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!
Friday, June 08, 2012
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
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. :)
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. :)
Thursday, May 17, 2012
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.
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
- 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.)
- 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.)
- Porcelain tiles range greatly from as low as 44 to as high as 109 TTD for some very similar looking tiles....
- 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!
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.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
RBL Follow up
This is an update to my previous post.
I have to say kudos to the RBL PR person for doing a really brilliant job of getting things done in a short time. RBL Powers That Be (PTB) were not content to send me an emailed apology only, they actually managed to get me into "the system" (and notified me of it within a day or two of the first email) so I do not have to show my Professional Club (PC) card the next time I say I am a member and they don't believe me, they just have to check. And I know it works too, because I went today to get the draft made, finally. Again the clerk mentioned the commission and I replied that I am a member of the PC and she glanced across at the screen and saw that it was true so she said "Ok" and didn't ask anything further.
I know it's nitpicking and probably asking too much, and maybe they just never think to check, but couldn't she have shown the initiative to first check "the system" to see if I was a member of the PC so she wouldn't even have to mention the commission? I probably shouldn't expect that much! Or maybe they just hope we forget that little fee waiver and go ahead and pay the commission. No refunds right?!
I have to say kudos to the RBL PR person for doing a really brilliant job of getting things done in a short time. RBL Powers That Be (PTB) were not content to send me an emailed apology only, they actually managed to get me into "the system" (and notified me of it within a day or two of the first email) so I do not have to show my Professional Club (PC) card the next time I say I am a member and they don't believe me, they just have to check. And I know it works too, because I went today to get the draft made, finally. Again the clerk mentioned the commission and I replied that I am a member of the PC and she glanced across at the screen and saw that it was true so she said "Ok" and didn't ask anything further.
I know it's nitpicking and probably asking too much, and maybe they just never think to check, but couldn't she have shown the initiative to first check "the system" to see if I was a member of the PC so she wouldn't even have to mention the commission? I probably shouldn't expect that much! Or maybe they just hope we forget that little fee waiver and go ahead and pay the commission. No refunds right?!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Cookies!
Who has the best cookies? Is it Subway or Mario's Blimpie? Some other food place? I've tried both Subway and Blimpie and in terms of value, it appears the better deal is with Blimpie because you get three giant sized cookies (almost double the size of the Subway version) for 6.50 as opposed to 3 small cookies at Subway for $5.00. However in terms of flavour they are about equal. I think Blimpie may also have the edge because they offer macadamia nut cookies while Subway does not have these. All in all, they are probably too pricey, but when you're in the mood for a sugar high, and that's all that is available, they suddenly look very affordable.
Food Court - Auzonville Shopping Centre, Tunapuna
The new Auzonville Shopping Centre has a small food court on the ground floor. I have only tried the first place on the right (southwest corner of the food area) where you can buy East Indian food aka roti or paratha (buss-up shut), as well as other local dishes such as macaroni pie, rice, stewed chicken etc. I have never tried anything but the paratha which I must say is not of consistent quality but is of good enough quality for me to recommend, because I have had worse. The sauces are usually decent, some very good, especially the massala mango, which I always have. You are allowed two sides with your paratha, but they almost always offer potato and channa, so if you don't want a particular side, feel free to say so before they start dishing out your order. I usually have channa, pumpkin and mango ($1 for the extra side). The best thing about this place is they really do cook WITHOUT pepper and that to me is a big plus. I do not eat pepper but most places that serve paratha which I love, usually serve the sides with pepper and they always say it's just for flavour or "you won't notice/taste it", but I can always taste it! So this place gets top points for recognising that pepper is not a staple but a condiment and for leaving it where it belongs; on the side, as an option, and not compelling poor unsuspecting people to eat what their body cannot tolerate. That being said, I don't think their pepper sauce is the best because it made my friend ill, but I still will recommend the place,...maybe you could just avoid the pepper sauce. Who needs it anyway?
The mall has a Chinese restaurant on the top floor which I have not yet tried. There's an interesting soup place on the north west corner of the ground floor, which I have not tried either. Someone I know did purchase soup there, though and seemed to enjoy it.
The mall has a Chinese restaurant on the top floor which I have not yet tried. There's an interesting soup place on the north west corner of the ground floor, which I have not tried either. Someone I know did purchase soup there, though and seemed to enjoy it.
