Going to see the Wiz
The last time I ventured into The Wiz computers on Edward Street I was summarily ignored. All I wanted was 40′ of crossover cable and to go along my merry way, except the store attendants had no way of knowing that since none of them ever asked me what I needed. You would think that the sight of a lone man standing awkwardly in their store would have convinced a store clerk to ask me if i was being helped – maybe it would have encouraged him to let me know that he was going to be right with me. You might even be so adventurous to think that the two store clerks playing Doom on the PCs would have paused the game in favour of making a sale. However, I have to admit that from the time I walked in there, the clerks took a keen interest in ignoring me. I was dodged, sidestepped and my eye contact unsolicited.
Twenty minutes into the whole thing I began deliberately standing in the way. The way I saw it, a regular man has a maximum of one superpower. Either he was invisible or immaterial, but not both. I made my wager and stood in the way, and I was partially right.
No one asked me to get out of the way and no one asked me to step aside, but people did bump into me. I was glad for the discovery, but I still badly needed my crossover cable. Plus, after 35 minutes of standing in one spot, I was beginning to get restless. In addition to this, finding another store that sold crossover cable cut to my specifications meant walking over to Frederick street and hunting for one.
I resorted to flagging down a dreadlocked clerk, but he was busy helping a woman who came just 2 minutes ago so I had to wait 10 minutes. Eventually he came, said “Yeah meh boy?” and I was able to ask for my cable. Surprisingly in the world of The Wiz, measuring, cutting and crimping 40′ of cable takes almost half an hour. Being the Trini I was, I happily took the cable and left the store – feeling as I left that I had worked harder than the clerk to get. After an experience like that it’s hard not to feel demoralized as a consumer as well as a little ashamed of oneself for spending money at a store that ignores you till you sit up and beg.
You may think that I was a glutton for punishment if I told you that I went back to the Wiz yesterday for the first time since that last cable-hunting episode, and you’d be partially right. This time I was in the market for a printer – and not just any old printer, but a good colour laser printer. Anyone knows that a laser printer can leave a dent in your wallet, but I had done my research and I was prepared for it. Sometimes there is a little bit of insanity in Trinidad when it comes to pricing. Of course, looking around is the hard and fast rule when it comes to saving, but sometimes I’m not ready for what that brings. One place had the printer for $3000, another place in Trincity had it for $3,500 and an ad in the Sunday Guardian had the printer for $3,999. I don’t know about you, but I am human, and I wasn’t going to spend more money than I had to because of pride. And besides, denial about my previous experience was already starting to set in and somehow I remembered the store being busier, and the dreadlocked clerk a little more harried than I gave him credit for. In any case I wanted to test my theory that it was a one-off experience and I shouldn’t try to typify the store on the basis of that one experience – that would be stereotyping and stereotyping’s wrong. So off to see the Wiz.
I walk into the store and there is one middle-aged guy standing at the register while one clerk tries to ring him up. There is another clerk seated by a desk by the door talking on a phone. There is a third behind the counter looking hard at work on a computer, he is the only one who doesn’t look up when I come through the door. Best of all, the computers that were on display are no longer there so at least those can’t be used against me. So I stand and I wait and I wait. I decide that I’m going to give them ample time to redeem themselves, so while I I won’t try to flag anyone down, I was going to try to make eye contact with one of the clerks. So I wait and I wait. I’m standing close to the guy getting rung up because I figure that he’ll be soon on his way and I’ll be next in line. Not so. For some reason the retard at the register can’t seem to ring the man up. Soon after I come in, he (the customer) tells the man that he has someone waiting on him in the car, so I assume he’s been there for a while. But that doesn’t seem to help because I believe he’s still there standing at the counter with his items by the time I leave.
