The security story

It's a sure sign these security staff are being well-treated and not under any stress because they always look so relaxed and happy when I visit any branch of a certain CU.
Would it kill them to pass on the good vibes to customers by not wasting their time? 

This is the time of a pandemic, people want to get in and out as fast as possible, not to be told "stand there" - when they could have been signing in at the log book which was not being used when they were told to just stand there- and then made to wait an extra few minutes while someone else who came after them was sent straight to the log book. 

The security staff did just that to me and then proceeded to get an attitude because I had the gall to point out that they were wasting my time. Not only were they wasting my time but they were putting me at greater risk by having me wait longer than necessary, when I could have been asked to sign the log book as soon as I entered so that I could be ready to make the next move without delay when my turn came. 

I am not trying to be unreasonable, just trying to be efficient with my time especially when it comes to interacting with the public and it is not unreasonable to want to limit my exposure time when the public continues to demonstrate a level of reckless abandon when it comes to following the guidelines for safety during the pandemic. 

It is deplorable and very unfortunate security staff are not capable of thinking innovatively - but even if they cannot do that, at the very least, if they could adopt a nicer attitude at all times whether or not they think the customer is right or wrong, things would go a lot more smoothly.
One particular female security guard has a condescending attitude and on that day thought it was her duty to punish me for pointing out that my time was being wasted. This is not customer service, this is customer abuse. 

All I wanted was an efficient experience: to get in as quickly as possible and move through the system similarly, not trying to jump any lines, and it could have been done better that day. 

On top of that insult, the first teller I approached, instead of sending me straight to the next teller who was available, tried to tell me wait. Why? Why would you tell someone to wait if there is someone else who can see them? Do these people not get training in customer service? Clearly this organisation requires the services of a consultant to get their team the training they need, unless it is their desire to make the customer experience as difficult as possible so that people will just choose not to visit the branches at all, in which case, they're doing a brilliant job.

Wen Story - the continuation

Somewhat well-behaved, no?

The story continues and I'm still tentatively happy with Wen. I promised pics last time and I do have closer ones of my hair...but to find them now is a problem! Still have not used some of the other products they send because of what I deem to be questionable ingredients or ingredients that do not mesh well with the Wen philosophy of natural products.

I have used Wen to cleanse then had my hair flat ironed right afterward several times now, and have been very happy with the results. My hair is definitely even more well-behaved when flat-ironed. My hair dresser seems to think my hair is looking healthy too...even though I'm not using her special treatment.

I still need to find an after-cleansing product to use that will keep my hair somewhat moisturised though. Will happily accept any suggestions that are more natural-type products with friendly-sounding ingredients. That is still the one problem I have not been able to overcome with Wen. Although I have to say, even though my hair is somewhat dry, when I use the Wen comb (the teeth are very close together) I think it helps distribute my natural oils (or any other oil I apply) so the hair does not feel as coarse to the touch although I know it is somewhat dry. The hair is well-behaved, too (in spite of me not conquering dryness completely) meaning I can still pass that fine-tooth comb through it without spending more than a few minutes to get it through! That has been the biggest plus.

I must say that for the first few times using Wen, I did not comb through the way it was recommended which I do now (mostly because I finally read all the instructions and remembered to use them), which is by parting my hair in sections so that each section gets a good amount of the cleanser on it, and I roll and pin up the sections for a few minutes then comb each out separately as I rinse. I have decided that this technique really works in contributing to well-behaved hair because in the end after the rinse, my hair is lying smoothly all around my head and not in a tangled mass, which is how it was before I started using the comb during the rinse. The instructions do not say to part hair in sections but I just find that this helps me a lot maybe because of the amount of hair on my head and the fact that it needs so much rehab!
I noticed one time when putting oil in my hair that it behaved even better after the oil application, which I did mainly on the roots but did comb through a bit to help the oil get distributed.
Finally I will add that when combing through on a daily basis, I notice there is much less hair coming out, and that is a happy discovery for me. I hope to solve the itchy scalp issue some day.

Wen Story - the first chapter

Overview: My Wen packages finally arrived...I waited so long to pick them up from my free sky box that package #2 was there already. I've used it at least three times so far, the first time I did not use the intensive repair treatment, neither the most recent time. I have to say that they don't explain upfront how much time they recommend you leave in the intensive repair treatment for max effect, it can be as much as overnight. And if you have hair that needs that kind of treatment, then this could get very long-winded! I have yet to leave the treatment in for as long as overnight. Am a bit concerned about keeping my hair wet for that long a period too.

Usage guidelines: I use 15 pumps and it's enough to give my hair a slight feeling of a lather, though it's not like a real lather. I comb through but wish I didn't have to because then I have to look at how much hair I have combed out, hopefully that will decrease with time.

After effects
The good: So far I can see a slight difference in the way my hair behaves after being treated with Wen vs using shampoo, the ends tend to have a bit of curl on their own, which never would happen ordinarily. I have recently relaxed my hair so it generally is behaving well, we'll have a better idea on the impact of Wen, when my roots have grown out a bit. I have to say it works better than another Sulphate-free shampoo I have tried, cannot remember the brand name-which is just as well, I do not want to get sued! What I do remember is that the product did not clean my hair properly - or make it feel as nice as it does with Wen. My hair looks nice, behaves decently even though I have not flat-ironed or tried curling it much. This is a big plus for me and I like the idea of sulphate-free cleansing. It's also a fairly easy protocol to follow, once you get used to it: Just apply the product to scalp, massage scalp - with a bit of water to help with lathering, comb through, leave in for 3-5 minutes. In all the process should take less than 10 minutes, unless you are planning on doing the conditioning treatment as well.

