Yearning for customer service heaven in TnT

Bad customer service makes my blood boil!

Being back home has been great and also amusing. There are just so many aspects of Trini life that are entertaining in various ways. Let's talk about customer service or in my case, the lack thereof.

While customer service in London is not stellar when compared to that of the US, it is still better than customer service in Trinidad and Tobago. I call US customer service people smurfs - cause it's like they drink smurfberry juice or are totally loaded on pot or some other type of "upper". Noone can be that bubbly and smiley as these Americans. It's just NOT normal! They scare me.

The Brits are not anywhere near as bubbly. They approach customer service with a bit of trepidation - not rude, but there is no warm, fuzziness about it either; no drug-induced glee. While not as scary as the Americans, they can be droll.

Trinis on the other hand - you're lucky if you get a smile and if they don't answer back. I always use Pennywise as the prime example of the worst of local customer service. I beg anyone to argue with me that this place has the WORST customer service known to man. I went in there last week to replenish my stocks and excuse me for interrupting the reps' conversation and asking for a bottle of shampoo to be handed to me. It was like I was begging for the shampoo and not purchasing it. All the free or discounted makeup in the world cannot hide the sourness and the lack of courtesy on the faces of these girls.

Grouchy Smurf ain't have nothing
on some of these reps

Let's not even talk about Tobago. Heinous! Unless you're white and have a non-Trini accent, you are shit. The taxi driver at the airport looked at me as though I got off the banana boat and was curt and dismissive as I tried to give him directions. I concluded that I was too black to warrant a smile and a positive attitude! I just handed him the phone to avoid making a scene cause I cannot handle rudeness especially where my money is anticipated to leave my hands and be transferred to the rude party.

I did manage excellent customer service at various eating establishments in Trinidad, where I guess, the tip is king and everyone wants a good tip. I don't mind tipping for great service and I got the same waitress last week on the two occasions I patronised one restaurant and on both occasions she got a nice tip cause she was stellar. On the other hand, I did not feel the love at my coffee shop on Monday as Sour Sally was loathe to redeem my loyalty points and give me my free coffee, which I had earned! I had to ask whether they had onion bagels about 6 times as she was busy having a conversation with the girls in the back - a non-coffee, non-customer, non-trininista-the-customer related conversation. And this after I had to pound the counter to get her attention in the first place after waiting for someone to acknowledge my presence at the counter, even after they saw me walk up. I mean...I am not invisible and I was in a dazzling sunny kinda outfit so I was not blending in with the walls either.

I swear, it's like these people feel yuh begging!!! But just to let you know, there are many instances of EXCELLENT customer service as well but somehow they seem to be overshadowed by the men and women who feel that an upside down smile is where it's at!

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Aunty Trininista and the Black Avenger

It's been a life changing weekend thus far. I will talk about life changer #1 later, but the other life changer only indirectly affects me. My brother is now a dad and I am still trying to wrap my thoughts around the fact that this dude I used to beat up and play action hero with, is now responsible for a baby and now has a family. It now makes me an aunt and as I stood outside the nursery peeking at my new nephew, one of the women waiting outside commented that I would be spoiling that kid. I cannot comment on that at this moment, but I know his grandmother aka my mother would be spoiling him rotten. I spent a good chunk of my day at the nursing home awaiting the arrival of this baby boy, so I am a bit shattered today. Baby is adorable though and mummy is doing well.

But let's talk a little bit about customer service. I had 2 not so gleeful moments of crap service and anyone who knows me knows it is a major peeve of mine when people are rude, ignorant and stupid especially when they are being paid for a service.

The nurses at this nursing home were not too pleasant and while I recognised that I may not have been the patient's mother or something, I am sister-in-law and hell, I was the only other person there besides my brother, who was in the delivery room. She was in labour for a long time and I was starting to get concerned, so EXCUSE ME for wanting some information. Sour Sally came out of the delivery suite and I politely asked about the mother and baby, and the woman looked at me like I was asking for her liver. Never got an answer. The midwife was a bit frazzled looking as she was the one really in there doing shit, not like Sour Sally who was just stepping in and out, so I did not want to bother her. I saw another nurse go in, get some info and come out and again I asked how everything was going. Again, the liver look and I swear, anyhow it was my credit card on that counter paying her salary, I would have had to show my bad attitude but out of respect for my brother I stayed quiet. It was a struggle. It was only the kind doctor who when he came out saw my worry and gave me an update, and I looked over at Sour Sally and her cohort and cut my eye at them with all the acid available in my eye sockets!

