A staff member, appearing to be in her 50s, approximately 160cm tall, and without glasses, was extremely impolite and impatient. She does not deserve to be working with customers. Since the staff did not put the product price or name tags on display, it's normal for customers to ask what the flavors were. Instead, she impatiently answered by asking if the customer had bought before, instead of telling the flavors, and worse still, in a rude manner. It should be her responsibility to explain and clarify to customers instead of treating them as if they should know what is being sold, especially if she didn't put tags on the pastries!!
August 18, 2025
I encountered a staff member who was on her phone during a busy period, which seemed unprofessional. Additionally, her tone was quite rude when serving me, as if I owed her something. This behavior made the experience quite unpleasant.
August 18, 2025
Ordered party sets via corporate order, and delivery was prompt. Communication was fast and efficient.
August 18, 2025
I am a bit upset that the staff at China National was very sarcastic and unfriendly. I just asked why the price at other Polar outlets was different. Her response was she just said 'different' and laughed it off. This was a very unprofessional way of treating customers. Her attitude was TERRIBLE. I seriously hope that the management will do something to educate the staff. The food was nice, except for the service.
August 18, 2025
Had Apple Lattice and Tuna Puff, which were both too dry and lacked flakiness. Poor quality for their price.
August 18, 2025
The staff aunty (likely Chinese) was not very professional. I asked if I could get birthday candles for the cake, but neither my colleague nor I heard her response. Suddenly, she sarcastically asked, “I asked you how many you want?” and laughed. So I responded, “Just three will do.” I then asked my colleague, “Did you hear her ask how many candles?” and she said, “Nope, not at all.” We both laughed it off, thinking she might just be a bit off.
Anyway, I had ordered a cake and a curry puff, but she forgot to include the curry puff. When I pointed it out, saying, “There’s supposed to be a curry puff,” she laughed dramatically and then suddenly frowned. At this point, my colleague and I agreed that she was definitely acting strange.
Just some advice, though: if you’re upset with your job, then maybe just don’t work. It’s as simple as that. There’s no need to show your frustration to customers; it’s very unprofessional. No wonder there aren’t many good reviews for this place. Other than that, the food is fine.
August 18, 2025
I came by to get a box of pastries.
It was a Monday at around 3 PM. I was served, for lack of a better word, by a young lady named Jumairia (I may have misspelled her name).
1. Lack of situational awareness
I stood at the counter, waiting to place my order. I waited for her to finish chatting about her workplace before her colleague gestured to her, indicating I was waiting. This young lady was completely unaware that I was standing there, even though we were merely separated by the cashier counter. But it’s okay—maybe she was just unaware.
2. Lack of product knowledge
I asked, “What is the maximum number of pastries a box can fit?” She paused for a split second before answering, “Minimum three pastries.”
Not quite what I was asking, so I repeated the question. She didn’t answer, instead saying, “Never mind, I can make another box.” I’m not sure how that answered my question, but by then, I realized she didn’t know the answer. So, I simply said, “Okay.”
3. The pièce de résistance - The Sigh
As she was finalizing my order, I mentioned that I would be paying via Paywave. She didn’t hear me the first time. That’s okay—I repeated myself. I waited for her to turn the terminal to face me so I could check the final amount before tapping. Instead, she looked at me incredulously, tapped on the terminal with her finger, and said, “Tap.”
How polite, right? Because clearly, the customer doesn’t need to see the final amount displayed on the terminal. Silly me.
The final straw was when I noticed her trying to stuff my box of pastries into a bag that was obviously too small. The bag stretched at the seams. After overlooking her rudeness and lack of service multiple times, I finally asked, exasperated, “Isn’t there a bigger bag?”
She took out a larger bag and passed it to me, indicating that I should transfer the pastries myself. Nope—not happening. I handed the snug bag back to her and said, “You change it.” At that point, she let out an audible, dramatic sigh, as if I’d asked her to perform some Herculean task.
Final Thoughts:
I understand that working in F&B is not easy. It’s tiring and demanding. But this is a job. Customer service is part of the job. In fact, being kind and polite is not only part of the job—it’s a fundamental aspect of being human.
Everyone has their struggles, but basic kindness and politeness should come naturally.
The only reason why I did not make a fuss right then and there is because there was a sweet elderly lady behind me waiting patiently for her chicken pie.
TLDR: I don’t owe you anything. Just do your job.
August 18, 2025
I was collecting birthday cakes for my nephew at Polar Bugis. Nan Bin, the cashier aunty's service is very good and friendly! Thumbs up!
