Comment Moderation Blues
I deleted 4 comments by mistake. I thought I was clicking “Publish”, but as it turns out I wasn’t. For some reason even though I asked for comment moderation notifications to be sent to my e-mail, they haven’t been. I’ll respond to those comments here.
To Jumbie in response to my Re: Teens think the darndest things post, who said that he was surprised that Keith Smith didn’t recognize the American flavour of the questions and referenced the four seasons question to support that, I agree with you. I think he should have been a little more alert than that.
To Anonymous who commented on my Going to see the Wiz post, I think I remember you saying something about your similar experiences. I’m sorry for deleting your message, please leave it again if you stop by again. I remember agreeing with you though.
To Crankyputz, who was commenting on my Put the blame on Me - Akon post. Yes he is a thug, lol. Too bad he doesn’t matter as much as he thinks.
To Nandini, who also commented on my Going to see the Wiz post, saying that although she had love for me she couldn’t side with me on what I was saying. She also said that I should have gone up to the first available clerk and asked him up front for what I wanted. Well Nandini, I have love for you too, but I couldn’t disagree with you more. First of all, I wanted to test my theory that the Wiz on Edward street has the worst service I’ve ever had in a private business, so that’s why I purposely did not as for service. Apparently I was right.
Secondly, when I entered there was no “free” attendant. The guy at the register was helping another customer, the guy at the door was at the phone, the guy at the computer didn’t even look up when I walked into the store. Despite that, here I am in your store with over $3,000 to spend and I have to beg for service too? Nah! If I were a white guy wearing a business suit and a Rolex, you think I would have waited that long? Unfortunately I was just a young black man in street clothes. And I am not just referring to race here, I am referring to the perception of who has money in T&T and who the sales clerk will go out of their way and serve. The young guy in the work clothes that I spoke about didn’t ask for service either, and he wasn’t even in there 5 minutes when the Reader asked him if he was getting through. And even while I was still asking the Reader about the prices, brother man sat down in a chair, relaxing and reclining no tail while he answered my questions. If you want to say that it was my fault that I did not ask for service up front, that’s one thing, but I didn’t make the Reader asked the guy in the work clothes before he asked me and I didn’t make him not have the courtesy to stand up and talk to me. Without a doubt, his actions are very indicative of the management’s respect for customer service. So not a single soul could have asked me something? I came into the store with money to spend and no cared to acknowledge me.
The thing is that there are scores of businesses in T&T that deal in computers and because of that the Wiz has to realize is that they are not doing me a favour, it’s the other way around. And I will not sit up and beg for attention. The Wiz is a business that depends on its customers, they don’t have the comfort of deciding who and who they will serve. But I as a consumer do have that choice. If you have some time, read the article Sanjiva gave, it speaks about how American businesses were able to compete against Japanese business by focusing on customer service. If you come to Trinidad anytime I want you to call b-Mobile or Digicel customer service and see how beautifully the CR reps speak to you. And it’s not because they are all pleasant creatures. It’s because they know they’re not the only kids in town. They know that they have to treat their customers like royalty for fear of losing them. You live in foreign right? And you know how it is in most American stores, they say hi to you when you walk into the store, they ask you if you need any help, they actually help you and then when you’re being cashed out, they ask you if you found everything ok. I’m not asking the clerks at the Wiz to shine my shoes, or bring me coffee or even tell me hi when I walk into dey bleddy store, but damn it, just ask me what I need so I can go along my merry way.
Also I have an update for this story. I was telling my cousin about this and the exact same thing happened to him at the Wiz. He is an IT teacher at a denominational school and last year he walked in there with the intention of buying 15 computers (yes, 15 computers) on his school’s behalf and he just stood there and waited and waited and when he realized that no one was taking him one he walked out. That to me is the consumer realizing their own power. I don’t know whose fault it was that day, but regardless of whose it was, The Wiz lost a ton of money that day. I’m sorry but I refuse to accept any blame for that whatsoever.
13 Responses to “Comment Moderation Blues”
By Jumbie on Jun 25, 2007 | Reply
heh, heh, hope you ent delete this….
I know Hi-Touch Systems have good service. Also PC Clinic in P/town. Tell Jimmy (the owner) his friend in England recommend you. I’m sure he will be glad to go an extra length.
By The TriniGourmet on Jun 26, 2007 | Reply
power 2 da mani!
By Colonise This! on Jun 26, 2007 | Reply
I really don’t see how YOU are to be blamed for expecting good service.
It seems obvious to me that some serious customer training needs to take place to shift attitudes and create a model of what is expected and what good customer service is … because everybody does not have home training.
One of the things I have to say for the USA and Britain, when it comes to taking your money they are A+ in service. I’m not saying that the occasional problem doesn’t crop up, but what I am saying is that they understand why they are at work.
jumbie … I feel he deleting dem on purpose and den tell we foolishness ’bout he thought he was pressing publish …LMAO
By Mani on Jun 26, 2007 | Reply
lol, thanks jumbie…jeez, I can’t remember the last time I was down P/town….donkey years now.
