I have a personal policy. When somebody wants to give me some of their money, I make it as easy as I possibly can for them to do so! I mean, I’m a businessman, and if somebody wants to buy something from me, I try to make it as painless as possible for them! Sometimes, in one of my businesses or another, I will realize that something is set up in a way that makes it difficult for people to purchase from me. When that happens, I do my best to fix it, to make the process easier for the customer. I mean, if they want me to have some of their money, who am I to argue with them?
My friend, Dave Starr, and I have been having a little discussion lately about how difficult it is to get a Philippine business to take your money sometimes! Sometimes, it would seem that businesses here will do all they can to make you stop from giving them any cash!
How?
Well, this is just a small example, but about 2 weeks ago I went into a computer store here in Davao. I used to shop in this store very regularly. Like, I went in there 4 or 5 times a week, back in the day. They were the only good computer shop in the City at the time, so although they made shopping difficult, I clinched my fist and tried my best to keep my discomfort from spilling out, but I went there. Well, it had been a while, but I decided to stop in and see if they had anything that I really needed (wanted?). Also, I did have one specific need. I needed a new power supply for my laptop.
I brought my old power supply cable with me to the store, and also I had the model number and manufacturer of my laptop in hand as well. When I went in and said hello to one of the ladies working there – we knew each other quite well, since I used to be a very regular customer – I showed her the old power supply, told him my laptop model number, and asked if they had a new power supply for it.
To say the least, I was disappointed in her answer.
She replied that I needed some number off the back of my laptop. But, I had given her the model number, and had the actual power supply in hand. It’s all no use, though, I had to have that one specific number. I asked if she could not just look in some parts book and let me give her the money for the power supply. Nope, she wouldn’t even take the time to check her catalog. And, this was a dealer for the laptop brand that I was looking for (Compaq).
I left the store feeling kind of bad about it, I had worked in this type of business before, and I know that she should have the ability to check if the power supply was available. On a whim, I went to another computer store on the way home. Did the same thing. I walked out with the part that I needed too. No hassle, no fuss, just 5 minutes and I had what I wanted.
Over the past few weeks, Dave has been telling me of similar experiences that he has been having with an Internet provider in his area. He really wants to upgrade his service, but finds it very hard to get the company to be interested in getting the extra money out of him!
This is so very common here, it’s really unbelievable. Sometimes it seems like businesses here not only don’t go the extra mile to get your business, but when you want to give them business, they actively do anything they possibly can to make you keep your money!
Well, like so many of the ways that I see things, or the ways that I do business, things are different here. I suppose that variety is the spice of life!
Hi Bob;
I have many times encountered the very same problem, I wonder if it is the business owner or the sadly underpaid employee who has no reason to go the extra mile to help a customer. The owner is saving money on labor, (which makes him smart?) and losing money when we walk away. Pay me the same amount and watch how I would help, if you could wake me up. (LOL)
I think this is more of a cultural thing and your example is just one of a million. I have been to many stores where they don't even want to make an effort to check about anything and just conveniently say its out Stock because of this cultural defect. This is just another in a very long line of cultural maladies that keep the Philipppines from growing in the right direction. You have lived here long enough to know all the frustrations the Philippine can provide expats on a daily basis and they are frustrations because they are so easily remedied. But that is the price we pay for the many other wonderful benefits of life here.
Hi Bob – If you want to give away some of your money, I'll take about PHP 500,000 off your hands and I won't even charge you a single centavo for the transaction. 😉
Hi Bill – Yes, I have lived here long enough to know about it.. that's why I wrote about it.
Hi Paul – 😉
Bob: Don't even get me started…. It's why my Blackberry was shipped from the States rather than buying it here. 8 stores in Tri-noma, 50,000p phone. I finally got fed up and had the office ship one (at 20,000 p cheaper, including the shipping bill!)
Have had similar experinces and has been the late nite topic over beers many times. Something so simple, so obvious is so rare.
Hi brian – pass me a beer and let's talk about this a bit more! 😉
I would bet if they're on commission they'll do their best to make sales. These employees doesn't seem to care if they make a sale or not… as long as they get their pay.
