My pal Victor Koo is feeling extremely vexed of late. It started when his computer began to act quirky, taking a life of its own and refusing to log on the Internet when commanded to do so. An extremely determined man who conducts diagnostic tests to get to the root of a problem, Victor soon found out that the problem to his computer lies very likely in his residential telephone line which emits noise and static in the wee hours of the morning. The problem is so bad, that it even left the Singnet technicians clueless.
At his wit end, Victor took up a flexi broadband plan with Starhub. Starhub is kinda like his second wife. He can't just abandon Singnet for he's got another 4 months to the 2-year contract that he had signed up. Unless Victor doesn't mind paying a 4-month alimony to Singnet for breaking the contract. For reason only known to the sales staff of Starhub, Victor was not told of an on-going promotional plan that allows new flexi surfers to surf the net free for 6 months when they pay for the $99 modem. They also get a free gift in the form of a Disney haversack.
Victor was irked when he learned of the promotion from the Internet. Never ever under-estimate the fury of a man "conned". Victor demanded that Starhub return him is money for the time that he's surfed the net and be given the freebies advertised in the promotion.
I can empathise with Victor. Time and again, I've been disappointed by the service standard in our Uniquely Singapore. The sales staff are either ignorant of their products, or they simply couldn't be bother to serve you. Even at the hawker centres, there are food sellers who provide services so shabbily that it makes you wonder if they are really in the business of making money. In the now-defunct Seletar Hill Market, I've had at least three hawkers whom I've sworn never to patronise again; all because they chose to pick quarrel with me. Nope, I'm NOT the problem lest you're wondering.
The chicken rice uncle told me to "go and report lah" when he said he would not deliver my plate of chicken rice to my table. This happened even though I was quietly waiting for my chicken rice in the queue and fully understood that it was 'self-service".
Then there was the ice kachang seller who very politely asked me where I was sitting when I ordered a bowl of "cheng tng". When I said I would carry the dessert myself, he retorted that he was not going to serve me my dessert to my table but merely wanted to know where to collect his utensils later!
The last straw was the "Char Kway Teow" stall who took ages to return my change of $10 when I ordered a plate of the "char kway teow", even after I've devoured the food. When I approached her for my change and asked if she's forgotten about my money, she quipped that I should have paid up first when I ordered the food.
Thankfully, I'm more fortunate then Victor. If I don't like the service of the "Char Kway Teow" stall at Seletar Hill, I can always choose to eat at Ghim Moh Market. Hawker centres abound in Singapore and I'm really spoilt for choice. But Victor may not have much choice over the Internet Service Providers in Singapore. He is through with Singnet, I'm sure. If he's not happy with the service by Starhub, there's only one last ISP to go. Pacnet. But PACNET is sooooooo yesterday.... I'm not even sure if it can measure up to the high service standard of Victor.
Poor Victor.
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2 comments:
Thank you so much for your post Chris. I feel so much better to have someone show understanding and empathy in times of need like this. Your coming up with real-life examples that happened to you demonstrates that this kind of bad experiences happen to everyone. We just have to take them in our stride and move on with life.
I have since found out that Starhub has yet another tie-up with dealers of D-Link wireless networking equipment - if you purchase the wireless router and USB wireless adaptor package for $169, you'll get a D-Link cable modem plus 2 months of Flexisurf free. (Yes, it has always been 2 months free and not 6 months as you have stated in your post.)
Sigh, I have so many choices that I find it so difficult to make up my mind. I am also quite interested in the offer that I just mentioned because I may be purchasing a 2nd computer very soon and would need wireless networking to link them up.
It makes me wonder - there are so many good offers and yet I happened to sign up for the rawest deal. Like you said, it's probably due to my streak of bad luck lately. The lesson that I learnt from this episode is this - you must always do your homework when you make any purchase, i.e. caveat emptor or buyers beware.
Ya pal. I guess our society isn't going to be known as "gracious" anytime soon. It may not even be in our lifetime. Just to lighten things up a little... Do you remember what happened when SBS so thoughtfully made magazines and newspaper available on board the buses for the reading pleasure of its commuters? This happened years ago. The magazines and newspaper went missing!! That's how "gracious" we Singaporeans are! Sometimes, even you and I are guilty of being ungracious too. Remember not holding the door for the poor old lady at Biopolis? Shame on you Mr Koo! Hahaha...
I was only joking about your "bad luck" lah. As you've said, these things can happen to anyone. And smart consumers like you often make purchase after making an informed choice. Just that this time round, there's an oversight only what..
About the freebies... Singnet is giving away an Apple i-Book (a notebook)for new subscribers of one of its high-end plans. About $100 per months and for 36 months! I'm tempted but too bad it's not cable...
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