As part of the Go the Extra Miles for Service (GEMS) movement in Singapore, a blog – AreYouBeingServed.com.sg was setup to provide a platform for anyone to discuss and raise service standards in Singapore.  PassportChop.com will be going undercover to test certain establishments on their professionalism and service. This post will provide you with an introduction of who we will be visiting and what we will be testing them on for our first mission.

We will be testing the service standards and professionalism of maids – NOT household maids but waitresses who dress up as elegant maids in cosplay theme restaurants – Maid cafés (Meido kafe) which originated in Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan.  Compared with service at normal cafés, the service at cosplay cafés involves the creation of a rather different atmosphere.  The staff treat the customers as masters and mistresses in a private home rather than merely as café customers.

The popularity of the Cosplay restaurants and maid cafes has spread around the world, including Singapore where a couple of such restaurants/cafes had popped up over the past few years.  We will be reviewing the service standards of one of them based on the following points:

Service Standards compared to Authentic Akihabara Maid Cafes

• Are they dressed up as French Maids (or any other maid costumes)?
• Are customers referred to as either Master (goshujinsama) or Mistress (ojōsama)?
• Are customers greeted with the customary “Welcome home, Master” (Okaerinasaimase, goshujinsama) upon entering the restaurant?
• Are there extra optional services e.g. Polaroid photo-taking (in any permutation – with maid or other maids or customers + decoration of the Polaroid), Playing card or video games?
• Is yummy Japanese food e.g. omurice served and decorated with maid’s loving touch?

Service Standards compared to typical Singaporean Restaurants

• Are the service staff knowledgeable on what’s available in the menu and able to make recommendations based on customers’ preferences?
• Are they patient enough to accommodate special requests about food e.g. more sauces, exclusion of certain ingredients?
• Are they professional in their service e.g. getting customers’ orders correct?

I will keep the name of the restaurant secret for now.  Stay tuned for more information about our dining experience!

Update (7 December 2009):

Check out our AreYouBeingServed service review of CHIJMES Cosafe Maid Cafe