My thought is, at times there seems to be a lack of businesses being competitive with each other as compared to some businesses here in the USA.
A theoretical scenerio I have explained to some of my Filipino friends goes something like this as the way being competitive can be here in the USA. Ok, to keep it on topic lets say you open up a PC store and get a good amount of business going for yourself. I decide to open up a PC store as it seems there is a lot of business to be had.
I decide to open up a PC store and realizing I have to compete with your store I make sure I have plenty of capitol behind me before even opening. I sell the same , equivalant, or better product than your store at a lower price to get your customers plus new ones. You have to lower your prices and give better service if you want to stay in business. I once again lower my prices even if it means little or no profit on some items just to get your business away from you and in fact maybe I'll even give away video monitors for free if you buy a full feature PC at my store and I don't care if I have to loose money just to get your customers ( remember I started out with an abundant amount of capitol ).
Better product, better service, freebees, and maybe I'll even start offering free refreshments at my store just to get people to come in.
Sooner or later your store is going to go out of business unless you have more reserve capitol than I do and the one that comes out ahead then gets all of the business. Service ? Yes, I make sure all of my hired help knows what they are talking about and spends all the time necessary with a customer to make sure they have what they want when they want it, excuses are not an option.
This may appear to be a harsh example of what can and does happen here in the USA ( and I have also seen this in the UK ) in a competitive business but things like this do happen. Possibly cultural differences are why things like this may not appear to be so prevalent in The Philippines ? Also having an abundance of capitol in many independent retail situations may be another reason ?
Hi Bob. Suppose you owned the business & witness this type of attitude. Could you instruct that in the future more effort must be put forward, or else! I have seen this (attitude) there as well. I find it hard to believe that so many are looking for work, & when they find it, they don't care if they keep it or not. Will a simple explanation help? Or maybe read them the riot act! I couldn't believe it the first time. Guy
Bob, my opinion is both, economics doesn't work in the Philippines due to both the government and culture( somehow got develop over the years)due to the poor management of government itself. I still don't get it even today lol. One of the reason why we are not moving forward.
Staff on the front lines were not being taught to do the "extra mile" to make customers satisfy. This happened in lot of retail outlets in South East Asia including big retails. In fact it is the most easiest mile to run if the staff feel comfortable with her job, knowledgable and not work until stress. Lots of trainings and management sensitivity towards staff have to be emphasized here to make this happen. It is a long way to go.
Hi Vanessa – Nice to see you! It is really strange, because even when the right things are done economically, they just don't seem effective. Maye it's too much money being diverted to "other things" when it should not be! 😉
Hello Bob,
I can relate to your experience and I live in the states, but moved
from Newport beach Ca, to a small town in the Northwest and this small town know nothing about customer service. I don't understand
they are in the business of selling but are not willing to provide
what you need. I don't get it! I can tell you it happens a lot even
in Europe in small towns it's most frustrating. For what ever reason they don't get it. To me, it's all about customer service.
The bottom line is that if the salesman thinks you are not a potential customer which they can not make money. They never work extra miles. They are very clever but sometimes as a customer I made them a trick.
It happened to me when my old xbox dvd accessories got damage. I knew the new xbox360 was not available in the Philippines at that time. I asked the salesboy if by next week they could have that stuff. He said probably. So it's a good rythym, I had inserted that I need some accessory. He was helping me to find from the other branch. I got it and thanked for his help. I think we need a long warm up to stimulate their willingness to help. That's it.
It's a cultural thing, I'd have to say. The intrainment into the very soul of a capitalist – that thing that says "he who has the gold (customer) makes the rules", and "the customer is always right" – is lacking amongst the owners of businesses, and apparently lacking in the employees. Westerners are almost genetically imprinted with this idea, whereas it doesn't appear most in SE Asia are. It's almost as if there is a disconnect in understanding basic capitalistic ideas in some areas. I wonder how one explains how so many will go the "extra mile" in separating others from their monies in the various scams that are constantly being performed?
Hi Spencer – I totally agree. The things that you have expressed are thoughts that I have pondered in my own mind many times over the years. I still have no answer, though.
