After a customer accidentally overpaid by 100 times for his meal, one honest hawker went above and beyond to track down the diner and return the money
After a customer accidentally overpaid by 100 times for his meal, one honest hawker went above and beyond to track down the diner and return the money.
In a Facebook post shared on Saturday (Jan 28), Khine Zar Lin, the owner of Xiao Mei Ban Mian, revealed that an elderly customer had unknowingly paid $450 for a bowl of mee hoon kueh soup, which was actually priced at $4.50. The payment was made via PayLah at her stall along Woodlands Drive 50.
Khine explained that the customer, an elderly man who did not frequent the stall, may not have realized his mistake. “We don’t know how to reach him and are worried he may not even know he made that mistake,” she wrote. “Please spread the news and hope he realises and gets back the money.”
Speaking to AsiaOne on Tuesday (Jan 31), Khine said she worked with Nets and DBS to refund the $445 overpayment to the customer. She acknowledged that the process was challenging and required her to submit extensive paperwork.
In the Facebook post’s comments, netizens praised Khine for her honesty and kindness. “Blessings for doing the right thing,” one user wrote.
Khine explained that her motivation to return the money stemmed from the fact that the customer reminded her of her own father, who was also learning to use PayLah. “If the customer is not tech savvy, he might not even know his money was missing. So, I’ll just do my part and refund the money,” she shared.
On Tuesday, Khine happily posted that the refund had been successfully completed. She even posed for a photo with the elderly customer, confirming that he had received the $445 back.
Other kind-hearted hawkers
This isn’t the only recent example of generous hawkers. A Malay stall owner in Circuit Road gave out free coffee and tea to customers on the second day of Chinese New Year (Jan 23), continuing a tradition from the previous year.
And in November, a laksa stall owner arranged for 100 elderly individuals to enjoy free meals, thanks to a customer who paid for their food as part of a birthday celebration.
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