Next a couple comes in looking at the digital cameras, the guy who was on the computer actually attends to them and goes into the back to get a few printouts of camera specifications. Now that his concentration is broken, does he attend to me? Wrong again. He goes back to his computer. Another clerk comes out of the back room and glances at me, but decides to pick up a copy of the Express instead and sits behind the counter to catch up on his reading. So I stand there looking at the man, not because I ‘m trying to make eye contact, but because I’m in disbelief. Tow other guys emerge from the back room and announce to the clerk wrangling with the cash register that they were going for lunch. At this point I’ve been standing there for over a half hour and I wonder if this is some joke being played on me.
A few minutes later the clerk puts down his paper and picks up his cell phone and starts text-messaging. When he’s done with that, he gets up and starts wandering around the store. Yes. All the while yuh boy still stand up there. He reaches a stool by the door and sits there. Then another young would-be customer in work clothes comes into the store and starts looking around. Would you believe Mr. Reader asks him if he “getting through”? They proceed to have a mini conversation and then the guy leaves. Clerk resumes his spot on the stool. It’s been well over 45 minutes now and middle aged guy at the cash register is steupsing now as his items are still unbagged and spread out on the counter. Actually he has begun to look outside as if he’s thinking about leaving. I start thinking how nice it would be if I were a bandit who could rob this store on principle – but that would be wrong. Plus it would me silly to rob an establishment where the register hasn’t been functioning.
It’s been well over 45 minutes now and I have decided to leave. But hark! Mr. Reader makes eye contact with me and nods his head towards me (he doesn’t even have the courtesy to speak or even apologise for my wait). I think, “you know what, I’ll just go ahead and ask my questions”. But alas, Mr. Reader doesn’t know jack. Everything I ask him, he relays to Faizal (which turns out to be the name of the register-wrangler).
Me: You all have any all-in-one laser printers?
Him: Nah.
Me: So what about this one over here?
Him: Oh ho! Faizal, how much for this all-in-one here?
Faizal: $6,800
Me: (That’s way over my budget) What other laser printers allyuh have?
Him: Those there (points to a wall piled high with printers).
At this point, I figure if he doesn’t know the prices of the printers he’s not going to know specs. So I decide to take down model numbers and prices just in case. Every time I asked Mr. Reader the price of a printer, he called Faizal. What’s the price of this one? Faizal! And what about that one? Faizal! I began to think that Faizal was some ghost who was being summoned by Mr. Reader the clairvoyant. I wanted to to ask the clairvoyant if I could just talk to Faizal directly, but Faizal was just about to lose a sale and I didn’t want to bother him. To make things worse, Mr. Reader has the worst etiquette of any sales clerk I have ever met. He sits and reclines on a chair while I am talking to him and really doesn’t show an interest in helping me even after telling him I am in the market for a pricey laser printer.
After I take down four prices, I open the door and leave the store without saying thank you. Thanks for what? Here I am coming to spend money in your store and not a single person attends to me? No one notices me? Is it that I didn’t look like I had any money? Why is it that customer service in Trinidad has to be so poor? Needless to say, I was disgusted and disappointed with the experience and I will never again set foot in any branch of The Wiz Computers again.
P.S. – My friend Andy that he still has one up on me. He was ignored at a kiosk at Trincity Mall. How do you get ignored at a kiosk, you ask? I’m sure there are other methods, but this one is proven. Stand in line while one clerk helps the customer before you. The other clerk will sit so that she can’t see you. When the first clerk is done with the customer she will pick up her cell phone and begin talking leaving you unattended. Stand there and look blankly, but don’t make any sudden movements. Presto!
The pressure I was under previously has now subsided, so I am back full time. Those who have e-mailed me, please expect responses soon. You will notice that I was forced to enable comment moderation. Forgive me for that, I just had to do it after some recent episodes – there are some people who just don’t get it.
19 Responses to “Going to see the Wiz”
By ttfootball on Jun 19, 2007 | Reply
well you ha REAL patience boy! Lawd!!
Glad to see you back, I have had trouble gettign to my blog recently as well…hopefully I can improve soon haha
By TriniObserver on Jun 19, 2007 | Reply
Oh. I just can’t wait to get back to Trinidad. I think I’ll explode. Have you ever been to New England, Mani?