Rituals Coffee House
Their coffee chillers are pretty decent. I don't like the synthetic cream they use, but other than that, you get a decent drink. I never have coffee but others have had it and commented on the taste. My "ritual" is the Belgian Chocolate Chiller which I had at UWI's Rituals as well as at the Rituals on South Quay. When I had it at UWI, I found the chocolate was not well blended, so the drink was not very smooth. At South Quay, the texture was smoother so I enjoyed it more.
Now I want to post a specific review of the Fish Panini (Sandwich) offered at Rituals Coffee House on UWI St. Augustine. If I could use the words: "nasty, stink or disgusting" I would, but I fear those might be too strong and offensive. So I will just state the sandwich was unbelievably unpalatable. The only reason I ate it was to stave off starvation because I was hungry. I will never buy that sandwich again. The "fish" turned out to be two flat rectangles which looked like processed meat with a "fish flavour" although I honestly do not know what they used. Silly me! I was expecting real fish! I would not recommend that sandwich to anyone. I am certainly not going to buy it again.
Now I want to post a specific review of the Fish Panini (Sandwich) offered at Rituals Coffee House on UWI St. Augustine. If I could use the words: "nasty, stink or disgusting" I would, but I fear those might be too strong and offensive. So I will just state the sandwich was unbelievably unpalatable. The only reason I ate it was to stave off starvation because I was hungry. I will never buy that sandwich again. The "fish" turned out to be two flat rectangles which looked like processed meat with a "fish flavour" although I honestly do not know what they used. Silly me! I was expecting real fish! I would not recommend that sandwich to anyone. I am certainly not going to buy it again.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Deep Discount DVD
I purchased the Cinderella (1957) DVD when it was released from the online DVD store: Deep Discount DVD. The DVD appeared to have been lost in the mail because it did not arrive in the usual time which I expect orders from this store to arrive, so I wrote a note to the customer service department about it, and they said they would mail out a new one, and they did. The next thing that happened is two DVDs arrive at my house...not at the same time, but there was not a long time in between arrivals either. I don't know why the first one took so much longer than usual. But anyway, there I was with two DVDs having only paid for one, so I sent an email to customer service explaining what happened and offering to pay for the extra DVD. So far they have not taken me up on my offer, so I got an extra DVD for free. I feel bad about that, but I have been a good customer (so maybe it was decided I deserved a bonus! lol) and I did offer to pay so I don't know what else I could have done.
myLot Profile
myLot Profile
Geeks.com
Another good news story! I have purchased quite a lot of items from Geeks.com, and while I think sometimes their prices are not as good as some places, and the cheaper items may not live up to all their expectations, they cannot be faulted for their dedication to good customer service. I once received a USB flash drive wristband that was defective and I shipped it back to them and got a refund without a hassle. Another time, I had a problem with an mp3 player which appeared not to be reading SD cards, and I wrote to them about it. They promptly sent me a replacement. I didn't even have to send back the "defective" player...which actually, it turns out, does read some SD cards...it is apparently a bit selective, so I ended up with two working players. I feel like I probably should have paid for the second one, but the truth is, both players do not work "as promised" in that they are supposed to read both mp3 files and wma files but only read mp3 files, so I gave myself the benefit of the doubt and didn't offer to pay. I don't know if they would have accepted though...see my story on Deep Discount DVD for why I think so.
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.
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.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Flow - madness!
Now suddenly since Flow came, customers can only have two cable boxes per signup. What kind of madness is that? This is Trinidad not America where the average household has only two kids!! The average household has a lot more people in it and we all want our own cable box! Why is Flow attempting to curb our only joy?
Worse yet, they apparently cannot give out any boxes right now because they are manually changing over to some new system and cannot cater to customers who want an extra box until the change over is complete....I never heard such madness from a company like this before! And you just know they are trying to find a way to make us pay extra for channels like HBO and Cinemax (just like US cable companies) when they talk about this new system they want to implement! Good thing I don't watch that much TV! They have yet to bring us anything useful since they took over from CCTT....I could do without the way things are "flow"ing these days!!!
