Complaints

 

This topic is bit pricky, no one would like to admit they like to complain. Perhaps "like" is bit overstating, lets use "will".

 

When talk about complaints, ask yourself if you are a outspoken or you kept quiet in the event of mistreated. These include unable to deliver the expected knowledge/information, service, product quality aspect, worse still if there are intention of misleading.

 

As I grow older and more affordable I opt for quality living. I visit more expensive restaurant, hotel, places, buy premium goods and service. Quality living means I wish to enjoy the quality goods including services, that's what we paid for or being charged. We have all the right to demand a BETTER SERVICE/PRODUCT. That's a standard trade off and this is call EXPECTATION. What we didn't know was sometimes the premium price we pay doesn't commensurate with our expectation.

 

We are well aware people hop from one company to another, premium company offers trainings to the new hire, some don't.  However sometimes it's all boils down to one personality that person witheld, regardless training. So if you expect you happened encounter people like this from such premium company we talk about you might be dissapointed. Somehow you realise, it's better to manage your own expectation than expect someone to manage for you. You decide whether you'll get dissapontment.  

 

 

 

I checked-into a 4 star hotel. A nice two single bed room with bathtub. When I finally came back from an exausted tour, and looking forward to a nice warm bath, I realised they given only bath soap.

I call the house keeping.

"We don't offer bath gel ma'am"

"Why you don't offer bath gel in bathroom which equipped with bathtub?" I felt bit annoying.

"This is our hotel policy"

 

How could a 4-star hotel providing inconsistent of expectation? How to use the bathtub with soap? I decided to call the hotel manager.

"we ran out of bath gel therefore we could only replace with soap". So this is the real reason. A hotel should train the staff on how to answering question like this from guest instead of giving a misleading statement. If this happen in a hostel I would accept that standard.

What??!! That's hotel operation/procurement inefficiency which shouldn't apply to guests. But, but i paid for the bath gel....don't they should give discount to what they couldn't deliver, for example. After much complain they finally get a bath gel from Kiosk. I was exausted, tired, upset and time wasted to complain to finally got the bath gel. What an irony right?

 

 

 

There are distinctions between premium brand and ordinary brand. Common Premium Brand like Gucci, Christian Dior, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dunhill, Versace, IWC, Porsche, Ferrari, Shangri-la these top Notch Brands would live up to their brand image as that's the values offered to its audience thus you could expect the commensurate quality of service/product. Perhaps my expectations are relatively lower than those who enjoy these brands on day to day basis, what these top notch brands (which I'm aware) offers are satisfying, at least they made efforts to please an upset customer.

 

In fact there are higher end premium brands which I can't list it down here as I'm not familiar with (><). What I'm familiar with are those ordinary brands for mid -income earner like you and me.

For instant:

1. 4 star hotel doesn't offer you bath gel but a soap
2. Leading telecommunications company IT support being rude in answering your inquiries
3. Foreign bank customer service unable to breakdown the credit card transaction you required
4. Semi-fine dining restaurant doesn't get the table setting according your order
4. Premium 3 Chest drawer from higher end furniture shop unable to slide in smoothly.

 

Although you don't pay a premium price as compared to top notch companies I mentioned above, but you do pay a premium price as compared to those non-branded. Somehow or rather, as long as we paid we would carve a certain expectations and it was this expection lead to complains in the event it didn't deliver. Most of the time, they just don't bother until hefty complaints been made. This is call distinction between premium and ordinary Brands.

 

I heard from the Radio Channel this morning. A caller shared a story of his brother who behave rude  by yelling and scolding to people around him. A person who made tons of money, have lot of cash and materials, high standard of living than before he thinks he has the whole world. It sounded nasty but I try to understand from his angle of behaving (perhaps due to nature of mother, I always think from few angles before making a conclusion), I believed there is always a cause and effect to everything. I'm sure no one would like to make ownself upset and get nothing out of yelling/ scolding which affect the moods of the day or maybe days, feeling bad at the end of the day and bad health. I believed no one like to be a bad person afterall.

 

Sometime environment changes a person, the changes got so great and rapid making one unable to adjust to the pace, time and status, thus stress, I call this poor stress management. Why Sress management got to do with Complaints? When the environment demanded more efficiency and productivity, we expect things to be perfect, Perfect time, People and Budget, sound like a project management triangle huh, thus when it isn't that lead to yelling and scolding, or complaints. I sympathize on people like this who unable to manage own emotions and stress, unfortunately I'm one of them.

