Comments on: Realistic Expectations

By: Fran

Fran — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:59:41 +0000

I have skimmed through a few comments here.

One time I had a few items in a basket and was cut off by a woman whose total bill was over a $100.00 (That was 40+ years ago) I would liked to have ripped her a few nice words…but maybe there was an urgent personal matter or maybe felt she was more important. The latter I pity.

Another time the lines were long except the 10 item express checkout. Again cut off by a full cart of groceries, the cashier calmly asked the woman….Which 10 items do you want to purchase? (WONDERFUL)….the rule was 10 items….self explanatory. So we here in the US have the same rules/exceptions as there.

By: Ernest

Ernest — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:59:52 +0000

Dave,
No problem, i just stated how the rule came to be. Just the management didn’t figure to explain how to give leeway if the express lane were full and the the cart lane empty. That may be the case why we have horrible customer service here sometimes.

By: Marketman

Marketman — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:45:52 +0000

Pardon me, I meant some of your commenters have the facts “WRONG” not straight…

By: Marketman

Marketman — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:44:35 +0000

Hello. It seems some or many of the commenters have at least some important facts straight. Foremost among them is that I did in fact wait until the supervisor approached the checkout counter and blew my top at her, NOT the cashier. Does it make a difference? In my mind, yes, as the supervisor/manager of the store IS in a position to understand the situation, rules, response better than the cashier. Further, in situation such as these, where I do file a complaint, usually in writing, I do use my full name and give a mailing address. On my blog, I prefer to use the name Marketman for a variety of reasons. However, recently, due to slip ups in televised features, my name has been used in broadcasts. But back to service complaints… I do believe that not enough Filipinos demand good service, and as such, we all end up with the short end of the stick. With nearly 2,200 posts in Marketmanila’s archives, it’s interesting how a few folks can draw such certain conclusions on what I might be like based on a couple of posts, pissy ones though they may be. For more of a similar vein, check out earlier posts on Ayala Land, Cebu Pacific, Photonapping, Plagiarism and Reggie Aspiras, Shittybank, etc. In ALL CASES, I eventually got to the top management with my written complaints and in EVERY SINGLE ONE they acknowledged the facts of the matter to be accurate, and in a majority of cases, positive changes were made to their operations. I don’t just “bitch” for the sake of bitching… The Shitty Market example was one of a few where I didn’t bother to write management. But in a similar dopey situation at Rustan’s, they actually changed some rules that made it much more consumer friendly. And Dave, if you do know people who know me, then you would have a pretty good picture of what I am like in person. Regards, MM

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:43:21 +0000

Hi Earnest, thanks for sharing, but sorry guy, I’m not going along with that explanation. What you say makes sense, when and only when the checkstands are manned and full.

This was the situation when the whole issue got started via Market Man’s post. Cashiers were standing by, doing nothing, and would not serve him until he transferred the same items to a silver cart … then they promptly did their jobs.

Your explanation would make sense when things are filled up, but the rest of the time, as SM practices the rule, it’s just another little example of where the Philippines is indeed, far behind … customer service. Many stores seem to be run by folks who were in the army and couldn’t make sergeant, so they got out, frustrated and now operate as if they were the sergeant and the customers are buck privates. If anything ever does convince me to go back to the US, it will be the inadequate and sometimes downright insulting “customer service” so many stores practice. In my opinion anyway.

A few days ago I was in a KFC. I fell in line right behind the only customer ata cash register. Then, ages and ages passed. The customer ahead of me was taking forever becuase he had just bought a large order for his office and the staff had made some mistakes and nobody could figure out how to charge him more for some things that they had neglected to charge for. There were four registers unmanned, all the other were backed up, so nothing to do but wait it out .. happens that way of course in any business. (oh BTW the fellow in front of me was Filipini, this wasn’t a language difficulty, it was adifficulty in processing a simple chicken order)

Finally a young lady came to the empty register just next to the one I was at and motioned to me to approach. Thank goodness. I thought, the manager had finally noticed he had 5 or six people making standby while the store had unused registers ands the lines were backing up.

When I stepped up to the new register, guess what the cashier’s first words were? “Welcome to KFC, may I take your order.”? No. “Sorry for the wait, sir, may I help you’? No. She looked me in the eye and saud ‘For a while,sir, then turned her back on me to filled with some chicken boxes that were in disarray on the counter behind her.”!

I’m telling you I laughed so hard people looked from all over and I just couldn’t resist saying, “Ma’am, I believe my ‘for a while” started quite a while ago”.

The fellow who had been stalled in front of me all this time, and was still frustrated becuase the store manager was arguing about how his staff never made such a mistake, it was the cutomers fault, just busted up laughing when he heard me.

He turned toward me with a big grin, gave me the ‘lips point’ toward the recalcitrant manager and just rolled his eyes and laughed some more. He certianly got the joke.

The girl at my register never did figure out why I said what i said or why the other customer thought it was funny, to her, it didn’t matyter how long a customer had waited, the correct response was ‘for a while’.

You have to let the customer know who is boss. I fully expect some day to have a clerk bark at me, “Drop and give me 10, boy”, just like my old, fondly remembered drill instructor, TSgt Clarence D. Marshall, lo those many years ago. RIP, TSgt Marshall, your traditions are being upheld to this day.

By: Ernest

Ernest — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:54:32 +0000

I hate to say this but the reason such a rule was put up was to prevent the clogging up of the express lane/hand basket lane. As you all know everybody hates to wait in line so when the regular silver cart lane was full and will take a long time to thin down because logically there were more items in here than in the band baskets, those customers using the silver carts usually come to the express lane thereby denying the very same people to whom those lanes were made for, people with just a few items or do on their baskets. Ihope this clears things up for everyone.
Just my 2 cents worth.

By: MindanaoBob

MindanaoBob — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:40:43 +0000

Hi Dave – Ha ha ha!!! I can just see the senate hearings on this! And, perfectly honestly, I believe if enough publicity came about the Philippine Senate would be likely to have hearings on the shopping cart fiasco! I have little doubt about that.

By: MindanaoBob

MindanaoBob — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:38:49 +0000

Hi Dave – Oh my. Ha ha… it sounds like it’s come down to a childish spitting match! SM is crazy to get their backs up like that, although it certainly sounds like that is what is going on.

Well, there is always Robinson’s!

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:19:54 +0000

Oh no doubt we are much closer together on this than we are apart. I’m 100% with MM on this, I just was very put off by the ‘ugly American’ way he, in his own words, said he handled it. What he really ought to do is hire a lawyer .. we both probably know one who would take the case … CV. She already dislikes SM with a passion. Perhaps we could could get one of the ‘Presidentables’ to take it to the Senate for a week of hearings too … oh, dear I really am bad this morning, aren’t I?

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:13:44 +0000

I think you are right on the company-wide policy, Bob. I may have mentioned already, since MM published his original post I note that in our local SM Hypermarket they now have little graphic signs at each ‘big cart’ checkstands with a little shopping cart graphic and the worsing ‘big cart on;y ort some such. Apaprently this issue has gone somewhere internally withinh the company, or why would the local stire have gone to the trouble to put up these new signs.

Instead of owning up to the fact a policy was silly, they appear to be ‘circling the wagons’ to make sure the policy gets enforced and a stray hand basket or two doesn’t slip past unnoticed. Gosh it is amazing, it really is. Makes me feel like recruiting about 20 people and going to the store some busy day and everyone get a couple items in a hand basket and then all stand in the checkouts at the same time and argue … the manager would faint I think LoL. I muct have climbed out of the ‘brigadier’ side of the bed this morning