Worse yet, they apparently cannot give out any boxes right now because they are manually changing over to some new system and cannot cater to customers who want an extra box until the change over is complete....I never heard such madness from a company like this before! And you just know they are trying to find a way to make us pay extra for channels like HBO and Cinemax (just like US cable companies) when they talk about this new system they want to implement! Good thing I don't watch that much TV! They have yet to bring us anything useful since they took over from CCTT....I could do without the way things are "flow"ing these days!!!
Monday, March 20, 2006
HiLo
This happened to my sister recently in HiLo. It demonstrates the utter lack of courtesy generally extended to customers in Trinidad and is a sad commentary on the state of consumer affairs.
We had planned a trip to Tobago and so at around 9:30pm my sister found it necessary to get to HiLo for some last minute supplies. She arrived well before closing time however by the time 10pm rolled around she had not finished getting all the items she needed. That's when the trouble started. First the manager came rudely over to announce that they were closed, as if my sister wasn't aware of that by just looking around. Then they proceeded to stalk and harass her and at one point even attempted to prevent her from getting something that she wanted, because they wanted to hustle her to the cashier to cash out.
My sister was very troubled, needless to say and disturbed by the treatment, both verbal and silent dished out to her. She didn't forget to tell them what she thought of it, but they were heedless and stubborn, never once apologizing for their treatment of her.
She would like to say that she wouldn't go back to that grocery, but there aren't many choices in our area, so more than likely she will have to go there and so will we.
Now, I understand that grocery staff need to leave as soon as or soon after the clock strikes closing time, fair enough, but surely the situation could have been handled with a little more finesse, and a lot more courtesy, whether or not my sister is a frequent customer there, which by the way, she is. For one thing, the store needs to have a stated policy about what happens from 15 min before closing time if it is indeed their hope to leave exactly on the hour that is stated on the door. Although, clearly that ideal is impossible anyway. However for argument's sake, let's assume that is what they want to do. Then they should close the door at 9:45pm and not at 10:00pm. Leaving the door open means that anyone can come in, and should be allowed to shop until they are satisfied they have all they need, UNLESS a specific policy is stated and known to the customers about closing time, or unless, an announcement is made to kindly inform shoppers that closing time is in 15 minutes and they need to bring their items to the cashier immediately or within 5 minutes or something like that. If they do not state this, they have no business harassing any shoppers to hustle them out of the store. Yet even, for argument's sake, let's say they did announce this, and a shopper did not heed the announcement...maybe they were hearing-impaired, you never know, then what should have been done, is to kindly let the customer know that closing time was announced and ask them if there was any way they could be helped to complete their shopping in a timely manner. This way, the shopper does not go away with the idea that this store does not care about its customers and the store personnel can get home as early as possible. Antagonizing a customer will only prolong the torture for both parties, since they are more likely to stand and express their discontent, thus spending even more time in the store than they would normally have, and then they also may take longer to finish because they have been harassed to the point where they have to think longer about what they need to get etc etc. So, clearly, everything points to the management adopting a more proactive approach to ensure both the customer and the store personnel remain happy. I wonder if any business in T&T will ever get it right? We can always hope.
We had planned a trip to Tobago and so at around 9:30pm my sister found it necessary to get to HiLo for some last minute supplies. She arrived well before closing time however by the time 10pm rolled around she had not finished getting all the items she needed. That's when the trouble started. First the manager came rudely over to announce that they were closed, as if my sister wasn't aware of that by just looking around. Then they proceeded to stalk and harass her and at one point even attempted to prevent her from getting something that she wanted, because they wanted to hustle her to the cashier to cash out.
My sister was very troubled, needless to say and disturbed by the treatment, both verbal and silent dished out to her. She didn't forget to tell them what she thought of it, but they were heedless and stubborn, never once apologizing for their treatment of her.
She would like to say that she wouldn't go back to that grocery, but there aren't many choices in our area, so more than likely she will have to go there and so will we.