How bad will the culture shock be for me? I have completely forgotten what bad customer service is.
By Colonise This! on Jun 19, 2007 | Reply
LOL!!! Pooor ting!!!
Reading this was very enlightening for me. First it told me what a nice, peaceful courteous guy you are. Sweet!!!
Secondly, it reminded me what an aggressive hot headed witch I am. I used to be like you though … before I moved to New York City. Now if I have to wait for 10 seconds for anything I am ready to rip somebody’s head off. Dem and me wadda get way up in dat store!!!
What they need is some shock treatment. Wake them up a bit. Remind them that the customers are paying their salaries. Seems as though they’ve forgotten that oh so vital fact.
I understand though why you go back. Sometimes one just doesn’t have the time to run from pillar to post to find the most basic things and other times there’s not enough competition around to enable you to go somewhere else.
Btw …$6800 FOR A PRINTER!!! What is it made of platinum and diamonds?
By D Trini in Me on Jun 20, 2007 | Reply
Mani could you hear me LOL?
Like the clock was saying midnight and somehow that made their vision blury or boy you related to crystal clear.
But ah know how yuh feeling. I does say it over and over customer service in trinidad is the WORST, THE WORST and everytime I make a visit that is my biggest complaint (well that and the traffic). I reach a point now I don’t even bother to stress myself out.
Wish they will send all of them, not only the ones in the stores, but the banks, the restaurants, the gov’t office to mandortory customer service training.
-May I help you sir/miss?
-Did you find out you were looking for today?
-If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask?
-As soon as I attend to this customer I will help you.
-I could go check and see if we have it in stock or if one of our other branches has it?
Did you find everything you were looking for today?
-Thank you for your business, please come again.
Is this to hard to ask for or to do?
By Dirk Dagger on Jun 20, 2007 | Reply
Mani, I thought it was only me yes. Every time I go to get something in the Wizz I am deliberately ignored. I think that must be where the name comes from. The attendants just whizz past you. I hate going into that store. The only reason I go there is because I have a reseller account and sometimes I need to get stuff that my other suppliers don’t have. Other than that I not setting foot in there.
P.S. If you still looking for that printer, contact me and I could hook you up with a good price.
By Jumbie on Jun 20, 2007 | Reply
When I lived in Trinidad, I worked as a computer technician (for myself) and I dealt almost solely with the Wiz in Pt Lisas. The manager there at the time was Rodney and his service was exceptional. I’m not sure he is there now.
I am surprised that you had such an experience at PoS, but rumours have it that the service at the San Fernando branch stunk as well. Hence my bi-weekly drive to Rodney.
My condolences brother.
As an aside, I use a HP laserjet for my black (text) printing and an HP Photosmart for my photos. You may want to look at this option since the Photosmart comes with multiple camera-card readers. And it’s a lot cheaper than a colour laserjet. (I prefer HP, been using HP printing products for over 10 years without problems).
By The TriniGourmet on Jun 20, 2007 | Reply
faizal… lolz!
that’s why skybox + visa + amazon makes for a happy trinigourmet
… we can only hope that enough of these ‘consumer reports’ all around will eventually make a dent in these establishments perceptions of themselves and their customers…
By Mani on Jun 20, 2007 | Reply
Allyuh, ah still learning this comment moderation thing. I thought I would at least get an e-mail saying I had comments or something. Only when I went to my Dashboard this morning did I see I had 9 new comments. Sorry Dey.
ttfootball, thanks, it’s good to be back. Well gyul, it was a mixture of patience and disbelief yes. I can’t take too much credit.
Triniobserver, well you are in for a surprise, lol. Never been to New England, I hung out in the Midwest. But when you do get your first instance of culture shock, you will wish again for NE. It made me pine for the Midwest again.
Colonise This, lol, well as I told ttfootball, it was a mixture of courtesy and disbelief and soI think I was a little like a manicou in the headlights. Gyul, I think you too are in line for some shock treatment whenever you return. But yeah they do need some shock treatment, and of course the only way to get to them is through their pockets – hence why I’ll no longer shop there. But yes, there’s not very much competiton to speak about and a lot of them are too out of the way for me. LOL, the $6,800 printer was a business model….overpriced to be sure.
