We all know what weekends are like – crowds, demands, less time and patience. The 'Her World' team tested 8 popular bars and department stores to find out which ones can take the heat – and which crack under peak period pressure.

DEPARTMENT STORES

Service challenge: We tried on 10 pairs of shoes without buying anything.

Takashimaya, Ngee Ann City

Thumbs up

The assistant was very patient throughout and suggested other styles when the ones we wanted to try were out of stock. She took only five minutes every time we sent her to the store room to get more shoes for us to try on. She was equally attentive to the other customers.

Thumbs down

She was too busy talking to her colleague to notice that we needed help – we had to approach her to get some assistance.

Verdict

3.5/5 stars. She called us “ma’am” throughout and remained smiley even after we told her we didn’t want any of the shoes we tried.

 
Isetan, Wisma Atria

Thumbs up

The assistant greeted us when we first stepped into her section. Although she took about 10 minutes each time she went to get shoes from the store room, she apologised for making us wait. She also gave constructive comments on what looked good on us.

Thumbs down

By the seventh pair, she was definitely less chirpy. Her smile vanished and she stayed silent when we told her we wouldn’t be buying any of the shoes after all.

Verdict

3/5 stars. Her increasing moodiness made us feel a little intimidated – something customers shouldn’t be feeling.

Find out how Robinsons and Tangs performed on the next page.

Robinsons, Raffles City Shopping Centre

Thumbs up

The service was extremely prompt. The first two salespeople who served us had good product knowledge, and one took the initiative to call her supervisor to find out if the embellishments on our shoes could be replaced for free after falling off.

Thumbs down

The last salesperson was heavy-handed, slamming the shoeboxes down on the floor each time she served us. When we asked if she could stretch the shoes for us before we tried them on, she simply told us to apply hand lotion on the insides of the shoes after we bought them.

Verdict

3.5/5 stars. One “bad” assistant couldn’t ruin what was otherwise a pleasant shopping experience.

 
Tangs, Orchard Road

Thumbs up

The young woman serving us was unfailingly polite and readily called the Vivocity store to check if a pair of shoes was available there in another size.

Thumbs down

She did not know what kind of leather the shoes were made of. Also, when we asked if the shoes from Vivocity could be transferred over in two days instead

of three, she merely smiled and said they would contact us once the shoes arrived.

Verdict

4/5 stars. She may not have had perfect product knowledge, but she was nice.

Find out how bars like Stereo Lounge and KPO performed on the next page.

BARS

Service challenge: We tried our luck in asking for more and then less liquor in our drinks, hot water and a different table.

Stereo Lounge, Pan Pacific Hotel

Thumbs up

The prompt waiter changed our lychee martini twice without hesitation when we asked to adjust the strength of the drink. He even split our bill three ways, changed our friend’s drink when he got the order wrong and gave us hot water – all with a smile.

Thumbs down

The service wasn’t consistent. When we asked one of the waitresses for a hot water refill, she flatly told us they didn’t serve hot water. We had to persuade her to check with the waiter who had served us before she would top up our water.

Verdict

4/5 stars. In spite of the Saturday night crowd, the wait staff were on the ball; they walked around to make sure all their patrons’ needs were attended to.

 
KPO, Killiney Road

Thumbs up

We got a table immediately even though it was a busy Friday evening. Our requests to sit at another table and for hot water were swiftly attended to by two waiters.

Thumbs down

A waitress refused to add an extra dash of vodka into our drink, and only (very reluctantly) changed it when we suggested less cranberry juice might make it stronger. She got clearly irritated with us when we asked for a weaker drink the second time round – whispering to her colleague after we made that request. She ignored our table after that.

Verdict

2.5/5 stars. It was an unpleasant experience. We felt especially offended by the unfriendly waitress. Our friend, who was a first-time patron, vowed never to return.

Find out how Orgo and The White Rabbit performed on the next page.

Orgo, Esplanade Roof Terrace

Thumbs up

We were shown to our reserved table with beaming smiles from the young staff here. Our food and drinks arrived quickly, and special requests were seen to without a hitch.

Thumbs down

Their enthusiasm did not translate to their knowledge of the menu. We found out certain items were unavailable only after asking about them specifically.

Verdict

2.5/5 stars. We endured a minilecture from the head waiter when we sent our drink back on why it was perfect the way it was. They didn’t say goodbye when we left, either.

 
The White Rabbit, Harding Road at Dempsey

Thumbs up

Changing tables was not a problem at this bustling bar and restaurant. The cocktails recommended were excellent and arrived promptly, served with a smile.

Thumbs down

The waiter neglected to tell us that it had been raining – so we ended up plonking our bums on wet seats. Their smiles also disappeared after we asked to make our drinks stronger.

Verdict

3.5/5 stars. Efficient, yes, but indifferent.

This article is written and compiled by Her World features writers - Jaclyn Lim, Gladys Chung, Zarelda Marie Goh and Angeline Tse. 1. To read the rest of this article, get a copy of the February 2010 issue of Her World, Singapore’s No. 1 women’s magazine. Her World, published by SPH Magazines, is available at all newsstands now. 2.  Jaclyn Lim, Gladys Chung, Zarelda Marie Goh and Angeline Tse are features writers with Her World magazine by SPH Magazines. 3.  Check out more stories at Her World online, www.herworld.com