Now, I understand that grocery staff need to leave as soon as or soon after the clock strikes closing time, fair enough, but surely the situation could have been handled with a little more finesse, and a lot more courtesy, whether or not my sister is a frequent customer there, which by the way, she is. For one thing, the store needs to have a stated policy about what happens from 15 min before closing time if it is indeed their hope to leave exactly on the hour that is stated on the door. Although, clearly that ideal is impossible anyway. However for argument's sake, let's assume that is what they want to do. Then they should close the door at 9:45pm and not at 10:00pm. Leaving the door open means that anyone can come in, and should be allowed to shop until they are satisfied they have all they need, UNLESS a specific policy is stated and known to the customers about closing time, or unless, an announcement is made to kindly inform shoppers that closing time is in 15 minutes and they need to bring their items to the cashier immediately or within 5 minutes or something like that. If they do not state this, they have no business harassing any shoppers to hustle them out of the store. Yet even, for argument's sake, let's say they did announce this, and a shopper did not heed the announcement...maybe they were hearing-impaired, you never know, then what should have been done, is to kindly let the customer know that closing time was announced and ask them if there was any way they could be helped to complete their shopping in a timely manner. This way, the shopper does not go away with the idea that this store does not care about its customers and the store personnel can get home as early as possible. Antagonizing a customer will only prolong the torture for both parties, since they are more likely to stand and express their discontent, thus spending even more time in the store than they would normally have, and then they also may take longer to finish because they have been harassed to the point where they have to think longer about what they need to get etc etc. So, clearly, everything points to the management adopting a more proactive approach to ensure both the customer and the store personnel remain happy. I wonder if any business in T&T will ever get it right? We can always hope.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
DirecTV - finally freed!
I must say quite honestly I will miss the reruns of some cool shows like The Nanny and Seinfeld etc which air on the Sony channels of DirecTV and of course I will miss American Idol, which only just started back...that show is not over-rated. (Come on Columbus Cable or whatever your name is, bring us Fox!) But I will not miss the exorbitant monthly fee for basic service and the 'per-box' monthly rental and I will definitely not miss the bondage of an annual contract! I will miss the "guide" which was really cool. I kinda liked being able to pre-select certain TV shows and also to lock the box so it wouldn't switch channels! However, these minor conveniences are not worth the extra money or the iron-clad contract which DirecTV is free to break but the customer is not. I say this because when I signed up, I was shown a list of channels which I would have access to, and then a few months into the contract, they abruptly deleted some channels from my service without even the courtesy of a letter of apology/notification for the change.
I will also not miss the "Spanish-language-only" content on some of the channels, and not being able to predict when this will happen, or the lack of "Alt audio" even when it is supposed to be available. And I will definitely NOT miss the Spanish subtitles in my face all the time! I have nothing against Spanish. In fact, I would like to learn it a bit more, but not while I'm watching TV!
I will also not miss the "Spanish-language-only" content on some of the channels, and not being able to predict when this will happen, or the lack of "Alt audio" even when it is supposed to be available. And I will definitely NOT miss the Spanish subtitles in my face all the time! I have nothing against Spanish. In fact, I would like to learn it a bit more, but not while I'm watching TV!
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
UPXpress
Whoever said free things weren't good, was obviously being very cynical. UPXpress has provided good service up till now, and even now, the time which was taken to resolve the "situation" is such that I almost feel I shouldn't complain. But the fact is that I had to complain and it appears that my complaining is what accelerated results! Also, the truth is they had promised a speedier service so that the time taken for the package to eventually reach me was abnormally long. So I will tell the tale anyway and hope others can learn by it. The package which arrived at the Miami office on Jan 9th, didn't quite make it to Trinidad certainly not before other items I had ordered after it, so I eventually contacted them sometime around Jan 13th. The response was slow by my estimation. The first few days were spent with the Trinidad office getting in contact with the Miami office, unsuccessfully at first, then the all-important "action item" was sent which should have triggered a flurry of urgent activity, but which instead did nothing for a day or so, then finally came the dreaded response, "The package cannot be found." With less than comforting and quite impotent assurances, I was left out of the loop of communication for about 3 days before the OM saw fit to call me to let me know they still hadn't found my package. By which time, of course, I had already sent an email (which I am sure he had already seen but refused to acknowledge openly,) requesting a refund for the cost of my package. I was of course more than a little disgusted by the calm, almost unconcerned tone with which he relayed the information and decided I had had enough of playing Ms. Nice...so I told him just what I thought about their inefficient "procedures" and that I was going to tell my friends about their appalling customer service.