D Trini, i think ah hear yuh faintly yes, lol. But yes, Customer Service in Trinidad is the worst. You see them questions you ask there? That is too foreign to them. They do need some training.
LOL, Dirk, true that. I never thought about that before. But no is not only you. I dreaded going into it the second time and I won’t ever go again. I will let you know if I need that deal.
Jumbie, boy, the experience is terrible, and from what Dirk says, it’s not just me. But it’s ok, I now what what I must do. I have a HP Photosmart printer too – my sis bought it for me for my last birthday, but I still need a real printer. I will consider a monochrome printer, though.
Trinigourmet, I have a skybox too, lol – it is a lifesaver. The only reason why I didn’t want to use it for the printer was because they all seem so heavy and I know that it was going to cost me an arm and a leg to ship. But looking at the prices in Trinidad, I think I may have to go that route.
By ttfootball on Jun 20, 2007 | Reply
Weeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyy, more than one person keep going back there?! Nah it musbe have some obeah in dat store dat keep drawing allyuh back LOL
Theres the option to receive an email every time somebody comments
By boysieringo on Jun 20, 2007 | Reply
Try sending a letter/note to the owner. I’ve had someone on another blog tell me that the poor clerk could “lorse dey wuk” because of my better service crusade. My hope is that CS will indeed improve some day.
By Anonymous on Jun 21, 2007 | Reply
I not go to Dymond Systems in Elersie. Their prices and service seem Ok.
By Anonymous on Jun 21, 2007 | Reply
I know how you feel, having to spend your money when, as the customer, you seem to be the one making the sale, and then that sinking feeling when you find that you have to go back to the same place to get something else.
My experience is that good customer service in something that is sorely lacking back home. Walk into a store and you are either completely ignored, or someone silently stalks you as you walk around. Try this: walk around a clothes rack several times. Don’t pick up anything, just for fun, make a few laps. The clerk follows you, on evey lap. They don’t realize you are having them on. No attempt is made to ask if you wish to be served. No question on why you just made fifteen laps of a clothes rack that had only two shirts on it. Dead silence until, to the clerk’s relief, you walk out of the store.
An extreme, and outrageous, example of poor customer service happened when my fiancee (who is not Trini) and I visited a government office a couple of years ago. The receptionist announced she was on strike, because her cubicle had a bad odour and she was unable to function in it. Everyone else in the open plan office was working, apparently immune to the alleged odour. None of the people visiting there could smell anything. The receptionist picked up her cell phone shouted to all the visitors that she was not working, “ah on strike”, and she walked outside to make a phone call. My fiancee could not understand her (the receptionist) dialect and I had to explain to her what was going on. I’m sure the other foreigners who were present could not understand what was going on either. Then we found ourselves unable to conduct any business there because we first had to make an appointment, “go see de receptionist and she will give you ah time.”
“But de lady outside on she phone, she on strike!”
“Eh?”
“Look through de glass door, she right out dey on she phone. All dese people waiting and dey eh understand what goin’ on.”
“All yuh go have to come back tomorrow den.”
My fiancee and everyone else there were horrified by the display and there seem to be no one senior either able or willing to hold the receptionist accuntable for anabdoning her post and essentially bringing the business of the office to a halt. It was a derelction of duty by the receptionist and her supervisors.
And if the receptionist is the sole occupant of the cubicle, where did the smell originate anyay?
However I should balance this by mentioning that the customer service we received earlier this year at the Ministry of Legal Affaris was exceptional. The security guards, receptionist and workers there were very professional and friendly.
