TRC Customer Service Tips: Tip #1

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"Customers are king" and so they say. It is probably true but it does not mean it gives the regular consumer the right to act like a king especially when s/he's out of place. But an irritated & irked customer can hurt your business especially when s/he knows how to blog! (The power of 'ink' now translated to power of the blog!) :)

As a consumer, I am reasonable. I appreciate good products & service and am willing to pay a premium for such. But I also speak my mind when I am not treated right.

TRC Customer Service Tip #1:

Do not answer the phone when a customer is right in front of you. The customer in front of you is more important than the phone.

This is supposed to be common sense.  Even if you're the telephone operator and it is your job to answer the phone, do not answer the phone when a customer is right in front of you especially when s/he is in the middle of talking to you. If you really have to, listen to the customer first and courteously excuse your self and say you need to answer the call. Do not just pick up the phone while the customer in front of you is talking especially when you're in the front line and answering the phone is the least of your job.

The sound of the ringing phone maybe is annoying or cannot be ignored, the reason why most people answer a ringing phone with urgency (even when driving!). But consider that the person in front of you went all his way, exerted time & effort to go to your office personally to deal with you & your company -- that is way more valuable than a person calling on the phone.

So the next time you're in a situation where a customer is in front of you and the phone is ringing at the same time, prioritise the customer in front of you. He is way more important than a ringing phone!

Watch out for more TRC Customer Service Tips!

Just Another Cebu Pacific (Horror) Story!

The recent brouhaha involving the now infamous Raymart & Claudine and the equally infamous Mon Tulfo at the NAIA Terminal 3 has probably died down. It has generated polarizing reactions from all sides. TRC has nothing to do with show business but I believe the root of all this chaos is something that has to do with TRC -- Cebu Pacific!

I guess I didn't need to detail the root of the commotion on that fateful day but it has something to do with Barretto's lost baggage from a Cebu Pacific Caticlan flight in which Barretto and company were passengers. Cebu Pacific issued a statement and explanation of what happened to the baggage in its Twitter account. Even before I read CebuPac's statement, I already know that the reason has something to do with the flight's safety so I was with CebuPac on this one.

However, what CebuPac failed to do was to inform the affected passengers either while on air through the pilot-ground communications system and as soon as the flight landed T3. The passengers had the right to know (and not kept them waiting). So Barretto getting mad at the ground crew was probably understandable BUT cursing the poor staff for the inefficiency of the company she works for is below the belt. But that's another story and I don't intend to touch on that here.

I had been flying Cebu Pacific (alhough not exclusively) for my domestic & international flights since perhaps its maiden voyage but I have stopped flying CebuPac recently until it has resolved its issues since I, too, became a victim of its indiscriminate policies!

CebuPacific Palpak:

On April 10, after spending Holy Week in my husband's hometown in Davao City with my six-month-old son, I and my son were booked on a Cebu Pacific flight 5J962 to Manila that leaves Davao at 6.20am (according to my e-ticket). My son & I arrived the airport an hour before but the long queue to the x-ray machine kept us in the line for quite some time. As soon as the baggage scanning was over, I hurriedly ran (armed with my 8kg baby in a baby carrier in front of me) to the check-in counter only to find out it was already closed for the 5J962 flight. We were there at the counter at exactly 5.25am, 55minutes before my flight. We were refused check-in despite being on-time. The ground crew said the flight was at 6.15am which contradicts with my e-ticket that says 6.20am. There were two other ladies who came at the same time I did and who were also denied check-in. Indeed in their e-ticket, it says 6.15am.

But it was 6.20am in my e-ticket and I NEVER received any new ticket or email/text/call advise that the flight was moved 5 minutes earlier (isn't that the purpose of the contact information passengers provide when they buy their air ticket?). They closed the gate early (much earlier than the allowable 45 minutes before the flight time) to give way to chance passengers whom CebuPac can milk since a chance passenger ticket is expensive! To add insult to the injury, I paid FULL FARE for my and my son's ticket. It was even more expensive than PAL's but I had to take it because I had a 9am meeting and PAL's & Airphil's flight arrival time did not fit my schedule. 