The bad: I have noticed that within two days, my hair gets itchy just as it used to with shampoo, so Wen has yet to correct that problem for me. With something as mild as Wen, perhaps, I can try using it every two days and it will not hurt or do any damage my hair the way shampoo might, though it may hurt my pocket! A note on the contents of the Wen package, the small bottle and the tube of Sweet Almond mint styling creme (such a lovely name but....), but you can see them in the photo above (West and South) - the listing of ingredients in these make me want to send them back because they do not conform to what I believe is the Wen "credo" of natural ingredients. Will post the ingredient list soon so you can judge for yourself. Consequently I have not used those two particular products.

The photo-op: Sorry, no pics of my hair yet, have not had the time, but will try to get some taken soon.

The Cinema 8 Experience

When you think it cannot get any worse, it surely does...right? Cinema 8 is not a favourite place but they tend to run the movies I want to see so I go there, and try to make it on the Tuesday (the 'discount day'), because why should I pay more when I can pay less? Nevertheless, I do not go often, so this minimises the impact of any negativity I inevitably experience.

The last time we were there, we were rudely told we have to come back at [the time stated on the ticket] when we attempted to enter about 20min before the ads/previews aka the printed "start time" of the movie. Now I don't mind waiting outside, but I do mind being informed of that in a manner that leaves much to be desired. I'm guessing the csrs have been trained, but perhaps they need a refresher....or some motivation, because they clearly are incapable of delivering the simplest information with an ounce of courtesy. It's not what you say, it's how you say it, right?

An LOL button!

On Facebook and now almost everywhere on the web, there's the ubiquitous "like" button...cool right...? But what if you just want to laugh out loud at the ridiculous price or something....?
Check this out...it's a $500 used book being sold on Amazon.com by one of their marketplace sellers but "fulfilled by Amazon." It's not even a textbook or adult fiction, it's an Enid Blyton paperback.
http://www.amazon.com/Five-Treasure-Island-Famous/dp/0340796146 (Opens in a new window)
For real? Bring on the LOL button, please!

A Wen girl?

Am I going to be a Wen girl? I finally gave in and ordered the Wen Hair Care solution thing, after they dangled it in front of me through Alyssa Milano and that infomercial that keeps coming back... coincidence that I had been watching Charmed again after not seeing it for a very long while? You tell me!
 It was right after I had just got my hair "did" and was pondering at the back of my mind what I would do about my perennially dry hair. The hair dresser who did my hair - I must say, she made it a very painless experience - claims I will need a "treatment" every two weeks until I see an improvement....so there could be a "confounding factor" in my not-so-scientific experiment at being a Wen girl....IF I decide to follow the hair dresser's recommendation, and use Wen at the same time. What to do?  

Well, the Wen is on its way - the words "Your order has shipped" gets a tingly reaction! Through Skybox, it should be here in a week just around the time when I am supposed to have that treatment, so I have not much time to make a decision. The innate scientist in me wants to avoid confounding factors...my stats teacher would be proud...except that as I am the only "block" being treated, I really have no choice. Plus, if I pay all that money for Wen, I should at least know if it is capable of working on its own or not.

I do not know whether or not this promises to be a riveting story, but I am determined to follow it to the (hopefully not so bitter) end. Stay tuned. :)

Tile Tale

Not a tall tale, by any means, this is a recap of my recent visits to several tile stores in Trinidad, on the hunt for some tiles to make recommendations to contractors working on our labs. Some things stood out.

1. Only one store offered the sample tile for free and the same one also said it doesn't matter if the tile got chipped, he would still buy back the sample. (Kudos to Interior Harmony.)
2. Other stores said they would re-purchase the sample once it was not damaged. (However did not offer to wrap the sample as a precaution.)
3. Porcelain tiles range greatly from as low as 44 to as high as 109 TTD for some very similar looking tiles....
4. All stores who were asked for directions failed to give the simplest possible directions and in some cases, we got wrong directions: some people don't know north from south or right from left!

To those interested in improving customer relations by giving proper directions for customers to find your stores, I recommend the following. Prepare a set of simple and easy to read directions to your location and place them next to the telephone so that whoever answers calls will have this information at hand for callers.
Also, if you have a web presence, plug it. You never know if the caller does not know about the website. Be sure the directions are also posted on the website. Until we get GPS that works on "everyman's" phone, and until every business in Trinidad and Tobago is mapped on Google, this is your next best strategy for making sure customers do not waste time in getting to you.

Tips for writing good directions

• Use North, South (i.e. the cardinal points) instead of left and right.
• Use landmarks that are not likely to be destroyed in the near future to reassure customers they are on the right route.
• Be sure to test and double-check your directions for clarity and accuracy by driving the route yourself or having someone test for you.
• Give directions from all the major highways/roadways your customers may use.
• Include a map, if possible, on your website.

(Source for tips: http://entertaining.about.com/cs/invitations/a/drivedirections.htm)