Friday, July 9, 2010

The Heart-Aching 'Dear And Dearest'



WHEN it comes to fish, it pays to know your soon hock from your sultan. Wild-caught species of the latter are exceedingly rare, and can cost more than S$300 (US$214) per kg at restaurants here.
Now, a debate is brewing about whether customers should be told upfront if an item they order comes with a price tag that is off the charts.
It was sparked by the case of a customer who wanted to be known only as Mr Liu, who went to the Feng Shui Inn restaurant at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) with four friends from Hong Kong on June 12.
Mr Liu originally wanted to order a soon hock or Marble Goby dish, but when told that the restaurant had run out of it, he went with a waiter's recommendation and ordered sultan fish instead.
He told the Chinese evening newspaper Lianhe Wanbao that the waiter did not tell him the price of the fish, but he assumed it would be about the same price as soon hock, which costs about S$90 (US$64) per kg. But Mr Liu said he and his friends got a shock when they received a bill for S$1,224 (US$874) for the 1.8kg fish.
He complained and received a 15% discount. But his main grouse was that the waiter didn't let him know the price of the sultan when he recommended it.
When contacted, RWS spokesman Robin Goh explained that Feng Shui Inn serves a very premium clientele. He said: 'It is not always appropriate to state menu prices to high-end customers who have come to expect certain discretion, especially when they entertain high-level guests. This is a practice shared by most high-end restaurants.'

****** 

It's Dearest In Malaysia, reported The Star

July 3, 2010 - RM436,000 (US$136,590) Shocker For Sales Manager

 

KLANG: Sales manager P.J. Alvin from Taman Sri Andalas near here was shocked when he received his June electric bill and saw that he owed Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) RM436,808.03 (US$136,844).

Alvin, 25, lives in a double-storey terrace house that uses three air-conditioning units and has the usual electrical appliances.
“I live with my parents and a sister. There are only four of us in the house. How can we use so much electricity?” he asked, saying that his average monthly electricity bill was RM400 (US$102).

Seeking an answer: Alvin showing his June bill at his Taman Sri Andalas house in Klang Friday.
 
Alvin believed that TNB had made an error as it was impossible for his family to use that much of electricity in a month.
“Yesterday, I went to TNB’s Jalan Meru office to get an explanation but the staff at the counter was rude and scolded me,” he claimed.
Alvin also claimed that his 51-year-old father suffered a migraine for three days and had to be admitted to a private hospital after learning about the exorbitant electricity bill.
“I want TNB to investigate this matter. I also want an explanation as to how this happened,” he said.
Selangor TNB general manager Abdullah Abdul Basir Abdul Ghani said checks showed that Alvin had overpaid by RM4,174 and the amount would be refunded.
“On the RM436,808 bill, it will be checked. If it was due to a technical error, it will be rectified on Monday. We also would like to apologise for the conduct of our counter staff,” he said.

6 comments:

RoseBelle said...

High end or low end, it's customer service that defines the business. If a customer ordered something and had to be replaced, he/she should be notified of a price difference especially when the difference is $800 more!

Unknown said...

That's shocking. What surprised me more was the conduct of people towards customers in both the cases. The Electricity Bill cannot be justified. I just hope they confirm it as a technical glitch.

Ummie said...

well said.

Unknown said...

links of london, marc jacobs, toms shoes, thomas sabo, doudoune canada goose, canada goose uk, moncler, louis vuitton, hollister, montre pas cher, sac louis vuitton pas cher, pandora charms, canada goose, ugg,uggs,uggs canada, canada goose, wedding dresses, juicy couture outlet, canada goose outlet, louis vuitton, replica watches, juicy couture outlet, moncler, swarovski crystal, bottes ugg, ugg pas cher, louis vuitton, pandora jewelry, pandora jewelry, ugg,ugg australia,ugg italia, pandora charms, moncler, ugg boots uk, louis vuitton, moncler, moncler, moncler, canada goose, canada goose outlet, karen millen, moncler, moncler outlet, canada goose, swarovski, coach outlet, supra shoes

Unknown said...

oakley, valentino shoes, ray ban, insanity workout, instyler, hollister, soccer shoes, nike air max, bottega veneta, converse, nike roshe, beats by dre, ralph lauren, nike trainers, louboutin, new balance, converse outlet, hollister, longchamp, north face outlet, soccer jerseys, birkin bag, nike air max, lululemon, asics running shoes, lancel, ghd, mcm handbags, chi flat iron, abercrombie and fitch, hollister, mont blanc, herve leger, nfl jerseys, iphone cases, reebok shoes, vans, nike huarache, baseball bats, mac cosmetics, wedding dresses, gucci, ferragamo shoes, p90x workout, vans shoes, north face outlet, timberland boots, celine handbags, babyliss, jimmy choo shoes

Unknown said...

replica watches, jordan shoes, longchamp outlet, air jordan pas cher, cheap oakley sunglasses, christian louboutin outlet, longchamp pas cher, longchamp outlet, sac longchamp, tiffany and co, ray ban sunglasses, louis vuitton, nike free, tiffany jewelry, nike air max, polo ralph lauren outlet, ray ban sunglasses, ugg boots, ray ban sunglasses, chanel handbags, louis vuitton, oakley sunglasses, louboutin outlet, louboutin, louboutin pas cher, prada handbags, prada outlet, kate spade outlet, longchamp, louis vuitton, uggs on sale, michael kors, nike outlet, louboutin shoes, nike air max, gucci outlet, nike roshe run, air max, nike free, oakley sunglasses, ugg boots, ralph lauren pas cher, replica watches, louis vuitton outlet, louis vuitton outlet, polo ralph lauren outlet, burberry, tory burch outlet