SERVICE

Check out the letter below published in TODAY's newspaper. It's really sad that nowadays, even though service expectations are even higher than before, the customers are even nastier than before as well. It was such a vast difference from a couple of years back when I was working at Golden Village and Isetan.

Of course, there are a rare few who do appreciate your help and assistance, the number of which one can count on one's hand.

I've more horror stories like the one related below to share, but I guess this is not the time and place. I can only appeal to you all out there, who are all customers in one way or another, to please bear with service staff as we try to serve you to the best of our abilities - and I must add - treat us with respect, we're humans too.

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This appeared in TODAY's newspaper - 26/03/08.

VERBALLY ABUSED
Wednesday March 26, 2008

It is hard to respect a customer sometimes, says service staff
Letter from Mohammad SADEQUL HUQ

I am a student who works part-time as a cashier at the Ikea store in Tampines. As a customer service staff, I have always been told that the"customer is always right and we should value and respect our customers". I believed in that phrase until March 20, when I had an ugly experience with a customer.

I was scanning in two swivel chairs for a customer when the system showedthat each chair was priced at $228, but she insisted that she would only pay $168 each, as stated on the price tags. She then started hurling vulgarities at me, with a particularly offensive word used at least six times. I told her that I would consult with my supervisor as I did not have the authority to override the system.

While I was on the phone with my supervisor, she started again, saying: "I went to the stores in Australia, Germany, Kuala Lumpur. Everywhere is the same. Messed up."I responded by saying: "Madam, maybe it's our mistake. We are trying to resolve the matter ..."At this point, she started hurling more vulgarities at me.

When my supervisor and duty manager tried to tell her that if she paid $228 for each chair, the company would in turn refund her $50 for each of them, she started her verbal abuse again. During her tirade, she claimed she was a dentist, which means she is well-educated. To me, that makes her behaviour even more shocking and disgraceful.

I really hope customers don't lose sight of values such as basic human courtesy.

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Graciousness

Letter to The Sunday Times (not published)

Dear Editor,

I refer to the letter by Wong Jock Onn published in The Sunday Times on 3 February 2008.
I would like to share my 2 cents worth about giving up my seat for others.

On one occasion, while travelling home from work on the bus, I happened to doze off. I was seated in the middle of the bus near to the door. Along the way I happened to wake up and I noticed a stomach with a bump in front of me. I looked up and true enough it was a pregnant lady. I stood up and offered my seat to her, and apologised to her saying that I was sorry I did not notice her earlier. She glared at me as though I had meant to ignore her earlier and immediately sat down without a word.

On the other occasion, I was also sitting in the middle of the bus of the same bus service, and I noticed this elderly lady with white hair come up the bus, and I offered her my seat. She nodded with a smile and sat down. Later, when the seat beside her became vacant, she patted it for me to sit down and started making conversation with me. I was surprised at first but we had a nice time talking until I reached my destination.

I just want to highlight that sometimes, being gracious would have to start from the individual; from oneself. In this case, I had done the same but received two very different reactions, and being gracious both ways clearly shows that both parties benefits – they both end up with a positive feeling and a wonderful mood to last the rest of the day.

Updates from Marie

Arrgghh its just my luck that I happened to fall sick last weekend. We are down with one staff and I have 2 assignments due this week. Can you imagine juggling work, school, and your health. And it’s not so easy to just take an MC or leave just like that coz there are many factors to consider.

I’m frustrated and there’s nothing I can do
I’m sick and my nose is oozing goo
My head is popping
My heart is pounding
My eyes are tearing
Get away from me looney dudes!!!!!

Oh and I just wanted to share that I happened to have my own theory about where Mas Selemat the escaped JI leader could be. I was thinking since there was some time in between from when he escaped to when that was discovered, he could had taken bus no. 855 which happens to pass by on one side of Whitley Rd and he could have travelled all the way to Telok Blangah where he could be hiding at Mt. Faber! Now that’s a bushy hilly area where the police has not covered! Or, Bt. Purmei hill! Haha! And on the bus on the way to work I saw some grass cutters near the grassy jungly areas leading to my work place which set me thinking that he could had hijacked one of them, used their uniform and go unnoticed that way! Haha, me and my wild imagination.