Customer Service In Philippines...... An Oxymoron?

[chris49]

Ok, here's another pet peeve of mine. It  ALWAYS happens at SM Grocery Mkt. It's about paying for  my groceries. The cashier ALWAYS asks me , "sir, do you have 5 pesos"  or whatever the small coins would be in order for her not to give out any of her coins. Then, as you would guess, she holds up her little PingPong Paddle and asks for someone to bring her some coins.  I ALWAYS say, "NO". I put the change in my little coin bag full of coins  in front of her. ( I use my loose coins for exact change when on a jeepney, tricycle or taxi)

Gaisano Grocery Mkt never ever asks me for coins. This only hapens at SM Grocery Mkt. 

They're the ones with the cash register. They are the ones who are suppose to provide the change, not the customer.

 

Opposite.  I got my wife trained up to carry coins and centavos and cover the amount. Filipina with small money will do this. Filipina like my wife, will change the largest bill available and pocket the change for spending. It's a hard message to get across but one way to do that is to threaten to leave less money during your absence, they will get the message then.

 

Back to SM. Yes, what's the daily take in there grocery dept, a few million or more? And they don't have change? The guys at the petrol pumps are better, they usually have a large wad if notes and wiling to give change,

[Tukaram (Tim)]

Customer service... yes... today was good... and it was not me luckily.  They would have just thought I was some crazy, irate, foreigner... I was outside the store not involved at all.

 

My sister-in-law bought a tablet for her kids 4 days ago.  My wife put the warranty in her name because her sister works OFW.   The tablet quit working (locked up bad - won't charge just makes a terrible screeching sound.  Very annoying).  Well the tablet has a 7 day return policy as part of the warranty.

 

My wife takes it back to Cherry Mobile today and first they say because they loaded games on the tablet memory instead of the memory card it is not their fault it locked up (how do they know where stuff is stored - it won't turn on?).  Then they said there is a scratch on the case so they cannot accept it for return.  My wife came unglued and yelled like a foreigner ha ha..  She told them it was in the rubber case the whole time so if it was scratched it probably came that way.  It was only 4 days old and they had a 7 day return policy and they WILL take it back.  All the store clerks and customers were just staring at her...

 

Well, they took it back, gave her a new one, and I was so proud.  I hope I have not created a monster...    :tiphat:

[i am bob]

Shortly after I arrived in the Philippines, I was talking with someone online who related their customer service nightmare while trying to do something special for his wife on their 25th wedding anniversary:

 

After making reservations at one of the better restaurants in the city (and having done so over a month before the special date), he and his wife arrived 10 minutes before the appointed time to find out that the restaurant was busy so they gave away the reservation to somebody at the door.  They could either wait in line for a table to open up or go somewhere else...  Yup!  Option number 2 was selected...   So, a short walk across the street to another of the better restaurants...  After a 20 minute wait, they were seated at a table large enough for one person only...  2 chairs though!  45 minutes after ordering drinks and not seeing anything - waiter, drinks or menus - they got up and walked out.  The 3rd attempt had to be better, right?  After what seemed like a week waiting for a table, they were finally seated.  Drinks and food were delivered together almost immediately!  The problem?  They hadn't even ordered yet!  This was somebody else's order!   After a couple sips of the drinks, they got up, informed the closest staff they could find that they weren't paying for anything, told them why and left.  The staff could not care less!  So, my friend and his wife, dressed to the nines, headed off to where they had they had many dates 25 years ago - the Flying Saucer!  Yup!  A family restaurant with so-so food but lots of it, great service and no airs!  Welcome to Niagara Falls!

 

After I heard his story, I figured that anything like that here is just the new norm around the world...

 

:mocking:  :rolleyes:  :1 (103):  :hystery:

[expatuk2014]

Customer service... yes... today was good... and it was not me luckily.  They would have just thought I was some crazy, irate, foreigner... I was outside the store not involved at all.

 

My sister-in-law bought a tablet for her kids 4 days ago.  My wife put the warranty in her name because her sister works OFW.   The tablet quit working (locked up bad - won't charge just makes a terrible screeching sound.  Very annoying).  Well the tablet has a 7 day return policy as part of the warranty.

 

My wife takes it back to Cherry Mobile today and first they say because they loaded games on the tablet memory instead of the memory card it is not their fault it locked up (how do they know where stuff is stored - it won't turn on?).  Then they said there is a scratch on the case so they cannot accept it for return.  My wife came unglued and yelled like a foreigner ha ha..  She told them it was in the rubber case the whole time so if it was scratched it probably came that way.  It was only 4 days old and they had a 7 day return policy and they WILL take it back.  All the store clerks and customers were just staring at her...

 

Well, they took it back, gave her a new one, and I was so proud.  I hope I have not created a monster...    :tiphat:

:no: hi there, my little woman is the same,

she may be a small woman but she does not take any nonsense ! being an ex gov employee she knows her rights and the rules !

woe betide any poor sales rep she has to deal with !!

[chris49]

 

Customer service... yes... today was good... and it was not me luckily.  They would have just thought I was some crazy, irate, foreigner... I was outside the store not involved at all.