Bob,
You are really becoming Filipino, your mixing he and she. In your fourth paragraph you say "I showed her the old power supply, told him my laptop model number, and asked if they had a new power supply for it" 🙂
I find at times a smaller store, you get better treatment than a bigger or mall store. i.e. Razi compared to Digital.
your article topic is one of the things i have experienced in P.I and it makes me give pause to living there, i cant understand the reason why Filipinos are like that there! it is like they don't care about money!drives me crazy especially when i get poor service at a bank ! and if you raise your voice they totally sulk like a big baby and are insulted and there feelings are hurt ,they either want to cry or sneak up later and kill you from behind !
Hi Bob,
Yep, it's all a tale with which most of us are very familiar. It all only adds to my confidence that I will make my retail ventures there succesful if we go ahead with it in due course. I'm looking forward to training the staff in fact; I imagine proper customer service will be something of an eye opener for them.
So this type of "service" is prevalent there??? I remember years ago (haven't been back home in a while) when my cousin and I walked into a store. I was looking for a case for my cellphone and showed a similar case to the sales lady. Without even looking at what I wanted, she said no, they don't have it; it's out of stock. She and another worker were just standing around chatting. My cousin & I just walked out of there.
I grew up here in the US and my first job was as a bank teller where customer service was a priority. To this day, I remember the rules (SGCATI): Smile; Greet the customer; Call the customer by name; Ask for the business ("What can I do for you today?"), Thank the customer; Invite them back in. I know that our customers enjoyed coming into our bank because some would stay and try to chat a while ;-D.
…..maybe the sales agent was looking for a lil 'greese' to speed the transaction …..:)
Hi mike – It certainly is something very different between the two cultures. For us westerners, money is of prime importance.
Hi Jim – I also have a lot of retailing experience. When we lived in GenSan we had a couple of businesses in which I worked very hard to train my employees to offer first class customer service. It is not an easy task, but I feel that I achieved some success.
I have also wondered about that, Garrett.
Kamusta ka Bob,
I have heard you all (yourself and other expats)talk of this before, and it really puzzles me as well. Because it seems that filipino' people in general are very helpful, friendly and kind, so to me especially in business, these traits should really shine through even more…but I guess it doesn't. So here is another mystery to us all..
But it also goes to being not trained very well…
For the many years I have been in retail, I can't say that all of our employees at the different companies I worked for were always trained the best. But I did tell them this, until you know your job better, and if your helping a customer with a problem, just say.."I am not sure sir/maam, but hold on one second and I will find out"..whether that was instant or maybe a telephone call to the customer..they were usually happy with that. Instead of hearing…"I don't know", or "I just started yesterday".."come back when Joe Blow is working"….just my two cents..
Salamat kaayo, og ingats,
Danny 🙂
I often mention the time I went into SM's hardware store to find a basic no frills desk lamp so I could do my work sketches.
I found a lamp with a decent price, but it had some exterior cracks on the frame though still working well. I asked the sales guy if a markdown was possible since the lamp was clearly damaged. He called the store manager & I relayed the same message.
I told the manager he can consider the lamp sold if he just give me a lower price since the lamp was simply not going to be sold at the original price in a damaged state. Just a few pesos markdown & I'm in. A fair offer since no one's buying a broken lamp anyway. Of course, the manager declined & put the cracked lamp back on the shelf.
So, with a shrug, I walked to the next store, found a similar lamp in good condition AND at a cheaper price and bought it.
To think, the manager made a customer, who was practically offering him money, walk away from a guaranteed sale for an unsellable product. Amazing? In the Philippines, not really.
As much as I love the Philippines it is pretty apparent that MOST businesses over here have a lot to learn about customer service and how to run a business….but this is a deep seated cultural issue.
This "bahala na" attitude is something that will hold the filipino people back forever if they do not change.
There are well run businesses here….I have stayed at two of the best run hotels I have been in around Manila…and these people know customer service….but sadly most filipino business people do not.
One of the problems is the expectations. I cannot tell you how many times I have gone out to eat in Manila and the food is COMPLETELY cold. And the people in my party did not care. They just let it go.