The ground crew insisted I needed to rebook my flight. And since I was on full fare, I needed not to buy a new ticket but a rebooking fee of P1,620 applied. This irked my husband & I even more since I made it to the 45-minutes-before-the-flight check-in rule and it wasn't our fault that they gave away my seat to chance passenger. It was already boarding time at that point, I could hear the announcement. I think the ground crew purposely took so much time checking the system so my baby & I could miss that flight!

Realising we won't stand back (why would we? We were right!), the personnel in charge offered to book my baby & I for FREE on the next available flight which was after 4 hours! CebuPac, without consideration, made a six-month-old baby wait for four hours in the airport because it is simply greedy & disorganized. Worst of all, there was no compensation, not even a simple apology!

My baby & I took the flight 4 hours after because it was my right to be given FREE flight after what they did. Of course, I missed the meeting! The cost of my time, waiting for 4 hours, was more expensive that the full fare I paid. I could've sued CebuPac for that and demanded compensation 1) for my lost time, 2) for lost opportunity due to the missed meeting, and 3) for the physical, emotional, & mental stress. Then again I realised I'd be wasting my time even more on a company that does not put its clients' welfare first.

So I decided on a more logical thing to do and boycott CebuPac until it cleans up its act.

Updated PNR Train Schedule

March of last year, I tried the PNR Metro Commuter train to Divisoria and I wrote about that experience here.

Then I received requests to post the PNR Train Schedule and Fares which I did here and that page generated the most number of views in my blog. I'm thankful and I hope I helped you in one way or another!

Then a few weeks back, I decided to take the PNR train once more from Sucat to Magallanes station to avoid the rush-hour traffic in SLEX & EDSA. Unfortunately, I missed the train by just a few minutes and I couldn't afford to wait for the next one. I realised then that I haven't updated that information on the PNR Metro Commuter train schedule since the original post.

So here it is, for those who are looking for and are needing that information (like I did). Schedule lifted from the PNR Metro Commuter website. Kindly verify with the nearest PNR station or allow a few minutes of allowance so you don't miss the train.

NORTHBOUND

Train No.	Route		Departure
202		Binan -- Tutuban	5:20
102		Alabang -- Tutuban	6:05
104	*	Alabang -- Tutuban	6:35
106		Alabang -- Tutuban	7:05
108	*	Alabang -- Tutuban	7:35
110		Alabang -- Tutuban	8:05
112	*	Alabang -- Tutuban	8:35
114		Alabang -- Tutuban	9:05
116	*	Alabang -- Tutuban	9:35
118		Alabang -- Tutuban	10:05
120	*	Alabang -- Tutuban	10:35
122		Alabang -- Tutuban	11:05
124		Alabang -- Tutuban	12:05 PM
126		Alabang -- Tutuban	1:05
128		Alabang -- Tutuban	2:05
130		Alabang -- Tutuban	3:05
132	*	Alabang -- Tutuban	3:35
134		Alabang -- Tutuban	4:05
136	*	Alabang -- Tutuban	4:35
138		Alabang -- Tutuban	5:05
140	*	Alabang -- Tutuban	5:35
142		Alabang -- Tutuban	6:05
144	*	Alabang -- Tutuban	6:35
146		Alabang -- Tutuban	7:05

NOTE: Train No. with * (ASTERISK) sign cancelled during Sundays and Holidays.