I guess Ms. Nasty had a better effect than Ms. Nice because later that day I got the good news that my package had in fact been found and would be shipped out the next day. Now I can breathe a sigh of relief but the question remains: Do I stay with the free service or opt for another year of paid service, especially given they apparently are serviced by the same air carrier although the air carrier was not to blame, and also given that I had a lot more problems with the paid service as well.
What a dilemma!
I guess Ms. Nasty had a better effect than Ms. Nice because later that day I got the good news that my package had in fact been found and would be shipped out the next day. Now I can breathe a sigh of relief but the question remains: Do I stay with the free service or opt for another year of paid service, especially given they apparently are serviced by the same air carrier although the air carrier was not to blame, and also given that I had a lot more problems with the paid service as well.
What a dilemma!
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Fraud Alert - Diversity Visas USA
Beware of emails telling you that you have won the DV lottery and that you have to send money by Western Union to some address in order to process your Visa. These are bogus emails.
Here is one such:
U.S. Department of State Public
communication Division:
2201 C Street NW PA/PL,Rm.2206
Washington, DC 20520 U.S Department of state www.dvlottery.state.gov
2201C Street NW Washington,D.C.20520
Dear Client,
Congratulations ! ! You have been selected as one of the
lucky winners on our internet screening
machine,DV-2004-2005 USA national visa lottery program.
It is our pleasure to congratulate you on your success in
the America DV-2004-2005 VISA LOTTERY GREENCARD Your visa lottery winner's identity is ID-GRN777#4200DV# and the serial net visa passport attached to your case number is SNVPh700IU# .
In this respect,you are directed to forward the following
(a) Your present contact address(for correspondent)
(b) Your recent passport photograph :REGULAR MAIL: You can also send your photo(s) by regular mail. The photo must be between 1 ½ by 1 ½ and 2 by 2 inches (37-50 mm) square, with the applicant's, spouse's, or child's name printed on the back. Please mail the photos to: Immigration Services 211 South St. #334 Philadelphia, PA 19147 United States.
******Preferably for faster delivery and are implored to
make a scanned copy of your recent passport photograph and
send it via online(email) to our immigration service***********.
(c) Clearance/acceptance fees of ($749.67)/($949.67)for
SINGLE /FAMILY SIZE STATUS SHOULD BE SEND THROUGH WESTERN
UNION MONEY TRANSFER THROUGH OUR FINANCE CENTER ON THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FOR IMMEDIATE CLAIM OF YOUR PAYMENT BY OUR AGENCY.
NAME: ............... CHARLENE SANDRA TAYLOR...............
ZIP CODE /CITY :.. 97437 ELIMIRA..........OREGON..........
COUNTRY: .........USA...................
Kindly ensure that your western Union payment information
are sent to our agency
email(paymentagency_sandrataylor@yahoo.com) as soon as
possible so as to enable us accomplish the processing in
due time for your take off procedure as scheduled on our record.
Details of requirements:
Your present contact address should be forwarded strictly
to our attached network receieving email address for
correspondent:
Alternatvely for faster processing, a scanned copy of your passport photograph should be send via our attached network recieving email
addresses:(paymentagency_sandrataylor@yahoo.com)
A clearance/acceptance fees
payment($749.67)/($949.67)SINGLE /FAMILY SIZE STATUS.: we accept only western union from our past experiences. (creditcard is not acceptable) Your western union money transfer payment information should be forwarded as directed on payment procedures via our attached network recieving email
addresses:(paymentagency_sandrataylor@yahoo.com)
Your payment confirmation shall be sent to you as soon as clarification is done on your payment. Providing the aboverequirements will assure you your visa lottery acknowledgement card and visa lottery security case code which would be sent to your email addresses as provided.
Important notice :Please make sure you report and forward
your lottery visa case code and acknowledgement cardto the
USA embassy in individual country for other necessary
claims as soon as you have been sent all the
necessary migration credentials via our attached courier service on accomplishing all necessary process and payment procedure.
According to the united states code of conduct
andconstitution Vol.176/866 :Act 690SN guiding all
immigration, green card permit agencies if non-response
after 14days on receiving this notification, your winner's status shall reveal no interest and we would inresponse refer your lottery winning code and acknowledgement card back to the USA government/immigration service center.
We shall be anticipating for your response soonest.