Or times when we have gone to a restaurant or another business and it is filthy….not a word said. Very troubling. So businesses here do not feel they need to provide good service. Many don't seem to care. They don't seem to understand that they are hurting themselves buy not doing BASIC things the right way.
Now having said that there are businesses that get it and do a great job…and they are the ones that are doing well.
One more example of a PATHETIC business in the filipines….SmartBro. This company could not survive more than a few weeks in America. They provide really poor service to many people. They do not feel the need to offer good service. And they blatantly sell products that simply do NOT work and then they will NOT even consider refunds…..and do you know why they get away with it? Because 99% of the filipinos don't say a darn word.
I have had so many filipinos tell me that the best thing about them going to America was seeing how business was done there. Seeing how higher expectations led to overall better business people.
The example Bob gave is not the exception in the filipines…it is the norm and very very frustrating.
i had the same thing happen to me at metro mandaue supermarket my wife and i purchased a electric coffee maker and it didn't work very well so we brought it back and they hemed and hawed and my wife did all the talking they tested it made coffee and swore it was working fine even though it was plain to see it wasn't it took 20 minutes for it to complete 2 cups of coffee, i finally had enough and open my mouth up because they where not going to replace it, and my wife speaking Cebuano didn't help us! i was respectful and calm and tryed not to raise my voice, i didn't get a replacement but i asked for compensation since they werent going to give me money or a new one or take it back instead the manager gave me an iron and a set of curtains my wife liked for her family's house ! it was a very strange transaction!
I had to take a second look when I walked past 4 or 5 cell phone stores in a mall in Cagayan De Oro all next to eachother.
In spite of what may seem to be " customer service shortcommings " I did visit a a few places where I felt I received American Style customer service. Any of the 7 Jollibee locations I visited the service was excellent as I believe there is a formal training program for employees there even if they are only 6 month contract workers. An independently owned and operated " Luncheonette " I enjoyed meals at several times made me feel as though I had never left my home town. I had the same impressions at a major appliance store I bought a few things at and also an independently owned and operated Computer Store. I can not say this about every establishment I visited but at least I know first hand that there are some very worthy places to buy things from.
It seemed that anything I purchased that was of an electrical or electronic nature the retailer made a point of unpacking the item and plugging it in to demonstrate that it worked. At first I wondered why they did this as I had not experienced this very much here in the USA or in the UK. It was after that I learned of the " no refund – no return " policy especially on electrical or electronic items. I wonder if the frequent brownout situation there has something to do with this ?
It may be possible that the importance of Customer Service may be catching on in The Philippines although maybe at a slow pace. I have expereinced some similar situations in the UK where it seems the retailer or their employees just don't care.
I went into a Woolworths in London to get a " SCART " ( tv to dvd interconnect cable ) and was told by the clerk " Oh, we don't have those ". I knew Woolworth did carry these items although maybe that particular branch was out of stock but I looked around the store for them and sure enough I found what I was looking for.
I seldom take a store clerks word for something like that until I take a good look around the place, even here in the USA.
A couple of years ago a major USA retail chain of consumer electronics eliminated most of their experienced sales staff in many of their branches, hired new or less experienced staff to reduce payroll. At the end of last year they went out of business, is it any wonder ?
An Expression I use here when I encounter a situation where the retailer seems uninterested if they want to make the sale or not I eventually make the comment " You got something against making money ? " There were times when I visited The Philippines I felt like making this comment, I stopped myself short and reminded myself " I am not in the USA ".
Hi Roy – There are lots of laws that are not followed in the Philippines. A few years ago, they made it illegal for stores to charge a surcharge for credit card use… you know what…. plenty of stores still do it. Same goes for the returns policy.
Hi Danny – It does seem to go against the grain, and I can't explain it! It is something I will probably never understand.
Hi macky – I have been through that so many times! I don't even ask for a discount anymore, I just don't buy stuff that is damaged in some way.
Hi mike – I've never even met your wife, but I like her attitude!
It is certainly strange, Bob, how they do that here. All stores similar to each other will be located next to each other! Exactly opposite of how it would be back in the States.