August 18, 2025
It seems the owner doesn't care much about the service quality in the shop. That's why there are so many 1-star reviews here. The staff this early morning was so rude and extremely impolite, young and not well-trained or educated. Sorry, but it's true. (June 20th, 10:15 AM)
I didn't know we needed to pay extra for the plastic bag for two roll cakes, but I told her I didn't mind paying more. At the counter, I saw they had another professional carrier, and I asked for it. But she threw all the plastic bags she had in front of me and raised her voice with a bad attitude. Gosh! I'm pregnant, and I was shocked by those small things I got back from her. Anyway, with such bad attitude and service in the morning, she won't have a good day either. Too Rude! Bad service! 😔.
August 18, 2025
Absolutely horrible service from disinterested staff at their pop-up. I don't know why they bothered to have the event when they didn't care about it.
August 18, 2025
Unscrupulous selling tactics! I will not hesitate to report them as scams! Service sucks!
August 18, 2025
Great service from Candy Zeng. She is real, sincere, and trustworthy for all the recommendations she made to me. Highly recommend this shop to get your products.
August 18, 2025
Used to have incredible service every single time. Changing this review from 5 to 1 as the experience has changed a lot. Lily, on May 25th, was below average. I asked if I could get a brow appointment today, but was flatly rejected with no other options proposed. There was no one around. I asked for an eyebrow pencil I’ve been using for a decade. This is the first time the SA didn’t even bother asking if I’d like her to try it on; she just passed it to me nonchalantly. If it was hard because it was busy, sure, I can understand. But I was the only customer in the store, and there was literally nothing else she was busy with. So, the below-average service can hardly be excused.
August 18, 2025
Helpful and friendly sales lady advised me to buy a different item that better suited my needs. It turned out to be cheaper than what I originally wanted. She even gave me some sample packs when she found out I was going to be travelling soon. 👍🏻
August 18, 2025
An extremely warm and kind lady served me. Thank you so much to Ms Candy for your professional and thoughtful advice on the facial cleanser and brow products. I really appreciate her service. I hope that Shu Uemura will recognise her dedication and sincerity in her job. Cheers! Will visit again soon :)
August 18, 2025
VERY BAD EXPERIENCE!! I seldom leave a one-star review, but this time I got really pissed off by their event arrangements. I registered for their CITYMART event very early after they posted it and came all the way, only to be informed on the spot by staff that I had not successfully registered and would not be eligible to attend or receive a door gift. There was no further message to inform whether registration was successful or not after submitting the Google Form (which they claimed they would send via WhatsApp, but I received no message at all informing me I was rejected). Such a waste of time, with no flexible solution offered by staff. This demonstrates bad customer service, and I will not choose this brand any longer.
August 18, 2025
Received very good service from Ms. Lily. She is very patient and helpful, letting me try different foundations and helping me choose the right one for my skin. Highly recommend her services! Keep it up!
August 18, 2025
Booked a makeover session here for a gala event. My makeup artist, Cathy, was very skilled and did my makeup wonderfully, matching my complexion, skin tone, face shape, and eye shape perfectly. I also showed her a reference photo for the type of look I wanted, and she was able to match and tweak the look to suit my specific features better. She also clearly explained what each product was and its purpose. I don’t frequently wear makeup, but I felt comfortable the whole night as the makeup was lightweight and easy on my skin. I had a lot of compliments as well, and the makeup also looked great in photos!
August 18, 2025
悪いサービスにはうんざりです!
I am writing to express my deep disappointment with the service I received at your Shu Uemura outlet in Bugis on the evening of 12 April 2025.
As someone who has previously worked for corporate HQs, managing retail and cosmetics conglomerates in Japan, I have a profound appreciation for the standards of excellence that Japanese brands are renowned for—standards rooted in omotenashi and a deep sense of pride in service.
Unfortunately, the experience I encountered fell far short of these ideals and was a disservice to the legacy and brand image that Shu Uemura has worked so hard to build.
Upon entering the store, I was not acknowledged by the chubby-cheeked staff, despite making direct eye contact. Moments later, another customer entered the store behind me and was immediately attended to by the same staff member, who brushed past me without a word or gesture. The lack of basic courtesy and professionalism was disheartening. Not a single 'Hi,' 'Sorry, let me attend to you shortly,' or 'How can I help you?' 何もない、ゼロ!!!
In contrast, my experiences with other Japanese luxury beauty brands such as POLA, DECORTÉ, and Clé de Peau Beauté have consistently been marked by impeccable attention and respect, which only made today's incident all the more disappointing.
It is truly disconcerting to witness such disregard in a brand I have long admired. I hope this feedback serves as an opportunity for reflection and improvement, and that future customer experiences will better reflect the esteemed heritage of Shu Uemura.
The Japanese community in Singapore is closely knit, so I hope you don't misrepresent an esteemed company with soiled staff like today.
Best,
August 18, 2025
Disappointment. I booked a 3D brow styling session, expecting professional service, but I was completely ignored. They were busy attending to customers and showed no intention to serve me despite my being early for the appointment.
August 18, 2025