik also increases 10 sen. I think it's not right to do that. I stayed in Thailand for 6 years. Right before I left, a cup of soy milk at the area where I lived was 5 Baht (RM0.50) - the price was the same as 6 years before! Thailand and Malaysia have similar economical development, but why in Malaysia inflation happens so fast? In Malaysia many kopitiam owners are just taking advantage of customers.


Added on June 22, 2012, 1:39 pm
QUOTE(Thrust @ Jun 21 2012, 05:00 PM)
Is this kopitiam located at State PJ? Opposite 99 Speedmart & nearby Menara PJ?
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I'm not very sure. It was my first time going there. I remembered there's a KFC nearby.
The restaurant has no signboard.

This post has been edited by wymsinn: Jun 22 2012, 01:39 PM

 

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