Forum: Free service shouldn’t mean bad service
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I agree with MP Baey Yam Keng’s call for the public to respect volunteers who were giving free haircuts ( Tampines MP Baey Yam Keng urges respect after man confronts 82-year-old volunteer over free haircut
It was wrong of the man to have kicked up a big fuss over the quality of the haircut provided by an elderly volunteer.
That said, I feel it is the responsibility of grassroots leaders to ensure that volunteers have the minimum standards and competence required to perform certain activities.
I wouldn’t want my hair to be badly cut by anyone, even for free. I also wouldn’t want free food from a stall that has poor hygiene standards.
Offering free public services does not mean that quality and standards have to be compromised.
While I applaud the team for offering the free haircut service, I would expect the organisers to have ensured that the right volunteers with the right skills are deployed.
George Lim Heng Chye