Trini Down Under
By trish on Jun 21, 2007 | Reply
I don’t know about you but use of a video camera phone would be priceless in circumstances like this. You could air the footage on westindian tube or whatever and title it “Service at the Wiz”. I guarantee that corporate would be changing things around. Two years ago I was at Baruch college in NY where I had to visit a particular office. My Mom and I approached the door to a small reception area (keep in mind that the door and walls are made of glass). We could see the three receptionists observe us as we approach the door. We opened the door, said good morning and they pointedly began to ignore us. One pretended to read a book, the other began eating something behind her desk and the other became engrossed in the desk computer. This wouldn’t be so laughable if the office wasn’t in fact small and my Mom and I were standing directly in front of the desk. After trying a few “excuse me” in a polite tone they appeared to come out of their reverie and asked in a surprised tone (as if we materialized out of thin air) about what they could do for us. The whole thing would be so comical if it weren’t so deplorable. Sad to say the receptionists appeared to be two Trinidadians and one girl of indeterminable West Indian origin. I’ve been in the US for a few years and like what someone earlier commented I forgot about what bad service was like but those three girls made me feel right at home.
By Lilandra on Jun 21, 2007 | Reply
so it’s not just the wiz in point lisas like that?
good to know
*sigh*
By Anonymous on Jun 22, 2007 | Reply
I was reading about your experience and felt compelled to reply! I am a student studying in the U.S. I have only been here for 2 years now, but I am never going to be the same. Good customer service has gotten a hold on me! I have been spoiled! When I came home for Christmas, and to get those disgusted looks for those young girls overpopulating those clothing stores and such, I was so sickened. They would audibly steups! I can’t believe it! And all I did was ask where the pants were! Is the attitude. The gum chewin’, skin-up-face, wha’ de ass do he? kinda attiutde that I can’t stand! Oh gosh! If I ever migrate. i think this would be the sole reason: Customer Service!
By Sanjiva on Jun 25, 2007 | Reply
Article in the Express yesterday: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_opinion?id=161166966
By Mani on Jun 26, 2007 | Reply
Thanks ttfootball, I turned it on.
Boysieringo, well let them lorse they wuk yes, me eh business. But I did think about calling the manager.
Thanks for the tip Anonymous 8:31.
Anonymous 9:10 aka Trini Down Under, oh loss boy, tell me that didn’t happen. I hope your fiancee wasn’t scared for life. What makes it even worse is how easily her coworkers accept her strike and tell you to come back tomorrow.
Trish that did run through my mind, but they also have cameras at the Wiz ant I think I would have been thrown out had I been observed filming. I need to get myself one of those hidden camera glasses.
But Lilandra, this is an epidemic?
Anonymous 5:17, doh get spoil over there yuh know, cuz when yuh come back here is pressha, lol. Honestly, I think store managers need to employ better hiring practices.
Thanks for the link Sanjiva!
By TriniFOX on Oct 16, 2007 | Reply
There is ah place on Ciprani Blvd near the Savannah (InterPC I think) go there. People real nice and friendly. Keep yuh receipt, yuh have manufacturer’s warranty on yuh goods. I have good friends who worked in the WIZZ and one of them was a ‘manager’ and I still had to go through the being ignored process until one day I get fed up, and ah walk in the back and found what I wanted and take it out front. They get real vex.
By Ah Not Drunk on Jan 24, 2009 | Reply
I know this comment kinda late…but I used to have those experiences there too.
Now, I eh taking dat and let them know.
Don’t stand up and wait for help. You can’t expect them to know anything about customer service..Whether they sell you or not they still get paid.
I go to the first store clerk I see and say almost loudly, “allyuh have ah vga to dvi converter!” If I get no response I ask, “Boy wha’s you name…Is you I talking to!”
Politeness is wasted on these folks. They don’t know how to respond to it so they simply don’t. Its not their fault. Perhaps they were adopted.
If you still get no or bad service take out you cell phone and call the store in front of the errant clerk and ask to speak to the manager.
Customer service is a recurring problem because less evolved people confuse service with servitude or slavery. So they think that being nice to someone lowers their sense of self-worth. Sometimes, some believe that only a customer who is willing to make himself heard is important enough to be assisted. Everyone else is just browsing.
When you go into stores like this just look around and adjust to the environment.
Speak their kind of language.