 

Don't get me wrong, it's alright to have expectation, it's alright to demand in fact you have all the right to complain, just there are ways to get what you want without yelling, scolding or being nasty, a friend said TALK to them.

 

1. Know what you want out of complaints

2. Talk to people who able to act on your complaints

3. Tell them your pains

 

This friend of mine done a legendary complaint.

 

Air Asia Customer Service. Premium customer service 1.32 per min.

 

" We booked ticket to Australia however my wife got pregnant, I wish to transfer of ownership"

" Our policy is we are unable to cancel or transfer of ownership"

" But my wife is pregnant, I have medical reason"

" I'm sorry, sir"

 

This conversation maybe took quite a while, talk the cost of this call aside. The point is wife pregnant is something out of the plan...of traveling.

 

So he decided to write to Tony Fernandes. The lendary statement he made was " I think you're operating a poor quality of customer service. Though it's a Everyone Can Fly low budget airline, but you shouldn't treat Everyone unfairly". He finally managed to transfer the ticket.

 

Sometime a simple statement could reach your objectives without a friction. 

 

 

 

 

Samsung Galaxy Note

This is not a post on Samsung Galaxy Note 2 but the first version.

 

I finally got myself a Smartphone (see this post, I find it hillarious when I read again today), a Samsung Galaxy Note (Note) at a cost of $200 plus data plan subscription. Since the post, I took another 6 months to finally decided Note is best for me - the 5.5 inches LCD Screen!

What pushed me to step into Maxis was due to a light and easy trip I planned to. A country which has no English interaction thus I need the maps and low cost phone call in case I lost myself in the foreign land. Well what I didn't know was the map would be in foreign language too!
 

Many of my friends tease me on chosing Note as it isn't handy, it's bulky. Even a male Maxis assistance told me it's too big for holding it up. But, I buy what's needed, I'm a SMART CONSUMER (Scoff). Talk aside the general functions of a Smartphone, if you had read the said post, Note is just nice for people who reads. It doesn't strained your eyes so much as compared to small screen. Seriously and true, once you had gone for Big you can't turn back!

 camera quality from Nokia 6260

 

Since 3 months of using, my love for Note increases each day. I had fun. I read bible in the church (no, I attend for TT sake. Though I'm an agnostic, I wish TT behold some faith somewhere, she was a baptised baby, so). I read map easily while driving, general web browsing is more comfy and I could read translation probably 1 feet away while typing here.
 

 

Many people asked me if Note's good. My answer always " It suits my requirements, do get something you NEED".

  

The feature which Note sure win is - Notes. I could take notes while speaker talks without physical pen and paper. At the end of the day, you could retrieve and refer, at anytime. Frankily I find myself look intelligent whilst clarifying with speaker. It's an alternative to paper and pen, especially when you in need.
 

 camera quality from Nokia 6260

 

I could scibble if I don't feel like doing anything.

 

Well other features like apps, I think iOS and Android has its winning points, you'll win some lose some. So nothing much to compare. Now with Samsung planner, I hardly miss my appointments and things to do;).

 

But I have to admit iPhone generally more user friendly i.e. switching in between languages within a tap, whereas Note takes 2 taps. I'm not an iPhone user, but I bet there are other functions which Samsung needs to catch up.

 

Well, other than suiting my lifestyle, I do had a bit of change to suit the phone TOO (exclaim)!!. For example, I bought few more bandbags since my pockets aren't big enough to accomodate. I used to go out with just handphone, key and wallet in hand and now I have to stuff everything in these tiny bags ALL THE TIME! It's a good change I think, at least there are no chances of losing and I have free hands at all time (Grins).

 

 

Camera quality from Note

 

Guess what, remember I got an New iPad few months ago? It's now fully belongs to TT but I still have full control over it (LOL) just we don't take turns anymore (another LOL). The message here is Note is just so FASCINATING once it got into my hand I would never let it go until I really need a break! It has more than what iPad could offer!