NB: THIS YEAR DV-2004-2005 WHICH YOU APPEARED AS ONE OF
THE LUCKY WINNERS IS NOW OVER AND WE HAVE THE DV2005-2006 EXCERCISE IN PROGRESS (SORRY FOR THE LATE RESPONSE).
Thanks.
Sandra Taylor
Online Co-ordinator
CONGRATULATIONS
!!!
Kevin Powell
President
_____________________________________________________________________
For super low premiums, click here http://www.dialdirect.co.za/quote
Things to note:
1) official email from a US Gov't agency will not have an ad at the end like this one.
2) They quote the US Department of State website url just to make them look more credible but this is what the website says about the DV program and who is in charge of processing:
The (DV) program is administered directly from the U.S. Department of State Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky. The Kentucky center was established in the year 2000 by the U.S. Department of State to take over administration of the Diversity Visa Lottery program from the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Therefore you should not be sending any money anywhere else and the fact remains that fees are supposed to be paid at the office when you go for your interview because this is how it is done:
A Diversity processing fee is only charged when a winning lottery entrant applies for the Diversity visa. At the time of the visa application at a U.S. consular office, each applicant (the DV entrant and any accompanying family members) will be charged a DV processing fee and immigrant visa fee.
3) They say it's the "DV 2005-2006" program when in fact the website will show that the actual name for the program is not this.
Here is what the actual US Department of State site says about selection:
SELECTION OF APPLICANTS
Applicants will be selected at random by computer from among all qualified entries. Those selected will be notified by mail between May and July 2005 and will be provided further instructions, including information on fees connected with immigration to the U.S.
(http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1318.html)
Here is one such:
U.S. Department of State Public
communication Division:
2201 C Street NW PA/PL,Rm.2206
Washington, DC 20520 U.S Department of state www.dvlottery.state.gov
2201C Street NW Washington,D.C.20520
Dear Client,
Congratulations ! ! You have been selected as one of the
lucky winners on our internet screening
machine,DV-2004-2005 USA national visa lottery program.
It is our pleasure to congratulate you on your success in
the America DV-2004-2005 VISA LOTTERY GREENCARD Your visa lottery winner's identity is ID-GRN777#4200DV# and the serial net visa passport attached to your case number is SNVPh700IU# .
In this respect,you are directed to forward the following
(a) Your present contact address(for correspondent)
(b) Your recent passport photograph :REGULAR MAIL: You can also send your photo(s) by regular mail. The photo must be between 1 ½ by 1 ½ and 2 by 2 inches (37-50 mm) square, with the applicant's, spouse's, or child's name printed on the back. Please mail the photos to: Immigration Services 211 South St. #334 Philadelphia, PA 19147 United States.
******Preferably for faster delivery and are implored to
make a scanned copy of your recent passport photograph and
send it via online(email) to our immigration service***********.
(c) Clearance/acceptance fees of ($749.67)/($949.67)for
SINGLE /FAMILY SIZE STATUS SHOULD BE SEND THROUGH WESTERN
UNION MONEY TRANSFER THROUGH OUR FINANCE CENTER ON THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FOR IMMEDIATE CLAIM OF YOUR PAYMENT BY OUR AGENCY.
NAME: ............... CHARLENE SANDRA TAYLOR...............
ZIP CODE /CITY :.. 97437 ELIMIRA..........OREGON..........
COUNTRY: .........USA...................
Kindly ensure that your western Union payment information
are sent to our agency
email(paymentagency_sandrataylor@yahoo.com) as soon as
possible so as to enable us accomplish the processing in
due time for your take off procedure as scheduled on our record.
Details of requirements:
Your present contact address should be forwarded strictly
to our attached network receieving email address for
correspondent:
Alternatvely for faster processing, a scanned copy of your passport photograph should be send via our attached network recieving email
addresses:(paymentagency_sandrataylor@yahoo.com)
A clearance/acceptance fees
payment($749.67)/($949.67)SINGLE /FAMILY SIZE STATUS.: we accept only western union from our past experiences. (creditcard is not acceptable) Your western union money transfer payment information should be forwarded as directed on payment procedures via our attached network recieving email
addresses:(paymentagency_sandrataylor@yahoo.com)
Your payment confirmation shall be sent to you as soon as clarification is done on your payment. Providing the aboverequirements will assure you your visa lottery acknowledgement card and visa lottery security case code which would be sent to your email addresses as provided.
