CUSTOMER SERVICE

Do you find service standards deteriorating nowadays? I personally do, and I think it is because of the general Malaysian “tak apa” attitude and maybe also the general lack of training given to them by their employers. Below are a couple of examples faced by me.

A couple of weeks ago our family decided to have dinner in KFC because of some coupons which we had received at some company AGM. We decided to head towards the newly opened branch at Tasik Prima to have our dinner there. Upon arrival, we noted that the place was in a chaos with rubbish, plates and chairs strewn everywhere. Only later after ordering did we discover that there were flies swarming everywhere in the restaurant. We literally had to be on guard against these pests while having our food, which by the way tasted horrible and was nothing like what Chef Wan described it, in the KFC advert. Can you imagine that?

This was before having to contend with the ordering, where we can see staff loitering around doing nothing while some were busy trying to serve us. I also find the way they prepare food very unhygienic with the all our orders being prepared at one go. Lining up 8 plates and slowly filling them up while flies were lurking around waiting for their chance to land on our food (super yuck & disgusting). The day after this, I had made a complained to KFC which they did not reply, so I guess it had gone down the dumps. No wonder I read somewhere in the news of serious food poisoning in, can’t recall which country, where if I remember correctly caused paralysis to the poor soul who consumed her KFC.

Just the other day, I was pestered by my kid to get him an ice-cream from McDonalds. As I approached the counter I was told to pay at the main one before returning to get my ice-cream, which I did. I noticed two persons ahead of the line and decided to queue there. Upon reaching my turn, before I could mention anything, the cashier decided it was time to collect food for the previous customers. I would have been ok had it not been for the fact that the food was actually not ready yet, and further she even had the cheek to disappear into the back kitchen (I suppose she is so hard working that she wanted to prepare the food herself).

All this while, I had noted the Supervisor with a few staff at the counter doing god knows what. I mean “hello”, you cannot help your staff first and talk later. I always thought food preparers were supposed to prepare food and cashiers to man their cash registers. Why is it now they are doing both while others are idling around. I had also made a formal complaint to McD but this time someone replied and acknowledged my grouses (much better then KFC).

I mean for god sake, you all Corporate crap, want to do business do properlylah, otherwise just bugger off, but maybe it’s because they are already too big to bother or care.

YEAR END APPRAISALS

Its that time of the year again, where HR send everyone an appraisal form for filling in supposedly so one can be appraised for what they did during the year. However, I for one do not really believe in this form of evaluation because how objective can the head be about the abilities or the work that have been completed by his staff.

Generally speaking, as far as my own experience is concern, most if not all the time the favourites of the bosses / heads would be the ones getting the high scores, while the others would either be in the average or lower groups. Also about the part where you are suppose to agree with the evaluation of the head, how can we do that? Do we tell the boss off or try to explain. Well from personal experience, let me tell you it does not work, never has and never will.

So happy appraisals everyone.

MOVIE PREMIER - IMMORTAL

Yesterday went for another premier also won by the missus at E-curve. I must say the movie was rather boring with no much substance. Majority of the time, the movie was just about killing, with gory scenes depicting how many ways a human or god can be mangled.

Some of the things happening makes no sense at all. An example, if people who worship you are fighting to prevent you from being hunted down and killed, would you assist them? I bet you will. However, in this show, "the gods" choose not to, and in the end many of them were slaughtered.

Another thing about the cinema. Aiyo, no need to switch on the sound system to its breaking point, its hazardous to our health (I believe their sound engineer or who ever is tuning the sound must be a deaf person himself). Here is my ranking of the few main cinemas. I think the most refine sound goes to TGV and GSC (depending on which) has a balance between refinement and excitement. However, I find Cathay the worst with tharshy sound (like listening to some mini hi-fi switched on to the max). All in all, personally if it not be for the free tickets, I definitely would have given this show a miss, not to mention this cinema as I value my hearing.

MOVIE PREMIER - TIN TIN

Just recently attended a movie in 3D (my first time really) with the missus. The show was not bad with good renditions of the visual as well as audio ques, especially the pin point location of all that was happening on screen. All in all a recommended show which brings back some of my childhood fantasy adventures while reading the Tin-tin comics.

However, I wasn't very happy with the popcorn that was sold by GSC. Firstly, the popcorn was rather blend with only some coated with so called caramel. Secondly, the they were cold and not piping hot as I had expected. Lastly. and worst of all they were mostly soft and no longer crunchy (masuk angin). For the exorbitant price that I had paid for them, I would rank them as a measly 0.5 out of 10. Shame on you GSC for skimping and not ensuring customers get what they had been charged for.

BUDGET 2012

What is everyone's opinion on the budget? Going by what the mainstream is saying, it looks like a very good budget, however, I beg to differ.

I am sure all those civil servants and felda settlers will be very happy as they rightfully should be given that this budget gave them full focus. The following would be some of the reasons for my saying that the budget is "crap".