 

Now that I look back my Nokia handphone - cute and steady, it is so slim and handy. I reminisce the Nokia model I used to own, I could slide it inside my pocket and go, or tuck it between my sportpants whilst working out in gym, I could sms in one hand. It has it's versatility, I missed it but I love my Note now:)

If you haven't got a smartphone (I do realise some of my friends are non-smartphone user), you might consider to grab one. I find myself lost touch with world when I finally got a smartphone, you know I somehow reluctant to text those who doesn't has web sms (Bleh ><). I have quick access to my email, get updates from facebook. Take lots of photos since there are so many fun apps. Since it's a paid data plan, you could make local and international web calls like SKYPE. Well, go grab one, like it or not, this is how we communicate and keep in touch with the world.

 Camera quality from Note

 

 

 

 Note to NOTE: I got this Note, 2 months before Note2 launches, I have had the headsup but I still proceed with the purchase because I desperately need it for my holiday. 

 

 

DIY Repair

We have many pairs of shoes apply in different occasions be it work, casual, dinner, sports etc. Many a time, when shoes is broken we send  for repair, I usually settled it at street cobbler. I find not much different as compared to the material they use, the only different could be the finishing. Well. What the heck right, no one will scrutinize your shoes at an inch close. haha. As long as it's not too obvious then I'm fine with it.

 

So, me too have many pairs of shoes, I have a collection of 4 pairs of sandals, 2 pairs of straps heels, 6 pairs of pumps, 2 pair of sportshoes, 3 pairs of sneakers and at the peak I have collected 30 pairs just for just myself. I like collecting shoes and one of my hobby is shoes shopping. Imagine how do we wear so many pairs for just one person alone right? (If you thought of sharing, PLEASE DONT EVER share your shoes, for hyginenic purpose, not even once). Most of the time we only wear those regular ones, due to overworn shoes parts especially the soles fall apart or open tip. For women, the common problems are heels soles, for men, leather shoe outersoles, sportshoe outersoles.

 

Due to favoratism, quality, budget concern we always send for repair. When my shoe outersoles came off, without mention, my first choice was street cobbler. They usually clean up the surface (simple wipping, I think the professional cobbler use a certain cleanser) and gel or seal the two parts together, kept it overnight for the adhesive to take effect.

You happily brought home, after few times of wearing due to rains and suns it came off again. As you know those plain aluminium cans with yellow/orangy in color adhesive, you knew it isn't effective, but you don't seems to have a choice. After few time of testing with few other shoes, I decided to give it a try at professional cobbler, I paid $6. However the outcome was the same, it came off again! I even gone for stitching in a desperation, needless to say you throw them away because it turned to be so ugly though you can't see it from outside.

 

 

As I grow older, shoes I bought are more quality of course it commensurate with the price I pay but sometime as I have too many pair of shoes, perhaps due to fashion trend, occassion, some I just don't wear. Due to long idle, shoes adhesive become harden, one of my favorite pum toe box breaks, where I pointed it.

 

So I changed to another long idle one, this one outersoles detached during my working hours! Right well done. Hey, I worn this only in the count of my 5 fingers! I like them so much, so I decided to repair it myself. (Oh did I tell you TT  is my financial controller? She refrained me from getting more shoes!! Not only that, she generally control my spending especially in fashion. ha.)

 

I went to hypermarket to source for strong adhesive glue, if you think UHU is strong enough, you're wrong, elephant brand? No. None of these are effective. I went for industrial adhesive, especially those works only with blend of two separate ingredients. Imagine the toe box required the strongest adhesive so it could wrap up your toes in this tiny and pointy design. I can't remember the brand I got it last time, it was from Carrfour cost about $6 most importantly it works, at that cost I save many pairs of shoes. Not all, I don't have to spend the trip to cobblers who might not turn up to work the next day.
 

 

 

Later when my sport shoe complains, I give it a try at DAISO, I found similar A&B Adhesive cost $ 1.5 only:). This time not only the outersoles came off, I got the cushion came off too!! Well,  with this solution, I managed to save my sport sportshoe and came back from Half Marathon (Scoff) and many other sports and still strong today.

 

 

 

 

Yeah I complained that the goods from Daiso lack of quality control, again, if electronics items like PC, mobile phone would gone for Call Back exercise or batch manufacturing defects, Daiso would not be exceptional loh, just need to be careful and bear in mind it's a low price shop.

Please note, industrial adhesive like this usually carries different functions with different ingredients, some conducive for metal-metal item, some metal-plastic, some metal-wood, some plastic-wood.
 
 

So DIY, spend a bit of time to source could save many troubles later, at least I'm in control of my time and budget:).