Confessions of a beer promoter: Shorter skirts, more business

She sashays from table to table, refilling beer mugs and chatting with "regulars".

Dressed in a tight polo shirt and a miniskirt, she easily captures the attention of the many patrons at Ang Mo Kio S-11 foodcourt every evening.

"Do you want to order beer?" she asks, flashing the patrons a seductive smile.

Say "yes" and Xiao Ping, as she is known at the foodcourt, will recommend her company's brand, Dester.

The 23-year-old has been working as a beer promoter since she was 19.

When asked for her real name, she offers only Zhuang, her surname.

The Chinese national says in Mandarin: "I can't count how many regulars I have. I just remember their faces. If they see me, they'll always call me over."

She says that aside from the regulars, beer promoters also keep a mental list of customers that they "try to avoid".

These are the aggressive drunks and those who try to take advantage of the girls.

"We know who they are, and we will still take their orders," says Miss Zhuang.

"But when they start becoming obscenely drunk or frisky, there is no other way but to stay away. Far away."

And you can expect two to three incidents of drunk customers getting into fights every month at the foodcourt, she adds.

"It is normal.

"The worst are the violent types who smash bottles and try to fight with others," she says.

"But I don't feel threatened because someone will call the police, and the police are efficient."

Miss Zhuang, who is from the Fujian province, came here to work as a beer promoter five years ago.

There are six others from China, Malaysia and Singapore who work at the same foodcourt, the youngest is 19.

It is competitive as they come from rival companies - from Tiger to Carlsberg. The prettier ones with the shorter skirts get the most business, she admits.

Miss Zhuang is part of an influx of younger, cheaper-to-hire beer promoters from foreign countries.

WORRIED

The girls were in the news in 2008 when then Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Boon Heng highlighted a case where a drinks seller complained that a young and pretty Chinese beer promoter threatened her job.

Miss Zhuang says her family members were against her coming here.

"They are worried and think if perverts ply me with drinks, I'd get drunk and then 'bei chi tou fu' (Mandarin phrase for 'to be taken advantage of')," she says.

"But I know how to take care of myself."

She makes about $1,800 a month, and most of it comes from the commission she earns from selling beer.

It is 10 cents a bottle and she has to sell a monthly quota of 3,000 bottles.

It is hard work selling nearly 20 crates of beer (each crate has 12 bottles) every night.

Despite the cut-throat nature of the job, the seven promoters share a secret code.

SISTERHOOD

"If the customer doesn't want my brand of beer, I won't push it too much. I know the other girls will pass me customers who prefer Dester or prefer ordering from me."

She says that "we are not enemies, we are a sisterhood", and insists she is not the "da jie" (Mandarin for "big sister") of the group.

But when it comes to flirting with customers to earn more sales, she quickly points out that each girl sets her own limit.

Says Miss Zhuang: "It is up to them to decide how close they want to get to the customer.

"In my case, I am happy sticking to the regular customers whom I know are all right."

Miss Zhuang says her secondary school qualification and inability to speak English mean that "this is the only type of work I can do".

She adds, with a grin: "If I had more options, I would stop working as a beer promoter and be a housewife.

"But I haven't found a partner yet."

SECRETS OF THE TRADE

1 Idle chatter gets you business, even if it is just talking about the weather. Customers remember the interaction and will prefer to order from you the next time they return.

2 Give your contact number to customers who may want to reserve seats at the foodcourt. But keep a separate phone number to be safe.

3 Don't keep plying customers with drinks if you know they have a tendency to be abusive or violent when drunk. It is not worth the additional commission.

ngjunsen@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Mar 8, 2015.
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