Now I am a middle income, or should l say lower middle income earner. I work hard and earn an honest living, diligently paying "TAXES", why, so someone else can enjoy the benefits!!!!!, while I just sit back relax and pay more TAXES.

The policies thought out by the Government is really nice, first we tax the middle class because they are not much they can do since most of them are workers, we give incentives to the rich because most of them are businessman and heck they can give us problems with their lawyers and what nots, we help the poor because if they get angry, they can cause havoc with protest or looting. Anyway, we need the rich to help us with our campaign come election and the majority poor to vote for us if we are to win (given the majority falls under the poor category of more than 60 percent of the population).

DIY

How many of you have tried your hand with DIY? I am sure many of you would like to try but think twice when you realise that things may not turn out the way you planned. I can personally vouch for this, because I have embarked on quite a few DIY and although I manage to fix the thingy it didn't turn out as good as I had planned.

Additional things that may deter many from DIY would be the mess that may happen or mistakes that may cause the supposed cheap fix-it to become even more expensive.

Anyhow, yesterday I had finally decided to buy a tap and a piece of aluminium piping from a hardware store to replace the one that had been damaged in my house. It had been damaged for quite some time now and it was a hassle to have to use the kitchen sink whenever hands needed to be washed. I had earlier on bought a tap but did not do my homework and when I tried to fix it on, found that the piping was not long enough to fit the tap. Well I guess this is cost savings for the developer using the shortest piping possible and getting taps that have extraordinarily long screw fittings. Disappointed, and almost having a leaky piping due to my not being able to get the original tap securely back on, I gave up.

Now however, I had both the tools ready and after some 8 minutes managed to replace the two items successfully without any problems. What I am trying to say here is DIY may seem hard in the beginning but after some time you may find it to be very interesting and as a bonus it feels good to use something that you have fixed yourself.

NOSY & TROUBLESOME NEIGHBOURS

How are your neighbours? Are they nice, friendly, etc? Well, here is my definition of a good neighbour. This guy should mind his own business, be considerate about the level of noise he is making, park his own car and also his visitors car in his own compound, and basically don't try to be an event organiser by always opening parties.

I have met plenty of neighbours but I dare say none are good or have the quality that I had mentioned above. Just recently I had a quarrel with one of these fools. I personally do not like people parking their cars in front of my house, be it the gate or the wall / fencing near my gate (unless of course I am living in a huge bungalow where my fencing stretches hundreds of feet. To this end I had decided to placed some rocks along my fence area (near my gate) thus preventing or making it difficult for anyone to try to park there (you may call it selfish and thats ok, because it your opinion, but to me I did not pay money to buy a house so that you can park your stupid car there. If you can't afford to buy a house large enough for your cars then I suggest you don't have so much cars, its plain and simple).

You know what this fool did. He instructed the security guard to throw my rocks away. The nerve of this idiot. I was rather pissed off and immediately asked the security what he was trying to do. I then gave him a piece of my mind by asking him, "you mean to tell me I don't pay you fees and he does?" (for you readers info, I am always the first, or one of the  first ones that the security approaches for fees because he knows I am a prompt payer unlike the idiot.

Next I scolded the idiot who replied that he was doing society a favour because my rocks were in the middle of the road (just so you know, the rocks measured less that 1.5 feet and it is placed just after the road shoulder. If you call that middle of the road, then all cars parked would by his definition be on the middle of the road because even the smallest car has a width of about 5.5 feet).

I went on to ask him to mind his own business, and that I dont like people coming there to park, and he replied that the place was not mine to usurp. He further added that I was very inconsiderate. I shouted back, "If I'm inconsiderate then you must be 100Xs more". For your information, this idiot likes to organise parties and does so quite frequently. His visitors will come and park their car on my side of the empty space between houses which was actually meant for walking from one block to another. He on the other hand had planted his side with trees, so no one can park any cars there, including himself or his visitors. Furthermore, he also likes to invite his friends to come to his house for late nights drinking sessions. Only problem is, he does it outside his house where he had placed tables and some seats ala mamak style. Can you imagine having a mamak stall just opposite your house, would you like it when you are trying to get some sleep?

You be the judge who is considerate, and who is not. Anyhow he tried to argue that it was his compound and he can do what he liked and also added that I should not use the front of his house when I am making a U turn. HEHEHE, this is what you get when you know you are losing the fight, talk rubbish lah, I mean parking and U turning is the same thing ah, now only I know leh.

Just the next day, it was his usual "hired maid come day" and guess where he parked his car near where I had placed the rocks ( true a-hole). What does this tell you, number one, I did not block people from parking (just not near my gate), number two talk so much why come and park on my side. Anyway to me if he feels he likes parties so much, and thinks he is very rich (drives a Camry & plays golf during weekends & visitors also all drive big car one leh) then buylah corner house where you have plenty of space for your visitors, don'tlah go kacau people, otherwise shut up lah.