But let's get to Friday evening when I joined some friends for dinner at a restaurant in PoS and since it was partly my money and not my brother's involved I am not scared to say where it was. So we went to HAKKA restaurant in Woodbrook and though the meal was not outstanding, nor the service, we had a great time. You cannot put a price on friendship. So at one point I noticed a couple exit the restaurant (we ate outside) and I thought to myself "wow, anything goes in here" cause the girl was wearing denim shorts and a tank top and describing these pants as "shorts" is being generous. It was a denim panty. Her male companion was wearing cargo shorts, I think they were sneakers or slippers and a t-shirt that could have used some ironing. I did not really pay them much attention but I was amused by the girl's get up especially.

Fast forward and my girlfriend's husband comes to pick her up and he is hesitant to come in because of his mode of dress - nice white shorts, t-shirt, sneakers. I told her, if the other couple got in, her husband could get in. Ay ay...before the man could inhale the aroma from the kitchen, the big, black maitre d' or whoever he was, fly in on his broom with his black cape, and brace him and tell him bout he cyah come in with that outfit. Tried to explain to this idiot, that the man did not come to dine. He just came in to say hello. However, this fool was not hearing this and was all over my girlfriend's husband like Old Spice on a piper.

Did I mention the denim panty couple was white?

This is the kinda nonsense I cannot tolerate here, and you really cannot blame panty girl and her man cause they thought they were looking good for the Third World eating spot. Clearly. And noone told them they were inappropriately dressed. However, when a local comes in, suddenly there is a dress code. Nonsense! I blame the Trini people and their colonial mentality who facilitate these double standards. I saw the Black Avenger pretending he not hearing us when we told him the white panty girl and her man had no problems earlier, but let me tell you, not me and that place again. Thanks, but no thanks. The double standards crap, not to mention the insect invasion on the patio were enough to turn me off for good.

I did have brilliant customer service as usual at my car service shop, where I paid $46 for a service that I was quoted $1000 for by another provider. This place sweet.

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Banks and Bras: The Monday Combo

It seemed like the planets were aligned to ensure that I had a bad day. I went to my home branch of RBTT to conduct a transaction that should have taken no more than 20 minutes - 30 with a push. Four hours later, I was dragging my tired, hungry and annoyed carcass out of the bank. I mean, 2 tellers, a new system and apparently total cluelessness on how to close a certificate of deposit account kept back my entire day!!!! The smoke is still coming out of my ears.

Then after my other rounds, I decided to get some food after not having anything at all for the entire day. So at around 4pm (yes! 4pm) I parked in front of Nichossa's in Gulf View to get a bite to eat. Now the food here is really good so maybe this is why I subject myself to the torture that is the customer service. It is not that they are rude or inept, but just generally unfriendly. Very unfriendly. If the customer, that is ME, is a heifer and intolerable then okay...I get it. But I smile, I speak politely, I try to be accomodating and yet this girl was still a total Tampax! I really cannot understand why Trinis are so incapable of putting on a good show for customers. I am not begging for a conversation or a free meal but some courtesy and even a fake smile would be great.

I did manage a smile and convo from the woman in the lingerie store, though she was a little clueless about bras in general but I forgave her cause she was warm and really trying to be of assistance. But one question: Why do women bring, or maybe I should ask, why do men come to the bra store with their wives or girlfriends? They do nothing but get in the way. I mean, I am trying to look at some strapless numbers and you're there like a pillar of salt in my way. C'mon buddy...wait outside, get some popcorn or something. There is nothing in here for you. Don't get me wrong. Some men  staright ones too - are very good with this and comfortable around a lingerie store, but not the old bisons that were blocking the aisles today. Nah. I think it is the worst form of punishment for both the man and the other women trying to get their sexy on, to have the dimwit husbands standing aimlessly in the store filled to the hilt with women's lingerie, especially if when you try the stuff on, he is not interested in seeing it. I also don't get why you take the men to Pennywise. Half the time they are just following you as you buy mascara and panty shields. The store is already annoyingly packed with women who cannot navigate their way out of a sandbox, so add the male and the clueless and it's a recipe for cos' rage aka cosmetics rage. Please ladies...leave them in the car, and make them promise to be good. Don't further aggravate me.

Just don't do it.

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