Friday, June 10, 2005

The one where customer service seems to be a thing of the past

Catherine and I decided to have breakfast at Tropical Hut Taft Avenue today. All three parking slots were taken, but there was a free slot at 10-Q Taft Avenue, the convenience store also owned by Tropical Hut Taft Avenue, right beside it. I moved in to take it. The guard at 10-Q Taft Avenue stopped me.

He: [translated from the Filipino vernacular] Sir, you can't park there.
I: But I'd like to eat at Tropical Hut (Taft Avenue). Aren't they both owned by the same proprietor?
He: Yes, but this spot is reserved for deliveries.
I: But I won't be ten minutes. I'm a potential customer.
He: It's of no matter. My boss doesn't want customers to park here. [He walks away.]

I sat speechless in the driver's seat for a good five seconds or so, mulling my next move. Shaking my head, I park at the University Mall Taft Avenue parking lot, where I now had to shell out P20 to have breakfast at an establishment across the street. [Mind you, I was also booted out of the first parking slot I found there by another security guard. The reason? You got it: deliveries.]

Let this be known: Tropical Hut Taft Avenue and 10-Q Taft Avenue would rather give priority to their suppliers than their customers! Tropical Hut Taft Avenue and 10-Q Taft Avenue have no qualms about shooing away customers to keep an open parking slot open for potential delivery. The entire time I was there at Tropical Hut Taft Avenue, not one delivery truck arrived. If Tropical Hut Taft Avenue and 10-Q Taft Avenue treat their customers like this, they shouldn't get customers.

2 comments:

Tina said...

Er, Tropical-Taft's services aren't that good either. :/ RAR.

Ganns said...

Yeah, mark my words, I am SOOOO not going to support them!