Ikea Pre-Sales Drama

I was in Ikea today. Thought I'd take a look around at the pre-sale event that started today since I was already in the area.

The checkout queue was manic. There were at least 20 people deep, if not more, in all the lines.

A guy (a Malay man, to be exact) in the next line started shouting at the staff. Don't know what about as I was at the checkout counter paying for my purchase. He was really losing it. The cashier, however, was polite. He apparently didn't have something that she needed and he was getting upset.

My heart went out to the cashier. It's hard work having to process so many customers in one go (I know this from personal experience). Getting yelled at is the last thing that they need, not when they are being polite and trying to do their job.

Here's some advice: if you're the kind of person who gets agitated in situations such as queuing up in sales, DON'T shop during sales or pre-sales or warehouse sales or whatever, you get my meaning. There is absolutely NO point in raising your blood pressure. It's simply not worth the hassle and headache (yours, the service staff as well as the people around you who have no choice but to witness your spur of the moment hissy fit). Shop during quiet times, sure, it's not as exciting but there will also be no drama featuring you.

Here's what I normally do when I have to stand in a very long line: I just flip out a book and start reading. Makes the waiting a tad bit more bearable. But then again, that's me. Find something to do to occupy/ amuse yourself while you wait. Getting agitated should not be it. Remember, it's about staying sane... and happy, if that's possible in such situations.

H&M 1-Utama Cashier Review

I just hate it when people don't queue AND the staff on duty serves them.

Case in point: I was in H&M 1-Utama today patiently queuing up to pay. The customer who was being served before me was an Indian woman. As her transaction was completing, a family member  (I presume) with a child in tow went up straight to the counter, put her purchases on the counter and started talking to her. Even though the cashier on duty, and there was only one on duty at that time whose name in Nabiha (as stated on her name tag), saw that I was waiting in line (she made eye contact with me),  she served the second Indian woman who obviously had not queued up!!!

Doesn't H&M train their staff on how to handle such situations since quite obviously queuing up is an alien concept for those from counties such as India? Attending to them even though they have obviously not queued up sends the message that H&M condones such customer conduct and that H&M can't give a rat's arse about what their other customers think.

Telekom Malaysia's Idea of Customer Service

Telekom Malaysia's (TM) idea of customer service is a reminder text message sent on a Sunday after which the service will be disconnected if TM does not receive the payment within 24 hours. They do this despite knowing that payments made via online banking and the post office takes more than 24 hours to get to them.

Now, why on earth nobody in TM has the common sense (which really isn't all that common nowadays) to send out the message at least a week in advance, so that its customers have ample time to sort out the bill payment, is beyond me. Have they missed the point that customer service is about servicing the customer???