SOUTHBOUND

Train No.	Route		Departure
101		Tutuban -- Alabang	5:05
103	*	Tutuban -- Alabang	5:35
105		Tutuban -- Alabang	6:05
107	*	Tutuban -- Alabang	6:35
109		Tutuban -- Alabang	7:05
111	*	Tutuban -- Alabang	7:35
113		Tutuban -- Alabang	8:05
115	*	Tutuban -- Alabang	8:35
117		Tutuban -- Alabang	9:05
119	*	Tutuban -- Alabang	9:35
121		Tutuban -- Alabang	10:05
123		Tutuban -- Alabang	11:05
125	*	Tutuban -- Alabang	12:05 PM
127		Tutuban -- Alabang	1:05
129		Tutuban -- Alabang	2:05
131		Tutuban -- Alabang	2:35
133		Tutuban -- Alabang	3:05
135	*	Tutuban -- Alabang	3:35
137		Tutuban -- Alabang	4:05
139	*	Tutuban -- Alabang	4:35
141		Tutuban -- Alabang	5:05
143	*	Tutuban -- Alabang	5:35
145		Tutuban -- Alabang	6:05
201		Tutuban -- Binan	6:45

NOTE: Train No. with * (ASTERISK) sign cancelled during Sundays and Holidays.

SOURCE: PNR Metro Commuter website

Disclaimer: TRC is not responsible for inaccurate information. Kindly verify the schedule with the nearest PNR Metro Commuter Station.

Our Clubhouse's Reply to my Complain

A few days ago, I wrote about our condo's clubhouse's refusal to let me and my six-month-old baby use the swimming pool at 7 am here. I sent the clubhouse manager a formal letter of complain to reconsider the rule and to report the discourteousness displayed by the pool cleaner. Gladly, the site administrator replied with a formal letter as well. Here's the full excerpt of the letter in response to mine: 

 "This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 10, 2012, forwarded regarding Aqua park operating hours and Pool Attendant behavior.

Please be advised that we are in the process of requesting approval from the management to extend he operating hours of our swimming pool from 9:00am to 6:00pm to 9:00am to 8:00pm.

For the meantime, we allowed residents to swim as early as 7:00am who are doing lapses as part of their exercises on the other side only so not to (sic) hamper the cleaning of pool (sic).

Rest assured that that (sic) the management will take necessary action on the concerned staff and will continue to do personnel orientation. Your suggestions to improve further our services will be higly appreciated.

Very truly yours,

Site Administrator (signed)

Noted By:

Estate and Towers Operations Manager (signed)

Well, I haven't tried swimming at 7 am again for fear of being rejected once more. But will definitely try to swim past 6pm just to see if the request has been granted. 

I was ready to send a letter everyday (as I promised in my letter to them) until they act on the issue. Good thing they did reply and it appeased me :) Sometimes all it takes is a courteous reply or reognition of the complain like to this to appease the regular consumer! .

Dulcelin Gourmet's Mango Torte

I have sweet tooth and to say 'I love desserts' is an understatement. In buffets, I do not eat much so I can ransack the dessert table or I'd have dessert first before the appetiser and the main course.

At home, I have to have dessert for every meal even if it's just a piece of 'Chocnut' (local peanut chocolate candy) or fruit. Mango, of course, is my favourite fruit. So imagine my excitement when I saw in a lifestyle TV program the heavenly Mango Torte from Dulcelin.

The TV program featured the 'production house' of Dulcelin in West Triangle QC. And since I live in the South and wasn't familiar with the North, I went online and secretly wished Dulcelin has a delivery service. Well, at that time, there was none but to my sweet tooth's joy, I can buy it in Alabang!

I drove myself to the address given in the website. I called prior to my visit, of course, to check on availability and to reserve two small cakes. The person at the other line informed me she can only sell me one because the rest were already reserved so I agreed anyway. The images of the succulent ripe  mangoes and rich whipped cream topping I saw on TV were still vivid in my mind so I hungrily and greedily said 'Yes, I'll take it!'

The road to my Mango Torte was not easy. The location of the beaten up residential structure that housed Dulcelin's Mango Torte in Ayala Alabang was not easy to locate. But, ah, it was worth it. I happily paid P650 for a small box and drove away.

I went home with this:

I gave it as a present to my Dad, which explains the card.

And opened the box and was presented with this:

I thought I would be disappointed. It may not look as visually appealing as it was described by the TV host but, oh yeah, it was THAT GOOD!

