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.

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)

RBL - the customer friendly bank?

I recently had a lovely encounter with RBL employees which shows me clearly they may "say" they are committed to customer service, but the result "on the ground" at the level of the customers is very, very different.
I called the branch (~5 minutes to closing) to ask if it was too late for me to come get a draft made. The person on the other end "waffles" and says well, you have three minutes, can you make it? I said, yes. (I was only a minute away.) She asked my name and the draft amount, and repeated the question about whether I would be able to reach in time. I told her, yes, if I can get off the phone. So then I hung up and literally did a 100m dash across to the bank, only to find the door locked. I wrestled with my courage and knocked, telling the security I had just spoken with someone a minute ago, and it couldn't be too late already. He asked who I spoke with then said, the bank is closed, because of course, I did not have time to get a name. I asked, 'Can you check and find out who answered the line," I told him the extension I called. He gave a half-committal nod and then closed the door. After a little while, I asked him if he was finding out for me or if I was just standing there for no good reason. He told me they were going to check with the manager, but he/she was in the bathroom. I said ok, and waited some more. He finally did let me in somewhat grudgingly. I mentioned to one of the customer service people that I had called about a draft, she said I had to go to the counter. I proceeded to the counter. I started to wonder if a draft had been prepared for me so I asked again. She said "I was there when you called" (She might have said that before!) and then she left, I guess to double-check, but it appeared that no draft had been started, although I had spent precious seconds giving my information on the phone.
Finally at the counter, I start to give my information about the draft, they mention the commission, I say that I am a Professional Club Member although I forgot the card in my other wallet. They check the computer. I am not in the system as a member. "Do you have an account with us?" I say yes, it's a fixed deposit. One "helpful" clerk adds "You don't have a running account with us." I ask if that would explain why it's not in the system. No, it's not. So why tell me this irrelevant information?! I tell them I am not used to paying the commission so I will not go ahead with the draft if I have to pay the commission because I am a member of the Professional Club. I then leave, to return another day, 20 minutes wasted. What gets me most is that I have come to the bank so many times to have drafts made, and each time it's the same thing, I am not in the system, but as long as I have my card, they will process it without the fee. Not once would they think to say "Let me direct you to the person who can put you in the system, so you don't have to show us the card." Is this the height of customer service? They show no initiative, no common courtesy and instead prefer to baffle your brain with unnecessary facts. I sent an email to the RBL comment address and got a response within one day. Clearly the upper hierarchy are embarassed enough to respond, the question is whether that response will turn out to be lip service only.

JSL

I have a good news story...actually a few...but this is just one of them...I will post others later.
JSL Speedpak may be the last mail-forwarding (aka skybox) service in Trinidad that actually has a free (as in "no annual fee") option and their service is not at all bad...at least, so far. They do have a strange "add-on" fee of $30 per invoice to clear in through customs, which means if you buy a lot of stuff, it is best to buy them in batches and not individually so that they can all be cleared by customs at the same time for the same $30 fee or you can choose to clear them yourself, and you won't have to pay the fee.
I have found that the total amount I have been paying for my packages is not any higher than I was paying the previous companies and in fact I think in some cases, I am paying less, so I am very happy with this "skybox" service and definitely think it is worth a try for anyone who is not satisfied with their current service. I have tried both Ecourier (formerly the TTPost skybox) and UPXpress before. I believe JSL offers the same value with better customer service than these two. UPXpress still owes me money and shows no sign of wanting to pay for the last time they over-charged me for a package. And I am sure they have over-charged me in the past as well, but I did not check on it and so I probably lost the opportunity to ever recoup those monies. I can safely say I will not be using their service any more, especially after the "attitude" I got from the delivery guy when I told him I could not renew on the day that he informed me the renewal was due and that the rate would after that day.

Still with JSL here, (some years down the road) just a few things you should be aware of. The free service comes with the condition that you must call or email them to request delivery. Since they rarely answer their phones, I recommend email. Also, if you want to use a credit card to pay, you will have to go to their office since they do not have a portable device for credit card transactions.

Drugstore ding-dongs

Had to fill a prescription for my cousin and it's a C-DAP prescription so I went to the first drugstore that had the C-DAP sign, and talked to the person filling prescriptions. This turned out to be Delta Drugs in Arima. The person, whom I am not entirely sure is a pharmacist, so I am not calling her that, said that only one of the drugs could be obtained freely with C-DAP, and I would have to pay for the other two. She told me the cost...I thought it was a bit high so decided to "shop around." The next drugstore I landed at, Bhagan's (on Broadway), the C-DAP drug was available, but the woman at the counter (and her cohort) told me I would have to verify with the doctor the exact "augmentation" because they couldn't understand it from the prescription. So I told them the first person who saw the prescription had no such problem. They apparently had such great confidence in their "ignorance" that they told me I could go and get the prescription elsewhere if I could. So I did. I went to Ross next. The person repeated what Bhagan's people said. So now I am wondering if the Dr. really wrote so illegibly they couldn't understand, and also wondering why the person at Delta drugs had no such trouble deciphering the handwriting. Luckily my next stop would be the last in my quest! At Maxsal, the person filling prescriptions was a gentleman. He told me at first I couldn't get the C-DAP drug but then when I mentioned I couldn't fill the prescription if I could only get two out of the three drugs, he apparently changed his mind...or maybe he remembered he did have the third drug after all. At any rate, he also did not have a problem deciphering how long the prescription should be filled for. So I asked him to tell me how he figured it out because the other drugstore people did not seem to understand and he explained the very simple coding the doctor had used. I guess the people at Ross or Bhagan's are not as experienced at filling prescriptions as one would think, if they cannot figure out that 2/52 means 2 weeks and 1/12 means 1 month. I don't think I will be filling too many prescriptions there at any rate. They have dropped in my estimation, and the customer service was not at all commendable. Even if they could not have helped me, they could have maintained a pleasant demeanour. This is not the first time I have dealt with unpleasant people who are there to "serve" customers. It is rampant in T&T, and patently obvious that there is a gross disregard for customers in many stores, where the people who are hired to serve customers never actually care about them and show it by their actions.