Trinigourmet, power to me.
Colonise This, I don’t understand either. Store owners in T&T have forgotten one basic tenet of business: the customer is always right. And anyone who keeps me waiting for 45 minutes just does not deserve my business. Oh gosh gyul, yuh know me eh go do that, lol.
By ed on Jun 26, 2007 | Reply
I think you guys are being too general in your estimation of service in the US. I’ve had a lot of crappy experiences at stores in the tri-state area, usually at big retailers that make no effort to motivate their employees. The Best Buy in Chelsea and the Target in Brooklyn are prime offenders. And don’t even get me started on the phone service for banks, wireless providers, and cable providers (all of whom have limited competition and sticky customers). My experiences there have a high tendency to be abysmal.
Now, I agree that service in the US is (much!) better than in Trinidad on average. It’s just that it’s dangerous to generalize.
At any rate, the crappy customer service indicates one of two things: (1) there is a big opportunity for an enterprising person with a good sense of good service or (2) the bulk of the Trinidadian public doesn’t care much about good service.
By Afro Chic on Jun 26, 2007 | Reply
Mani, You REAL REAL REAL REAL REAL good tuh stand up fuh FORTY FIVE WHOLE MINUTES tuh wait fuh somebody to take you money from you.
Yuh either REAL good or a glutton fuh punishment.
But I’ve had a similar experience (not 45 minutes long though) by that same establishment.
By Crankyputz on Jun 26, 2007 | Reply
Yeah I have to side with Colonise on Yuh ‘accidentally deleting four comments.’
I had the same experience buying my laptop, i had money to spend, but because I didn’t look like the stereotypical rich shopper, I didn’t get served….I’m surprised you waited, I know I took my money elsewhere, infact I went to four different places before someone took me seriously…
By D Trini in Me on Jun 27, 2007 | Reply
Can’t understand why you have to look a certain way to get good treatment in Trinidad. WHY???? And the people they rushing to attend to keeping them out of they high class parties and circles, and won’t even give them a second look on the road.
And you when they migrate to the States and work the same jobs somehow they accidently learn customer service right away.
By Mani on Jun 28, 2007 | Reply
Well Ed, it may very well be that I am over generalizing. But I lived in the midwest for a number of years and I can only recall a couple instances where the customer service was less than stellar. The experience could be different for others.
Afro Chic, well I knew that at some point I was going to blog about this so I wanted to stand there beyond what was necessary just to show how ridiculous the situation is. So I think I was a glutton for punishment in some respect.
Nah man, cranky, yuh know I is not of dat, lol. Didn’t you blog about that laptop experience? I remember reading it.
DTrini in me, I doh know nah, to tell you the truth. They probably don’t want to make any money.
By ed on Jun 28, 2007 | Reply
Mani, I think that the Midwest and the Northeast are different stories when it comes to service (as with most other things).
But actually, on second thought, most of my bad experiences up here tend to be incompetence (to be blunt), which isn’t really the same thing as the rudeness you’re complaining about.
By TriniObserver on Jul 2, 2007 | Reply
No, Ed. Don’t ding the Northeast.
I live there and it is just fine (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachussetts and Vermont).
Also–and this might raise some hackles–but in some African-American and Latino (also West-Indian of all types who live here) metro areas, the service can be spotty as well.
I went into a store in Mid-Florida once (admittledly after a hurricane), and was treated to a loud “What do you want?” in my left ear from a Hispanic woman.
I walked out.
I also remember an “attendant” on the DC Metro who refused to help a friend of mine while chatting away on the phone. She actually got angry. She must have thought she was put in the kiosk to look pretty.
So, I think it’s a tri-State and Southern thing.
Everyone (black, white, green) appears to be normal in New England. (Hehe…)
By Taurean on Jul 9, 2007 | Reply
Mani, I’d have to agree with yuh on this… Particularly with the Wizz and generally service in Trinidad (can’t really remember my Tobago experiences so well). When you go to the Wizz you almost feel like yuh sprangin’ to get some ‘puter parts, but that’s not remotely disconnected from myriad of other business establishments in Trinidad that treat customers like a “hastle” they have to go out of their way to “handle” so they could go back to their normal duties - which, ironically, usually has something to do with getting ready to serve the next customer! - go figure. Other places that treat customers equally vagrantish… Banks, Car Dealerships (local and foreign used), Cell phone retailers etc. I’ve had this conversation recently with co-workers who expressed similar disgust and several stories of poor, no crappy service and I wonder, how can we change the mentality?
By Karabana on Jul 9, 2007 | Reply
Heya Mani, it was my Akon’s a thug comment you deleted, bc I remember not seeing it & thinking huh?, thought I commented. Now I see wha gwan, no worries, I see tired trolls have targeted your blog. Hope all is well in T’dad today.