The base was crunchy and full of nuts that added to the texture of the succulent mangoes and creamy topping. It was heavenly!

I never fail to recommend this to my friends & acquaintance  whenever they think of a cake to give to a loved one or friend as birthday present. So far, they all had been converts!

Luckily, Dulcelin Mango Torte is now available at the foodcourt of Glorietta 4 and in these other
locations:

36 Times Street, West Triangle, Q.C. Tel. 374-2165 or 67, 0917 535-25920917 519-8822

Delicacies Village Tiendesitas,Pasig Tel. 0917 810-2288

Food Choices, Glorietta, Makati Tel. 0917 519-2288

11 Garfield Street, Greenhills West Village, San Juan  Tel. 584-2185

324 Cadena de Amor St., Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa  0916-3827892

81 Ramona Tirona St. BF Homes Paranaque Tel. 807-8312 , 0917 532-2573

Pelican Fresh Store, Market! Market! Mall, Taguig Tel. 889-6696

Tea Republic at Pacific Star Bldg.& Enterprise Center , Makati Tel. 848-0270 Location Source: Dulcelin website

Use Your Amenities Now...or NOT

The incident that took place very early this morning at our clubhouse in our residential condomium South of Metro Manila ruined my entire day!

Every day, I do my morning exercise by jogging in the field and using the equipment in the fitness circuit. But lately, even as early as 6am, the sun's rays are already too hot for the skin so this morning, I decide to take a swim for a change and to tag along my 6 month old baby boy who had been given by his pediatrician a go-signal to go swimming. The excited Mom in me went to the pool with my 6 month old  armed with a camera to document my baby's first dip in the pool.

There were already a kid and, obviously, her swimming instructor preparing for their swimming lessons. I then picked a spot where we can place our things and changed my baby to his ate's pink swimming overalls (I haven't bought him his trunks yet) when this ununiformed pool staff told me, uncourteously, and with so right timing (he waited for me and my kid to change to our swimming attire before he informed us!) that the pool opens at 9am for unit owners. I, of course, questioned him curiously why there were obviously a kid and her swimming instructor already in the pool when it officially opens at 9am? He explained again with almost a rude tone that that is the policy for unit owners and that he is just a staff! Of course I did not argue with him because he is JUST a staff and I know that it is not his rule (I just hope he informed me courteously!).

So I am writing a letter to the clubhouse administrator to act on it to allow unit owners to use the pool as early as 7am when they allow outsiders like the swimming instructor to use the pool as early as seven. 

I explained my point that 9am is already too hot for kids and it leaves working people like me no chance to use the pool since it also closes at 6pm. And if they don't consider, to be FAIR and apply the rule to ALL.

(Afterall, "USE YOUR AMENITIES NOW" is hugely displayed in front of the property obviously as a marketing message to attract buyers since there are two other residential condominium owned by different developers next to ours. Ironically, this marketing message has a time limit from 9am to 6pm only! They should've hugely displayed that too in the billboard!)

I will keep you posted on their reply (or non-reply).

Davao bans plastic bags!

Yehey! This is GREAT News and this made my day!

Starting June 28, Davao City bans non-biodegradable plastic bags and polystyrene foams (styro foams) as food and beverage containers.

Full story here.

This makes me think if I am a magnet of 'no to plastic' because three of the cities most dear to me -- Los Banos (where I studied for college), Muntinlupa (where I was born & currently reside) and Davao City (my husband's home and very soon, will be our permanent home) -- all ban plastic bag!

Even before Muntinlupa banned plastic bags, it has been a habit of mine to carry my own reusable bags. And when I shop in other cities such as Makati, Taguig City, Las Pinas (which has implemented the same plastic ban at least in SM malls there), and Cavite, I had to explain to baggers and cashiers to put my shopping items in my reusable plastic bag "because I am from Muntinlupa".

Starting June 28, I don't have to explain anything when I shop in Davao. Yipee! I hope more cities follow suit.