Residents and tourists alike agree that many local retailers urgently need to improve their customer service, interactions, and overall business attitude.
With a greater influx of visitors forecasted for 2025, opportunities abound for local retailers and businesses to boost sales and revenue. However, some individuals interviewed by the Times believe that a structural problem may hinder this potential: the way local retailers treat consumers.
A Filipino national residing in Vietnam, who requested anonymity, shared her preference for shopping for luxury items in Hong Kong over Macau.
“Well, it’s not about the price. It’s more about the attitude of the store attendants in Macau,” she explained, adding, “I feel that Macau has a lot to improve in customer interaction. When I enter a store—especially one from a well-known luxury brand—I am scanned from head to toe several times by the staff, who almost immediately ignore me. This has happened more than once, including during my recent trip to Macau and Hong Kong over Christmas.”
She further elaborated, “In other places like Hong Kong or Singapore, there is less bias from store attendants. In Macau, it seems that being Southeast Asian automatically means I’m not there to buy anything. That ruins the experience.”
Having lived most of her life in China, she clarified that language is not a barrier, as she speaks fluent Mandarin, nearly like a native. “It’s not a language issue; it’s a matter of mentality—let’s call it that,” she remarked.
Fortunately, she noted that this unwelcoming attitude does not extend to Macau’s hotels. “In the hotels, no. I have no complaints. Particularly in five-star establishments, I have always been treated very well, even better than in similar hotels in Hong Kong,” she said.
A professional in hospitality services in Vietnam, she expressed that Macau’s customer service still falls short of global city standards. “In some aspects, Macau is at the level of second-tier mainland cities, which I know very well. Macau needs to improve its game,” she commented.
Corroborating some of these concerns, Hong Kong resident Wingki Chan criticized the lack of professionalism displayed by some Macau businesses. She specifically cited the mishandling of a concert by Hong Kong artist MC Cheung Tin Fu, scheduled for January 5 but postponed at the last minute.
“The organizers have shown terrible attitude and lack of respect toward consumers,” Chan said. “It’s really low standards. I’m not saying they’re to blame for the postponement, but the fact is, we [concertgoers] still don’t know why it was postponed, and the promoter doesn’t seem to care about the consequences.”
Chan elaborated that attending a concert in Macau requires significant planning and investment. “We’re not just sitting on our sofas, deciding last minute to go to Macau. First, we had to secure tickets, which wasn’t easy. Then, I had to take a day off work because the concert was on a Sunday evening.”
She continued, “As we know, returning to Hong Kong from Macau late at night is inconvenient because the last ferry leaves before midnight. For that reason, my friends and I booked a hotel, which added significantly to our budget.”
When the concert was postponed at the last minute, Chan said all their plans fell apart. Since none of their bookings were refundable, they ended up traveling to Macau without attending the concert.
“It felt like a scam. We spent so much and made so many arrangements for the concert, only for it to be canceled. It’s incredibly disappointing,” she said.
According to Chan, the organizer only sent a message asking attendees to hold onto their tickets for a new date to be announced, a response she found “nonsense”.
“They will probably refund the ticket price because, after that poor announcement, many people took to social media to protest the organizer’s attitude. However, that refund covers only about 30% of what we spent to attend the concert,” she explained. She added that she will seriously reconsider attending future events in Macau due to this disappointing experience.
Meanwhile, the Times has learned that the organizer has since issued a statement indicating that they will proceed with the immediate refund of all tickets for the concert.
Locals also weigh in with similar complaints
Some local residents have expressed similar complaints, urging Macau businesses to change their mentality and business practices, warning that failure to adapt could threaten their survival.
A government employee working in communication, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the Times about his recent struggles acquiring professional equipment for his workplace.
“It is quite difficult to deal with some retailers. They have a poor attitude, and it seems like they do not need to make the sale,” he said. He explained that government procurement requires specific standards for quotations and support documentation—a “hassle” many local retailers appear unwilling to handle.
“I went to two retailers, the only ones I know that deal with this type of equipment, with a detailed list of what I needed. They showed little interest in helping. Emails went unanswered, and even when I visited the stores in person, they didn’t bother giving me proper responses.”
He continued, “I’m looking to purchase equipment worth around HKD30,000, but for them, it seems like small change and not worth their effort. One salesperson even suggested I buy the items on Taobao instead.”
The resident expressed frustration at what he perceives as a growing subsidy dependency among local retailers, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic. “I see daily news about businesses saying they’re struggling and need government subsidies, but in reality, they’re making no effort to improve their service.”
Another resident, surnamed Ma, shared a similar experience. While trying to acquire equipment to upgrade his services, he encountered unexpected obstacles.
“I visited a store I often used in the past and asked about a specific piece of equipment. The shopkeeper told me they had no stock. I was surprised since this retailer has at least three stores across Macau. When I asked if I could place an order, the response was shocking,” Ma recounted.
“They told me, ‘If you want to order, you need to pay a deposit of at least 50%—over MOP50,000—and wait about six months.’ Then, they casually suggested I buy it in Hong Kong instead.”
Frustrated, Ma did exactly that. He placed an order online with a Hong Kong retailer and picked up the item the next day.
“In Hong Kong, they were very helpful. They arranged to transport the item to their store in Tung Chung so I could easily pick it up after taking the golden bus,” he explained.
Ma expressed disappointment with the current state of local businesses, noting that these situations are becoming more frequent in Macau.
“It seems like Macau is quickly becoming just a backdrop for photos. People come here, take pictures, and leave. We’re just extras in this movie,” he concluded.
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