Mr Jeffrey Law Lee Beng

ON TUESDAY morning, I was queuing at the check-out counter of a store at Hougang Mall when the cashier asked an old man if he was a senior citizen. When he said yes, she asked for his identity card (IC) to confirm his eligibility for the 2-per-cent senior citizens’ discount.

The customer, who was likely to have been in his 70s, took out his wallet and fumbled for his IC. I noticed that his purchase of a loaf of bread and two chocolate bars amounted to just over $8.

I was annoyed that a frail-looking senior citizen was put in this situation in order to get a few cents off his purchases.

Was it a case of the cashier’s inability to gauge the customer’s age or her strict compliance with company policy?

Regardless of the reason, it is imperative for counter staff to show more sensitivity and respect towards elderly patrons, especially as the importance of senior citizens to society had been discussed previously.

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