Tag: customer service

Why We Love to Dine Out in Canada

June 15, 2011 • Blog • 1 comment

Contrary to our initial perceptions, Canada (well at least the Vancouver-Banff-Jasper stretch) generally offered a decent dining experience. While the variety and pedigree of their cuisine can’t quite match that of Singapore, I do enjoy the experience of dining out in Canada.

First, almost every place offered a vegetarian, vegan, or healthier dining option. This was great for a semi-veggie like me trying to eat more healthily, ethically and sustainably. Many of the restaurants or cafes were also quite flexible and willing to make changes to their menu to suit your taste.

Enjoying a veggie sandwich and a vegan burger at a pub-diner in Jasper

Zooming in on Zappos

March 25, 2011 • Business and Management • 1 comment

Tony Hsieh, CEO and Chief Happiness Officer of Zappos.com (courtesy of Sunni Brown)

UPDATE: 28 November 2020 — Tony Hsieh has tragically passed away in a house fire at the age of 46. May he rest in peace.

Few companies are as zealous as Zappos in ensuring that excellence is ingrained into every single process, person and policy of the organisation.

Radical and almost ruthless in their quest for the holy customer grail, Zappos is famous for legendary strategies which few of their competitors dare to take up.

A Pain Removal Solution

January 26, 2011 • Blog • 1 comment

Remove Our Pain and We’ll Reward You For it (source)

It often puzzles me why companies and businesses don’t focus on the obvious pain points of their customers. Why do they not listen to the repeated complaints and criticisms that have emerged both online and offline by their regular customers?

Examples of commonly felt “pain” points include the following:

Why Do Crowded Buses Still Happen?

January 12, 2011 • Blog • 7 comments

One of the most befuddling things I encounter, day after working day as a bus commuter, is this:

Why are the same crowded buses always crowded?

Service Failure at a Supermarket

October 31, 2010 • Blog • 2 comments

Supermarket shelves should always be full stocked (source)

While grocery shopping recently, my wife Tina experienced an inexplicable service failures at one of the largest supermarket chains in Singapore.

The story went like this.

Close Your Eyes and Don’t Peek!

October 2, 2010 • Blog • no comments

Magic shows always work because kids loved to be astonished

Have you wondered why kids like birthday or Christmas presents so much? Or why teens and youths enjoy watching the latest “Lady Gaga” music video?

I believe that it is captured in a single word: Surprise.

You Are Probably Guilty Of These Customer Service Mistakes

August 26, 2010 • Business and Management • 4 comments

Courtesy of sayitcommunity.com

Customer experience management is the new marketing. While the world swoons over the impact of digital technologies on customer experience, it is often basic customer service which determines if a company swims or sinks.

What a Bus Captain Taught Me

August 17, 2010 • Blog • 4 comments

Courtesy of Naked Singapore

After a long and tiring day at work, I had my dinner at a coffeeshop in Chinatown and was waiting for my usual buses back home. The bus stop was pretty crowded with weary commuters.

While waiting for my bus, I noticed something unusual.

Are Your Customers Really Comfortable?

August 4, 2010 • Blog • 1 comment

My family loves to visit Relish (by Wildrocket) for their great service, comfortable ambience and fabulous food.

Don’t ever assume that your customers are the exact duplicate of you. Chances are, they aren’t.

There are so many reasons why they may be different. Human beings are such complex creatures that entire disciplines like anthropology, sociology and psychology have evolved in desperate bids to understand their behaviours.

Has Bali Lost Its Allure?

June 27, 2010 • Blog • 3 comments

Ibu Oka’s Babi Guling at Ubud

Bali has always held special meaning to me and my wife. It was on this tropical island that we had our honeymoon way back in January 2003. Back then, I was so inspired by the holiday experience and customer encounters that I wrote an article that was published in the Straits Times on the legendary hospitality of Balinese.

Sadly things have changed, even at Ubud (Bali’s cultural heart) which is supposedly less mercantilist than Kuta, Uluwatu or the coastal cities. While its verdant and pastoral landscapes have largely remained, the ugly effects of commercialisation and gentrification have left major scars on the island.