I'm going to go with a radical idea here but in everything I've seen Filipinos do not think like Capitolists when it comes to business or even everyday life. They think like Socialists. They don't beleive someone should be more sucessful than they are or else that person should "Share the wealth". Beacause of this their thinking is not along the lines of customer service, or trying to be the best in whatever business you have. 5 years of retail management experience means nothing over here as all thetried and true tactics to assure customer traffic in the states just doesn't seem to work here. People on the block where my business is located know my store is cheaper to buy from but they will still purchase elsewhere. Why? Maybe they don't feel like walking the distance, maybe they owe something to the other storeowner because they are friends/family. Who knows?
Hi BrSpiritus – I agree with much of what you are saying there. Using the terms Capitalism and Socialism, though, will light a bonfire of debate. They are kind of charged words. However, the "share the wealth" attitude is very much a part of the culture here.
Hi BrSpiritus & Bob – Up here in Ilocandia, there's a saying: "When it rains, everyone gets a little wet." It means that when one comes into good forture (be it money, etc.), one should share some of the good fortune with others.
Personally, I'm still waiting for the good fortune – already have plenty who want me to share it! 😉
Hi Paul – This all goes right back to my old series of articles about SIR, doesn't it? How's your booster shot holding up? 😉
Great site, glad I found it. Keep in mind Radio Shack in the USA however. I wandered in asking for some battery holders; clerk said "No we don't have those." I did some digging, and found them along with the usual electronic stuff. Seems some USA businesses are learning from the Philippines, eh?
Yes, SIR ❗
Booster working so well that even I feel a little wet from time to time! Of course, mixing all of the SIR-doms together for the booster can produce unpredicted side effects. E.g., When a couple of young boys ask me for a couple of pesos, I tell them my wife keeps all the money, I have none. If they're going to ask her, ask for a little extra – some for me, too. 😀
Hi Michael – Of course, this happens everywhere. But, in the Philippines, it is almost the norm. In the States, it is an exception.
Now THAT strategy I won't forget – "she has all the money; ask for some extra and get some for me" . . . that will be my mantra. Thanks !
Hi Spencer – Paul is a pretty tricky guy… you gotta get up early in the morning to beat him! 😉
I tend to agree with you! I researched former Prez. Cory Aquino on Wikipedia after she died, to see what kind of president she was… apparently one of the things she did while in power was to seize land from plantation owners and re-distribute it to the workers. Now, that was really disturbing to read, but keep in mind, possibly the land had previously been given to friends of Dictator Marcos, so this *could* have been a good thing… but it's not exactly encouraging to foreign investors to hear that kind of news.
in most of the business in the philippines, total quality (product and service) and customer satisfaction are not prioritized (which is really a wasteful kind of management, since if your customers (external and internal) are satisfied then that means more business for you, right?) just try to observe small-business owners. they'd rather hire all of the staff and let the staff do everything, you wouldn't rarely see the owner… very different from the western countries mindset when it comes to business and its management. I don't think it would be too easy to implement the western style of doing business since that would mean change and most people are afraid of change… the first thing that needs to be change is the attitude and mindset of the people.
Funny topic Sir BoB. It took me three days to book a ticket to Bangkok, another few days to book air tickets to Manila, from an agent in Iligan, I actually factored in the time frame. When we reached Bangkok Airport ( after a 3 hour delay with Cebu Pacific, I factored a 3 hour delay just in case, fares were cheap no problem there ), nothing was booked for the 3 week stay in Thailand. In less than 20 minutes my whole 3 weeks was organised, airplane tickets, transfers, tours, hotels to four destinations at 4am !!!. I was blown away. I found out that the difference between the Thai and the Pino is that the Thai is HUNGRY and brutally efficient. The Pino is just too laid back to care and do a good job.
Hi Boss – Things happen in their own time here in the Philippines, no doubt on that! So, you find that things happen more quickly in Thailand?
So far my 3 week stay in Thailand has been stress free and I feel like a teenager again. Yes Sir BoB, the chase for the dollar is much fiercer than the Pines. Just a totaly different mentality thats all. Thailand is just geared for the tourist. In all, two totally diferent countries and philosophies.
can u help me out? i have no job and i need money. please help me