Feedback helps

As the nation slowly comes to terms with the loss of its Founding father, it is a good time to look back in gratitude at some of my experiences of the excellent work processes and ethics here.

The gloom in the air slowly lifts...

This Friday I was waiting for the postman.

Please Mr Postman look n see...

if there's a letter, a letter for me..[The Carpenters]

Waiting for a small registered article from India. How did I know he was coming on Friday? Because I got a note in my mail-box ten days ago, that we missed the delivery. We had a choice to either collect it, have it redelivered or have it delivered at any other Post Office of my convenience. Not having read the delivery note properly, I fretted for many days wondering how to go to the Post Office without spending twenty odd dollars in the cab, or without spending time changing buses to go to the PO. It was then that I decided to call up the Post Office, and the friendly assistants there bowled me over asking when I would want the item delivered again, and if there was anything else they could assist me with. And no, we do not charge you anything for redelivering it….what!!! Unbelievable.

It pays to give a feedback…

When I am impressed with a shop or a product, I compliment the store keeper. Similarly, when I am not satisfied, I give a feedback too.

Once I sent pictures of an item to a popular hypermarket, saying that it was expired on the day I bought it, meaning it should not have been there on the shelf itself. They promptly wrote back that that was an isolated incident and I would get a full refund. I did, on my next visit. Another time when I was not satisfied with a product, I had a discussion with the store and they dropped a $5 voucher in my drop-box, for my feed-back. This reminds me of another incident back in India…

 My favourite brand of Digestive biscuits turned out to be not as crisp as they were supposed to be. Since theirs is such a popular brand in India, I wrote to them. In a few days I got a phone call from them asking for more details which I gladly gave. Thanking me and apologising for the inconvenience, she took my address, saying she would send a representative to get more details from me. I was very reluctant to go on and on about it, but she played Santa! She sent me a gift hamper, full of their yummy products. But let me point out here that the representative simply said to sign on a piece of paper stating my comments, which I did. He was about to go away, and only when I asked him why exactly he needed me to sign, he produced the hamper which was rightfully mine…what did that mean? He wanted to take my signature of receipt and keep the hamper for himself? Ouch. If only he had asked me I would have gladly given it to him, thinking that his need was perhaps greater than mine.

There is a feeling that you are helping someone improve, by not being silent, by not simply giving up on a particular product. Do share some of the results of your feedback friends.