 

My sister-in-law bought a tablet for her kids 4 days ago.  My wife put the warranty in her name because her sister works OFW.   The tablet quit working (locked up bad - won't charge just makes a terrible screeching sound.  Very annoying).  Well the tablet has a 7 day return policy as part of the warranty.

 

My wife takes it back to Cherry Mobile today and first they say because they loaded games on the tablet memory instead of the memory card it is not their fault it locked up (how do they know where stuff is stored - it won't turn on?).  Then they said there is a scratch on the case so they cannot accept it for return.  My wife came unglued and yelled like a foreigner ha ha..  She told them it was in the rubber case the whole time so if it was scratched it probably came that way.  It was only 4 days old and they had a 7 day return policy and they WILL take it back.  All the store clerks and customers were just staring at her...

 

Well, they took it back, gave her a new one, and I was so proud.  I hope I have not created a monster...    :tiphat:

:no: hi there, my little woman is the same,

she may be a small woman but she does not take any nonsense ! being an ex gov employee she knows her rights and the rules !

woe betide any poor sales rep she has to deal with !!

 

 

My wife is a bit shy, will not make a complaint. I will not complain without reason.

 

I ordered in Chow King, something and something.....and an item which comes with a small wanton soup free. And I ordered a large wanton soup also, so we would each have a soup in our own bowl. So the cashier asks me the routine questions which I answered, so the food will be delivered to our table. So food comes out and only one soup. so I complain to the cashier......

 

"Sir, I did not think you wanted 2 bowls of soup, so I deducted 5 pesos from your bill"   What????

 

They were quite busy, so it's only a fast food joint, so I decided to let it pass.

 

About 5 mins later she comes out with a larger bowl of wanton...."manager sent you this sir"

 

Similar in Mc Do, these places do a large turnover business and they are usually willing to make a correction based on a civil complaint. However, if you start acting like an ugly American, the less friendly service you might get,

 

In BDO, the manager is a friend, from cycling, but I'm not a major depositor, so I know my limitations.  A few big time Chinese businessmen will go to his office and immediately get free coffee, I don't get that, or if offered I would politely decline.

 

Some American came marching in there the other day, waving his passbook and saying, "I need a new passbook, can you do that for me". Manager is so cool he points to the customer service desk and says, "my staff will do that". This Yank looks confused as if he was never in a bank before, so he looks out and says "where?". Manager is so cool, he gets up and walks halfway to the service desk and points to it directly. Yank doesn't get the message except he gets a confused look on his face. Manager calls him forward to sit in the chair at customer service desk. Yank doesn't say a word, not even thank you. But I heard him muttering to the girl and asking her if he's in the right place.

 

Sometimes it works both ways.

Edited April 24, 2015 by chris49

[Daydreamer]

be sure before you let that fart go . . nope, there they are. Rats.

I ease it out and pretend that its something that wafted in from the outside :mocking:

[Gratefuled]

This is not a complaint but more like an experience. It happened a long time ago, like maybe 4 years after I first arrived. I wanted  a thermomenter to check the outside temperature here during day and night. So, I go to Ace Hardware and inquire. The nice salesperson politely said, "sorry sir, not available" and sent me to a medical supply store. He thought I wanted to check my body temperature. 

Well, I never did find one. Probably the reason is because the outside temperature seldom changes. It's always around 88 degrees Farenheit day and night with equally high humidity. I found that out, eventually. 

[i am bob]

Probably the reason is because the outside temperature seldom changes. It's always around 88 degrees Farenheit day and night with equally high humidity. I found that out, eventually. 

 

Hmmm....  You weren't outside yesterday afternoon, were you...  Especially at the time we found out that the gas gauge reads above empty when we ran out of gas.....

 

:mocking:  :1 (103):  :rolleyes:

[Gratefuled]

 

Probably the reason is because the outside temperature seldom changes. It's always around 88 degrees Farenheit day and night with equally high humidity. I found that out, eventually. 

 

Hmmm....  You weren't outside yesterday afternoon, were you...  Especially at the time we found out that the gas gauge reads above empty when we ran out of gas.....

 

:mocking:  :1 (103):  :rolleyes:

Hi Bob, It looks like you may need to have your gas sending unit checked. It's giving you a false reading.  Not a good idea to run on empty. Your gas tank has a lot of sediment on the bottom that can easily be sucked up and clog your gas lines or carburetor. 

Another reason for me not to own a car in the Philippines. I do not know who to trust for a simple job and I'm not about to tinker with a car in the heat and humidity.

 

Edited May 6, 2015 by Gratefuled

[i am bob]

Probably the reason is because the outside temperature seldom changes. It's always around 88 degrees Farenheit day and night with equally high humidity. I found that out, eventually.

 

Hmmm....  You weren't outside yesterday afternoon, were you...  Especially at the time we found out that the gas gauge reads above empty when we ran out of gas.....

 

:mocking:  :1 (103):  :rolleyes:

Hi Bob, It looks like you may need to have your gas sending unit checked. It's giving you a false reading.  Not a good idea to run on empty. Your gas tank has a lot of sediment on the bottom that can easily be sucked up and clog your gas lines or carburetor. 

Another reason for me not to own a car in the Philippines. I do not know who to trust for a simple job and I'm not about to tinker with a car in the heat and humidity.

Thanks but it wasn't my car... Hehe!