What To Do?

Just when I thought I was all alone in the metro having huge courier problems (my bills and magazine subscriptions have not arrived! My goodness!), I get a call/email early this week that the invitations we shipped out last week for our client have not been delivered to the right people.


Not that I have anything against CSRs but seriously, these people really, really need a lot of training and orientation. Customer service in the Philippines was by far one of the worst in the world. Tell them your problem and they'll just give you a dumb-ass answer that even a five year-old would turn down.


I've had my fair share of dealing with CSRs. I turn to them whenever I find something wrong with a product or service, because really, they are the ones who we all should go to when there's a problem. That's why they're called customer service representatives. I know they're provided with cheat sheets. Or some sort of kodigo or what-not to help clueless customers as it would be too much human torture to memorize every single thing from verifying an information to troubleshooting the most complicated gadget ever. But have they ever tried to analyze the problem of a customer and just use plain common sense when helping out?


Today, my "inhale, exhale" theory was once again maximized as I tried to communicate with the CSRs of a local courier service company. Thrice.


Basically, I contacted them for the first time to see what happened to the invitations that were undelivered and delivered to someone but not forwarded to the right recipient. And then...


Exhibit A:
First call. I was inquiring what happened to my shipment.


Me: Ano yung reason bakit undelivered yung invitation?
CSR: Ma'am non-serviceable area po yung address.
Me: Pero nainform ako before booking na serviceable area siya. I don't want to hassle the consignee of going to the nearest branch to pick-up the invitation.
CSR: Ganito po ma'am, if nainform naman po kayo na serviceable area yung address, may two options po tayo: contact-in yung consignee para pick-upin sa nearest branch or ipadeliver natin sa address nya. Ano po gusto nyong gawin namin?
Me: Ayun naman pala e. Ideliver nyo na lang.


Exhibit B:
Second call. This time to book another shipment.


Me: Magpapadeliver sana ako. Gown siya.
CSR: Pouch size packaging lang po ba? (clearly there is something wrong with this guy. Gown in a pouch bag?!? WTF.)
Me: Uhm... Gaano kalaki yung biggest pouch?
CSR: Mas malaki lang po ng konti sa long brown envelop.
Me: Ay. Di sya kakasya dun. Pwede bang box na lang?
CSR: Yes po. Kunin ko na lang po yung dimensions.
Me: Nung gown?
CSR: Nung box nyo po.
Me: Ay. Wala akong box. Kailangan ba nakabox na?
CSR: Opo.
Me: Bakit? Wala ba kayong box na dala?
CSR: Meron naman po. Gusto nyo po yun na lang gamitin natin?
Me: Ayun naman pala e. E di magpadala ka na lang din ng box sa pick-up guy para dun ko ilagay pag dating nya.


Exhibit C:
Third call. In lieu with my first call, I am now providing them additional details with my undelivered invitations.


Me: Uhm, bakit kay (name) nakaaddress yan? It's supposed to be (name).
CSR: Yun po yung nakalagay sa consignment note nyo.
Me: E hindi naman ako nagfillout nun. May instructions ako.
CSR: E bakit hindi po kayo yung nagfill out? Kayo dapat magfill out nun.
Me: Uhm (CSR name) ganito kasi yan. Nung nagbook ako sa inyo, I stated magpapadala ako ng 20 items to VARIOUS destinations. E dumating yung pick up guy dito na 5 notes lang dala nya. Ayaw naman nya bumalik the next day para the next day ko i-ship yung fifteen. So binigyan namin sya ng COMPLETE list of consignees with complete names and addresses. E pano yan sya nagfill out tapos mali mali. Pati yung company name namin mali. Can you change that? Para alam din nung consignee kanino galing.
CSR: Ma'am nasa system na po yung name ng company nyo, di ko na po mababago. Sa next transaction nyo na lang po.
Me: At umaasa ka pang may next transaction pa ako with you?


Exhibit D:
This time, the pick-up guy came to the office, with my "non-serviceable area" invitation.


Pick-up guy: Ma'am, bad address daw po ito. Hindi maideliver.
Me: Ang sabi non-serviceable. Kasi yung address tama naman. So hindi siya bad dahil walang mali.
Pick-up guy: Paki-receive na lang po ma'am kasi return to sender tapos madami pa po akong hinahabol na office na pagpipick-upan.
Me: E sabi sa akin idedeliver daw uli ito kasi nga ang sabi sakin serviceable area. E ano mangyayari pag nireceive ko yan?
Pick-up guy: Hindi po namin madedeliver.
Me: O. Ayun pala. E bat ko irereceive yan?
Pick-up guy: Ay sige po ma'am ideliver na lang po namin.


Exhibit E.
Fourth call. I was told after my third call to follow up after an hour for an update. No update yet. So I told them the pick-up guy is returning the invitation to me.
Me: Kakagaling lang dito nung nagpick-up. E sabi nyo idedeliver nyo naman. So hindi ko nireceive.
CSR: Ma'am hindi ko po magaguarantee kasi wala pong update sa operations.
Me: I'm aware of that. Kaya nga sinasabi ko sayo na hindi ko nireceive para ideliver nyo. Kasi pag nireceive ko, di nyo na idedeliver.
CSR: Ma'am pasensya na po sa abala. Pero wala pa po kasing advice na madedeliver siya kasi yung operations po ang magdedecide nyan.
Me: E wala pa silang update. Hanggang kelan ako maghihintay for update?
CSR: Ma'am magfile na lang po kayo ng complaint.
Me: Bakit? Hindi pa ba complaint ito? Ano ba ito? Chikahan moment natin?


*All five incidents happened TODAY. I can still feel my teeth clenching and my fist shaking with all the stress and frustration these CSRs gave me.*


What's wrong with the picture? Apparently a lot. In the first call, I have no idea if that was a trick question, or she was just plain stupid. The second call is just plain pathetic as I don't get how he cannot offer me a box in the first place. (Sintido kumon. Gown, ilalagay mo sa pouch?) Third time, clearly these people do not know how to follow instructions. Naman. Fourth scenario, again, asan na ba ang common sense? (Alam mo na pala sa sarili mo yung mangyayari, itatanong mo pa sakin kung gusto kong madelay ang delivery.) And finally, this, this is the most common stupidity I always encounter. I don't know if CSRs were told to be always nice and lengthen their patience that they have forgotten what complaints are.


I know being a CSR is not an easy job, but I do know it's not a job that requires a superior IQ level. Plain common sense always does the trick and up til now, I am wondering why won't they just use common sense when asked a question? Pressure? I don't think so. They've become accustomed to answering questions by reading copies and manuals that they've forgotten they have brains to think for the right answer. Not everything should be done by the book.


This might sound like a hate blog but really, it's not. I've had a good serving of positive experiences with CSRs but this kind of answers just tick people off. You're not getting anywhere, and you're just wasting time.


I would love to see the day when customer service in this country finally improves. When you give them a call and they give you a straight answer. When everything is solved within a five-minute conversation. When you're not answered with another question. When your problem gets solved upon ending the conversation.


Clearly, customer service in the PH has a looooooooooong way to go.