Thats really harshe, should discriminate between your own people! customer service should be the same for all people.
well if your looking at it from the perspective of a hotel in the mid range then yeah, this sort of thing can happen. But from what i've noticed everytime i've gone back is hk'ers are actually treating mainlanders better than their hk counter part and even foreigners. ive been told this is due to the increasingly cash rich mainland chinese flooding hk buying all the latest accessories like electronics and fashion. so if you move outside of just the hotel service its actually changing on all levels, speaking mandarin could be considered a class above the rest. growing up watching hk news and having hk friends, the prejudice against mainlanders is very strong, i even have these thoughts being from guangzhou, which in the last 10 years or so has been flooded by the farming class from the rural areas looking for better wages and working conditions. first post :O
I think it depends on the type of industry, for retail industries the salespersons flock to people who speak mandarin and usually ignore those who speak hong kong style cantonese.
Only the mainlanders (mostly Fujianese people maybe). They're flooding Hong Kong and the U.S.! I know there's tons more FJs here in New York City nowadays. A lot of them are pretty rude and uncivilized.
Unfortunately, I have to agree. I think it's for multiple reasons though. I always felt like HKers (being that they are a bit more westernized) always looked down on Mainlanders and looks up to Western civilization. Even in their movies and tv shows, they are always looking up at Western cultures and even Japanese cultures. But, it's also hard to ignore that fact that a lot of mainlanders are often looked upon as "rude" "cheap" and even "uncivilized." Even here over the states, you can tell which parts of China certain Chinese people are from by seeing the clothes they wear and the way they act. It's hard not to stereotype them. Sometimes, you just notice right away. Think about it, you wouldn't want to serve someone who is typically: -Loud -Rude -Cheap -Judgmental -Lack of manners -Lack of hygiene over someone who is completely the opposite. Sure there are good people and bad people from every culture, but there are also trends in specific culture that tends to pick up. My girlfriend is FJ and she always say FJ people are some of the most boasting, unhumble and rudest people you can ever find. But thanks for the tip. When I visit HK (I do plan to) I'll remember to use full English.
wow thas completely diff. to whut i thought of hk people.... coz most of the time when we use engrish in hk....they tend to rip us off =_= one time...we we're in the taxi...we we're talking in engrish thoughout the ride and it cost more so we tested it out...went in a taxi to the same destination and didnt talk at all in the taxi and it cost less...!!!!!....its the same when we go to 'fa yuan street'...=/
As long as you're wearing well branded clothes with a good fashion sense in HK (real ones, preferably LV/GUCCI).... than you'll be fine Judgmental at its best, and that's why I miss HK... see you all there this summer... LoLzzzz
Fujianese people is flooding Hawaii too. They are so loud and usually have big family. My mom always call the security when they start talking loud. Anyway, as long you talk good cantonese then you won't receive the prejudice from hongkong people.
yes,I agree, they view English speaking chinese are foreigners and tips better. Seriously, you know how cheap some locals are. That is the way all service industries are no matter where you go and what country. They have a better chance getting more money out of someone they believe to be foreign than to someone they think is local.
This behavior is similar everywhere, perceive as good tipper gets better service. On the other hand, some people don't tip because they grew-up in such an environment, where tipping generously is not a norm and often it is hard to change.
Don't agree completely. The service in HK is generally very good. Maybe for hotels it's different, but at the department stores and the malls...staff are very friendly and helpful. In fact, if you speak fluent cantonese you should really use it to your advantage. Friends have told me that people who speak english in HK get thrown dirty looks. --- Let me reclarify this. If you are Chinese, and you speak english...you WILL get dirty looks. If you're white and you speak english, then no problem. It's mainly if they can see that you're chinese...then you'll probably get ripped off if you speak english. And no...people can't tell where you're from just from listening to your cantonese accent. No one EVER guesses that I'm from Canada when I'm in HK. Always get mistaken for a local....even at the Hotel I was mistaken for a local. (The cleaning person thought my apartment was getting renovated lol)