Important notice :Please make sure you report and forward
your lottery visa case code and acknowledgement cardto the
USA embassy in individual country for other necessary
claims as soon as you have been sent all the
necessary migration credentials via our attached courier service on accomplishing all necessary process and payment procedure.
According to the united states code of conduct
andconstitution Vol.176/866 :Act 690SN guiding all
immigration, green card permit agencies if non-response
after 14days on receiving this notification, your winner's status shall reveal no interest and we would inresponse refer your lottery winning code and acknowledgement card back to the USA government/immigration service center.
We shall be anticipating for your response soonest.
NB: THIS YEAR DV-2004-2005 WHICH YOU APPEARED AS ONE OF
THE LUCKY WINNERS IS NOW OVER AND WE HAVE THE DV2005-2006 EXCERCISE IN PROGRESS (SORRY FOR THE LATE RESPONSE).
Thanks.
Sandra Taylor
Online Co-ordinator
CONGRATULATIONS
!!!
Kevin Powell
President
_____________________________________________________________________
For super low premiums, click here http://www.dialdirect.co.za/quote
Things to note:
1) official email from a US Gov't agency will not have an ad at the end like this one.
2) They quote the US Department of State website url just to make them look more credible but this is what the website says about the DV program and who is in charge of processing:
The (DV) program is administered directly from the U.S. Department of State Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky. The Kentucky center was established in the year 2000 by the U.S. Department of State to take over administration of the Diversity Visa Lottery program from the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Therefore you should not be sending any money anywhere else and the fact remains that fees are supposed to be paid at the office when you go for your interview because this is how it is done:
A Diversity processing fee is only charged when a winning lottery entrant applies for the Diversity visa. At the time of the visa application at a U.S. consular office, each applicant (the DV entrant and any accompanying family members) will be charged a DV processing fee and immigrant visa fee.
3) They say it's the "DV 2005-2006" program when in fact the website will show that the actual name for the program is not this.
Here is what the actual US Department of State site says about selection:
SELECTION OF APPLICANTS
Applicants will be selected at random by computer from among all qualified entries. Those selected will be notified by mail between May and July 2005 and will be provided further instructions, including information on fees connected with immigration to the U.S.
(http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1318.html)
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Why I won't go back ....Part 1: Ferreira Optical
On the surface, things are quite pleasant at Ferreira's. The customer service personnel are somewhat friendly, if not completely efficient and you even get Magna points on your payments.
The first thing that turned me off:
The customer service agent spent literally almost an hour adjusting and re-adjusting the frame of my glasses which had previously felt fine to me. You'd think it would fit perfectly afterwards right? Wrong! After wearing it for just a few hours, the back of my ears was sore from too much pressure from the frame. I tried not pressing it down when I put it on, but this did not make a difference. I had to endure that discomfort for as long as it took me to get to an office and get another person to re-adjust it for me. This one wanted to show off his knowledge so he made a point about telling me the biological name of the tissue that the frame was pressing on...he managed to alleviate some of my distress (with his adjustments) so it felt a little better, but it turns out that it was not completely perfect so I had to end up doing some of my own bending and twisting to get the frame to fit without causing me headaches.
Second issue:
I paid a lot extra for my lenses because they at Ferreira's did not have the inexpensive coating that did the same job that transitions lens does. I also paid for anti-reflective coating which managed to crack all over my lens after just a few months making it look extremely scratched. I now have to go back and show this to them to hear what their story will be.
Third issue:
One of the apparently inferior nose pads on my lens recently broke off so I had to have it replaced. I was charged $17 for one pad, not even a pair. You'd think this would be free...after all, it's the fault of their inferior frame, which I bought at their store. I've never had to buy a nose pad before, they all previously outlasted the lenses and the frame. The other side is already half-broken and apparently they didn't have the foresight to replace it the same time as the other, one so when that one comes off, I will have to march back to the store to get another replacement...and hope they haven't jacked up the prices! LOL
Now why would I ever want to go back to a place as incompetent as this one, selling inferiour quality products, and not providing less-expensive but perfectly viable alternatives to customers? I cannot think of a single reason. I don't care how many Magna points I can get. It's no wonder they have to advertise, they certainly won't get any word-of-mouth testimonials from me, or probably any of their other customers.
