COM323: Rat on tray: Affected Tangs Market patron is pregnant woman; family rejects offer of S$200 voucher: Crisis Communication Assignment, SUSS

Rat on tray: Affected Tangs Market patron is pregnant woman; family rejects offer of S$200 voucher SINGAPORE: On Saturday (Nov 25), a woman, 16 weeks pregnant, and her family were having lunch at a food court in Orchard Road when a rat fell from above onto her table. In a video that has since gone viral, the rat is seen on its side on a food tray at Tangs Market, twitching and moving its legs. The woman’s mother, who did not want to be named, told CNA the incident had left her 27-year-old daughter “traumatised” as she was worried about the health of her baby.

Recounting the incident, Mdm Lim said that her daughter was halfway through her meal when she felt “liquid dripping” on her hand that was holding a pair of chopsticks. The liquid also stained the cardigan that her daughter had on. When her daughter looked up to locate the source of the drip, she saw the rat. After spotting the creature, she stood up and backed away from her seat. Seconds later, she heard a “loud bang” as the rat fell and landed on her food tray. “She ran off screaming and running towards us, frantically saying she needed to wash her hands,” Mdm Lim told CNA, adding that her daughter was worried about her unborn child. Mdm Lim and her family then visited the emergency department at Gleneagles Hospital.

The bill came up to S$1,152.06. On Monday, she followed that up with a gynaecologist consultation. She was prescribed antibiotics and probiotics because of the risks of contamination with rodents and the potential risks of leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals and can cause a wide range of symptoms. Complications include kidney damage and liver failure. In a medical memo seen by CNA, the doctor affirmed the well-being of both the foetus and mother. On Saturday, the day of the incident, a Tangs duty manager offered the store’s apologies for what had happened. Later that evening, Tangs asked Mdm Lim for her home address where a “wellness hamper” could be sent. In response, Mdm Lim said: “We don’t want the wellness hamper. We want to know how Tangs is going to resolve this matter.

In subsequent messages, Tangs also offered a gift card and requested the receipts of the hospital bill. “To show our sincere apology, we will like to pass you a S$200 Tangs gift card for the inconveniences caused by the incident,” said the company’s duty manager via WhatsApp on Monday. “For the medical bills related to the incident, send us the receipts for our follow-up.” It was unclear if this constituted an offer by Tangs to pay the medical bills. The offer of a gift card did not go down well with Mdm Lim. “For Tangs management to dismiss the incident with a $200 voucher to cover our out of pocket (expenses) and leave days is an insult to us,” she replied.

“Tangs management is telling us we have to pay for their failure to maintain proper food safety in a food court. This is unfair to any layman. We are totally appalled.” Speaking to CNA on Tuesday, Mdm Lim said: “TANGS cannot expect us, for an incident which was pure negligence … to come out of my own pocket for the medical fee and other indirect costs.” She noted that costs were incurred for parking charges and the need to utilize annual leave to accompany her daughter to the hospital. “The principle of this is wrong,” she said. In a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, Tangs confirmed the sighting of the rat on the food tray at around 2.55pm on Saturday (Nov 25) at the Tangs Market food court.

The the company said “Affected customers who were seated in the vicinity of the incident were attended to” but made no further mention of any interaction with Mdm Lim and her family. Queries by CNA to Tangs about its correspondence with Mdm Lim went unanswered. The company added in its statement that the incident was “regrettable and unacceptable” and announced a one-day closure of the food court for cleaning and sanitisation works. Source: Tham, A. (29 Nov 2023). Rat on tray: Affected Tangs Market patron is pregnant woman; family rejects offer of S$200 voucher. Channel News Asia.

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