If all the service we ever basically needed, each time we go makan at a basic no frills place (where we usually end up very often), is to have our orders taken, have it served and dished out correctly, change bowls or side-plates when dirty and then have the bill ready when we are finished, then, I think we are so ready for robots to do this job. Keep that snide remark about the service industry already infested with humans masquerading as inferior robots now to yourself. I am serious. I read recently that the Japanese at the Robotech exhibition in Tokyo, had already developed a service robot that can deliver your order, dressed as any Manga character and zips about in a nifty Sedgeway glider. And get this, they are programmed to read your facial expression and react accordingly. So, when it happens, they will zip over to your table in a jiff and direct you to the spiffily cleaned toilet.

It is still in it’s developmental phase but heck, I don’t think it’ll take the engineer-san much to hack one that can even recommend and explain the signature creations of the days, and perhaps, then flash the digital photo on the i-pad like menu. Ask “so how is it cooked?”, and a short 20 second video is shown detailing the wok-hei over high fire process is executed by the chef. Smile in wonderment, and the pleasant contraption will react with a “should I get the kitchen to whip one order up for you”.

if only they can provide the basic service efficiently,
the service industry will have less headaches.

A couple of years back, I was raving about this hotpot restaurant in Taiwan which many of my foodie peers highly recommended. What really fascinated me, when I eventually ate there, was not the fresh ingredients or the smooth and toothsome pork broth nor the fact that it came with soft unctuous cubes of blood cakes. It was the service. The female staff rolled her soup trolley up to us ever so deliberately and greeted us so gently as she simultaneously did a right angled bow. She then asked for our permission before graciously filling up our hotpot. As if not that’s not impressive enough, she noted we were at the tail end of our meal and asked “would you like to takeaway some of this boodcake soup?”, with a smile, like how folks do when they tout stuff at those multi-level-marketing or time-share property seminars. That piece of hot tofu nearly fell off my mouth. She had nothing much to benefit except that by doing a gracious and professional job, she would increase her job satisfaction knowing her customers are happy. I would also take my hats off to such service attitude. When we settled the bill, she vehemently refused a tip, quietly admitting to us that it is not in their culture to do so.

So will it happen here in Singapore- yes, the robot part. And maybe, sooner than you think. Many local students in hospitality schools and institutions are learning, like rote magic, not to get into the industry to serve you, but to be managers or to set up their own makan business. They want to be bosses and hire basic wage earners to deal with diners and their whims. So therein lies the problem, they’ll have a tough time getting foreign labour as the jobs are kinda “reserved and protected for local Singaporeans”, whom these days are more keen to be customers and bosses. The three-in-one (three local staff to every foreign worker rule) is really a bugbear for the industry. Don’t even think of hiring Taiwanese as they may not be the preferred “foreign workers” under our rules. Worse, in a short while, you can say goodbye to conversations like “aiya, no problem la, just get some auntie or uncle to do the job can already.” . They will be extinct soon. Post independence babies born here in the 70’s will soon be of auntie and uncle age, and many would have a decent education and their bottom of the food chain aspiration is to toil efficiently at the service counter in a restaurant. They have been rightly bred to aim higher.

So, will someone now offer the entry level Star Wars type R2D2 robot which will come at a snap of the finger (instead of pretending not to notice you), take your order or show you an interactive touch screen menu, serve correctly and quickly, clean and then collect your money, perhaps via a cash card tap action. The only tip they’ll need- where to get cheap software upgrades to improve their performance. We can discuss having an Angelina Joile-Lara Croft type robot service staff lookalike later. We need those now.