The first thing that turned me off:
The customer service agent spent literally almost an hour adjusting and re-adjusting the frame of my glasses which had previously felt fine to me. You'd think it would fit perfectly afterwards right? Wrong! After wearing it for just a few hours, the back of my ears was sore from too much pressure from the frame. I tried not pressing it down when I put it on, but this did not make a difference. I had to endure that discomfort for as long as it took me to get to an office and get another person to re-adjust it for me. This one wanted to show off his knowledge so he made a point about telling me the biological name of the tissue that the frame was pressing on...he managed to alleviate some of my distress (with his adjustments) so it felt a little better, but it turns out that it was not completely perfect so I had to end up doing some of my own bending and twisting to get the frame to fit without causing me headaches.
Second issue:
I paid a lot extra for my lenses because they at Ferreira's did not have the inexpensive coating that did the same job that transitions lens does. I also paid for anti-reflective coating which managed to crack all over my lens after just a few months making it look extremely scratched. I now have to go back and show this to them to hear what their story will be.
Third issue:
One of the apparently inferior nose pads on my lens recently broke off so I had to have it replaced. I was charged $17 for one pad, not even a pair. You'd think this would be free...after all, it's the fault of their inferior frame, which I bought at their store. I've never had to buy a nose pad before, they all previously outlasted the lenses and the frame. The other side is already half-broken and apparently they didn't have the foresight to replace it the same time as the other, one so when that one comes off, I will have to march back to the store to get another replacement...and hope they haven't jacked up the prices! LOL
Now why would I ever want to go back to a place as incompetent as this one, selling inferiour quality products, and not providing less-expensive but perfectly viable alternatives to customers? I cannot think of a single reason. I don't care how many Magna points I can get. It's no wonder they have to advertise, they certainly won't get any word-of-mouth testimonials from me, or probably any of their other customers.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
US Visa
Giving a US Visa is I admit a very sensitive issue and more so since the events of September 11, 2001. Who can blame them for being cautious?
What I find is very maddening (hence madness) is that the criminals and would-be terrorists have no trouble getting into the country while the poor unsuspecting innocent will be subjected to the third degree and then not get a Visa or a refund of the application fee. If that is not madness I don't know what is!
What I find is very maddening (hence madness) is that the criminals and would-be terrorists have no trouble getting into the country while the poor unsuspecting innocent will be subjected to the third degree and then not get a Visa or a refund of the application fee. If that is not madness I don't know what is!
Monday, May 23, 2005
Smart Choice Madness
There's some serious madness going on at TSTT. Has been for a long time, no news right? But this is a very current form of madness that is quite dangerous if left unchecked and I feel a certain responsibility to alert the population of Trinidad and Tobago so they know what they are up against.
These are just some warnings about Smart Choice...which, it turns out, may not be such a smart choice for some customers.
First, getting on the plan. It's not as simple as calling the 800-DEAL number because you have to then wait much longer than if you had called 824-8788 so please be aware of that. They do tell you, your service will start in a few days, but that's the furthest from the truth...in actuality it is more like 3-4 weeks.
Second, being on the plan. This is for internet customers. If you are not on TSTT internet service, being on Smart Choice will cost you extra because you are billed per-min for your call to the ISP number
Third, be aware that cell calls are not included in the plan. It is only for landlocked phone lines. And I'm sure 900 numbers are also excluded! If you are not on the Gold plan, be sure to check your call times so you don't go over the limit, because then you will be charged for those extra minutes.
These are just some warnings about Smart Choice...which, it turns out, may not be such a smart choice for some customers.
First, getting on the plan. It's not as simple as calling the 800-DEAL number because you have to then wait much longer than if you had called 824-8788 so please be aware of that. They do tell you, your service will start in a few days, but that's the furthest from the truth...in actuality it is more like 3-4 weeks.
Second, being on the plan. This is for internet customers. If you are not on TSTT internet service, being on Smart Choice will cost you extra because you are billed per-min for your call to the ISP number
Third, be aware that cell calls are not included in the plan. It is only for landlocked phone lines. And I'm sure 900 numbers are also excluded! If you are not on the Gold plan, be sure to check your call times so you don't go over the limit, because then you will be charged for those extra minutes.
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