I am your customer

Don’t you get it? I am your customer. The person who reach out deep into the pocket and pay you for whatever you have to offer.

The thing about being a customer in Malaysia is that you don’t get what you deserved. Let me see a raise of hand. How many of you have been mis-treated? How many have had experiences that make you not go back to the shop that served you badly? Or shops that you told a friend or family not to patronize because of some bad experience you encountered?

Let’s put it this way bluntly. 

You make me unhappy, I tell 100 of my friends why they should not go to your shop. They tell others. You make me happy; I make sure my friends will get the same happiness too.

It’s a vicious cycle.

Word of mouth is better than TV advertisement, website, search engine, or whatever advertising media or material you can get on this planet.

Businesses are still getting away with their bad service, for now. WHY? It’s simple.

Reason why businesses are not paying much attention to client experience is that the majority of Malaysian consumer are still with the ‘its ok’ attitude. No, I should say, they don’t know their rights and do not know what or how they should make their plight known to the masses or the right channel in the company.

If you feel that you are treated unfairly by any company, there is certainly people or places that you can turn to. Be it to the management of the company, to the government, press, blog, or even consumer right authorities.

Let’s name a few classic examples that I’m sure you would have experienced before.

1.       When you are waiting for a bank staff to complete your transaction, you are left standing at the counter and watch them chit chatting away while performing your transaction in slow motion mode.

2.       When you are waiting in line to pay at supermarket, you see express lanes for less than 10 item filled with people with loads of groceries.
3.       When you are asking about the functionality of the laptop that you intend to buy, the staff answers your questions in a manner as though you have asked a million questions. Even if you have asked a million questions, it’s your RIGHT to do so.
4.       When you are paying at the cashier, the cashier gives you the feeling as though you have woke him up from his sleep.
5.       When you are looking for staff to help find the item you are looking for, the staff who saw you waving at him from far looked away and avoids any sort of eye contact with you.
6.       When you asked for something you couldn’t find on the rack, the first answer is ‘If it’s there then it’s there, if it’s not means don’t have’ or ‘don’t have’ – without even looking for it. It’s worst when you found what you are looking for after they told you that it’s not available.
7.       When you found hair in your food and ask for a change, they asked you if that’s your hair.
8.       When you asked for 1 nasi lemak with egg and teh tarik, they give you a pork chop and red wine.
9.       When you did not want to buy the product that you have enquired, they will walk off angrily.
10.   They don’t say ‘THANK YOU’

See, I can easily name more.

I’m now telling you easy ways to ‘revenge’ and get even with any type of scenarios above. Fight back. Don’t let these people away just because you have no idea what you should do. You don’t deserve any of these scenarios. You are a paying customer. Businesses need paying customers. They need us more than we need them. It’s really simple. If you are unhappy with them, don’t buy from them. Making them lose your business will make them know what they have done wrong.

1.       Ask for supervisor, manager, owner, VP, boss, or whomever who’s more senior than the person you are speaking to. IF they tell you don’t have, don’t give up. Ask until you are given a name or contact number. Approach the person. Take down the name of the staff you are dealing with. Don’t worry, THEY WON’T BITE and they definitely won’t be able to harm you.
2.       If they are impatient in answering your queries, ask more. Repeat your questions again and again. Make them know that you have all the RIGHT to ask questions and you definitely have the right to get some ANSWERS. If not, use number 1.
3.       If you found the product you are looking for after the staff say that its not available, bring the item and see the staff to ask for explanation. Repeat #1.
4.       If it’s a government organization, ask for the person in charge. If you still could not resolve, write to the press. Have a blog or write to me for opinion. I’ve had successful experiences.
5.       DO NOT PURCHASE ANYTHING. Just walk away from the deal. Remember that, you may think that you have lost by walking away and not manage to buy anything but think again, if they lose your business and everybody start to do the same when they go to the same company, who stand to lose more?
6.       Spread the word. To friends, family, place it on websites, go to consumer authorities or even newspapers.

More comprehensive guide and list coming your way. So, watch this space.