Lor mee hawker at People’s Park Centre uses 'honour system' for payment: 'In Singapore, I feel everyone has a conscience'
This Singapore hawker's unusual payment system started because he wanted to save time and sell more bowls of noodles.
SINGAPORE — It is rather unusual to see stacks of notes and coins placed in front of a hawker stall with no one minding it. Instead, there’s a sign in Chinese asking customers to freely take their own change, with a reminder to pay an additional $0.30 if they need a container for a takeaway order.
Facebook user Lee Siew Yian shared this unique honour system that Nanyang Lor Mee, located the basement of People’s Park Centre, uses — that is “on the customers and their integrity to pay the right amount”.
“I was amazed to see his money box right at the counter while he cooks noodles. There’s a queue for his delicious lor mee. He doesn’t look at the money box. He has no assistant, just he and himself,” she wrote.
Owner started this system because he was too busy
The owner, Chen Mingfa, shared with 8world that the system was created out of necessity as it cost too much to hire someone to assist him, even though he was rather busy. Hence, about a year ago, he set up this “self-help” system.
He also prefers a cash system over digital payments, because if there are connectivity issues and the digital payments are not able to go through, it takes longer to complete a transaction. “I prefer cash, it’s the fastest”.
Chen is also not too concerned about people taking advantage of his payment system and not paying for their food or even worse, taking his money. “Up till now, there haven’t been any problems and I haven’t lost any money… In Singapore, I feel that everyone has a conscience.”
That said, his payment system was implemented after considering the bulk of his customers is the office crowd. “They are educated, and they know right from wrong and the consequences of breaking the law. So I’m not worried about anyone taking advantage,” he told 8days.sg.
“When my customers experience someone placing trust in them to do the right thing, they are blown away and start believing in it too.”
Netizens have shared that Nanyang Lor Mee is not the only business that trusts customers to pay on their own. Other similar businesses include a drink stall at Temasek Polytechnic, a kway chup stall at a food court in Bukit Panjang, a rojak stall at Dunman Road and a popiah and rojak stall at Loyang Point.
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