The Heart-Aching 'Dear And Dearest'

It's Dear In Singapore, as reported by The Straits Times

Jun 30, 2010 - Keep An Eye On Fish Prices

WHEN it comes to fish, it pays to know your soon hock from your sultan. Wild-caught species of the latter are exceedingly rare, and can cost more than S$300 (US$214) per kg at restaurants here.
Now, a debate is brewing about whether customers should be told upfront if an item they order comes with a price tag that is off the charts.
It was sparked by the case of a customer who wanted to be known only as Mr Liu, who went to the Feng Shui Inn restaurant at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) with four friends from Hong Kong on June 12.
Mr Liu originally wanted to order a soon hock or Marble Goby dish, but when told that the restaurant had run out of it, he went with a waiter's recommendation and ordered sultan fish instead.
He told the Chinese evening newspaper Lianhe Wanbao that the waiter did not tell him the price of the fish, but he assumed it would be about the same price as soon hock, which costs about S$90 (US$64) per kg. But Mr Liu said he and his friends got a shock when they received a bill for S$1,224 (US$874) for the 1.8kg fish.
He complained and received a 15% discount. But his main grouse was that the waiter didn't let him know the price of the sultan when he recommended it.
When contacted, RWS spokesman Robin Goh explained that Feng Shui Inn serves a very premium clientele. He said: 'It is not always appropriate to state menu prices to high-end customers who have come to expect certain discretion, especially when they entertain high-level guests. This is a practice shared by most high-end restaurants.'

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It's Dearest In Malaysia, reported The Star

July 3, 2010 - RM436,000 (US$136,590) Shocker For Sales Manager

 

KLANG: Sales manager P.J. Alvin from Taman Sri Andalas near here was shocked when he received his June electric bill and saw that he owed Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) RM436,808.03 (US$136,844).

Alvin, 25, lives in a double-storey terrace house that uses three air-conditioning units and has the usual electrical appliances.
“I live with my parents and a sister. There are only four of us in the house. How can we use so much electricity?” he asked, saying that his average monthly electricity bill was RM400 (US$102).

Seeking an answer: Alvin showing his June bill at his Taman Sri Andalas house in Klang Friday.
 

Alvin believed that TNB had made an error as it was impossible for his family to use that much of electricity in a month.
“Yesterday, I went to TNB’s Jalan Meru office to get an explanation but the staff at the counter was rude and scolded me,” he claimed.
Alvin also claimed that his 51-year-old father suffered a migraine for three days and had to be admitted to a private hospital after learning about the exorbitant electricity bill.
“I want TNB to investigate this matter. I also want an explanation as to how this happened,” he said.
Selangor TNB general manager Abdullah Abdul Basir Abdul Ghani said checks showed that Alvin had overpaid by RM4,174 and the amount would be refunded.
“On the RM436,808 bill, it will be checked. If it was due to a technical error, it will be rectified on Monday. We also would like to apologise for the conduct of our counter staff,” he said.