Tuesday, November 02, 2004
World-Class Companies

A heartening piece of news that I read in the ST today was on how bloggers were changing the face of wartime reporting as they offer fresh and different perspectives to what's really happening on the ground besides the sources of the mainstream news media.It's refreshing to know that now commoners like you and me can talk about ourselves and/or offer our two cents' worth to publish for the world to see(there was always the option of setting websites of course...but this is more hassle-free),even if it's inept opinions like mine.Blogging is really getting a lot of attention in the media right now?Last I remember,Xiaxue is getting on TV and Lime is publishing a "blogging for dummies" article.I'd never want to get on TV or be reported because of the content on this site and my horrible opinions of Banshee and Rogue...and Wolverine to a smaller extent...as well as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants...wait a second,am I a hateful person or what?Anyway,if I ever get on TV for this,it'd have to be shot in silhouette with my voice digitally altered to protect my identity.You know,exactly the way ex-convicts or drug addicts are interviewed on TV.Yeah,I am a coward too,just like Osama Bin Laden.I am a slave to the wage.

Oh,by the way,this morning on bus service no. 74,I just had my former No.10 most beautiful girl in the world sit in front of me.Nice,I feel so privileged.Her hair was wet though,I never noticed she takes morning baths before she went to work...wait a second,how SHOULD I know?I still haven't got to see if she's wearing a ring or not.Anyway that's another woman I notice who lives around my area.She's seems either in her late 20s or early 30s and is incredibly fair and has very nice long hair.The thing about her is that her features are quite sharp although I still find her rather pretty.This paragraph,as you all can tell by now,has absolutely nothing to do with anything at all.

That's the opening taken care of...now to the main topic.How many of you have had bad experiences with local service providers?Singtel,SFI,DBS,SIA or whatever?I'd have my fair share of run-ins with some of these so-called "world-class" companies(wink wink,notice anything common among all these companies I highlighted?They're all GLCs) and their wonderful customer services rendered to unimportant clientele like myself.But the most recent episode I had with Singnet positively makes my blood boil.Let me detail what occurred to all you consumers out there.

I had held an 18 months broadband contract with Singnet which expired in August.Wanting to make sure that I do NOT pay the exorbitant prices that Singnet usually charges(the usual charge is $78,if you sign a contract,you get it for $47.Can you tell me the margin of profit this company takes in?Incredible.),I filled in and faxed the re-contract form to Singnet around the 24th/25th of September.Usually,one would expect to get some kind of confirmation call from the company to adknowledge receipt of the form and confirmation that they have activated my new contract.I never got such a call.

I elected to give them a call.The operator,I distinctly remember,told me that my plan was active now.So I just well,thought everything was prefectly fine...until my next bill came for the month of October and I discovered that,to my horror,I was STILL being charged $78.Wasn't I in the plan already?I had to make a call to find out what happened.

So I called up the billing operating desk(apparently,they have different operators at different places for eveything,sales and billing operators are separate and cannot help you with cross enquiries...means ask a sales desk about your bills and you get redirected.What is this?Your computers not powerful enough to handle large amount of data huh?What do they use?486?)and queried them about why I was still paying the usual price.I also asked the lady to confirm for me that my contract is indeed up and running.The billing desk,of course,couldn't help with re-contracting because that's SALES.So she got my number and said that she'd get her sales counterparts to check for me and then get back to me.The call never came.

FINE!I called the sales desk the next day to ask about my contract status.Some guy named Daniel answered my call and helped me check my status.Turns out that the number I faxed the form to was their backroom and they claimed they NEVER received my application so that was why I paid the usual charges.I was irate of course.A simple thing like this and such a large "world-class" company like Singtel(Singnet IS Singtel)can't handle.You must be joking right?Anyway,the guy was nice enough to offer to re-contract for me and maybe talk to his supervisor to backdate the application so that October's charges can be reverted to the discounted rates.

To be safe rather than sorry,this time,I applied for the re-contract BOTH online and through fax directly to Daniel.That was on the 26th.On the website,it was stated that the company would get back to me within THREE days with regards to the application.I waited until 31th October.The call,AGAIN,never came.

So yesterday I called the sales desk again.This time,they again told me my contract has been activated.I am NOT holding my breath on this.If my November bill comes and it's $78 again,I will cut off my line and switch to Starhub.No if's or but's.This company has stretched my patience far and thin enough.I even decided to write them a complaint letter on their website to complain about this experience.It was stated on the website that "they will get back to me within 3 days".Do you think they will?A BIG FAT NO.

Like I said,I has had enough of Singnet/tel's nonsense and just want to tell everyone about the nonsensical and farcical way they treat customers.I hope this post goes as far as possible so that everyone can read about "world-class" Singtel and their high standards.I don't know if anyone else among you have had similar experiences with these local GLCs and their wonderful customer services.A friend of mine,Ike and me has also had bad experiences with DBS with regards to credit card application where we were denied credit when other multi-nationals like Standard Chartered and Citibank were happy to offer us exactly that.What do DBS think they are?They're just a blundering bunch of fools who destroy customers' safety boxes.No if's and but's about that either.

I have a word of caution for these "world-class" comapnies who are trying to go global and think they have the might and means to do so.Yes,they probably do have the strength and menas to do so...but their internal systems and standards are so sub-standard,they will invariably be found out when they compete against MNCs in the larger world outside.If you are not good enough,you are not good enough.Even if you have a gazillion bucks to build the most fanciful computer systems,build the most wonderful looking website and/or to mount the most elaborate advertising campaign in world history.In the end,it's the people who work in the system that counts.If they're not up to scratch or the system they are working in is crap,you are dead.Or will die a slow death.Whether you like it or not.

Sintel,DBS,whatever...keep this in mind.It's easy for you to survive in Singapore because you have the might in Singapore to squeeze out competition when it comes to the local market.Notice how Singtel,M1 and Starhub squeezed out Virgin when they tried to make inroads here.Or they ahve legisaltion to protect them.Look at how foreign banks are restricted and immobilised in Singapore.This creates a situation where we don't have much a choice anymore when it comes to products or services.You're a big fish in a tiny pond.But outside of Singapore,you're no big deal.There's a thousand and one companies which can do as well,if not better,than you.

So don't ever forget that.

So you'd be well-advised to treat your local customers much better.Much much better.