interesting approach to service

[Nimbus]

I'd believe and be okay that the cancel function is restricted for managers only. That's why at Mos Burger I called the manager. And her logic was the same: I ordered the drink first, therefore if I ordered the set meal with the drink I will get another drink. If she's not the real manager with the authority to cancel the drink item, where is he/she?

Perhaps this is a small thing, and I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. It's not about the incident, but about the mindset and how this can be allowed to happen frequently and in many places. The real problem is not the incident itself. And the real problem is what needs to be fixed in general throughout Indonesia.

Yeah, it sounds like a compounded problem in your case. Purposely inflexible system + barely competent employee + incompetent manager. Wonderful.

 

[godmachine12]

Makes sense to me why the barista did that. They were taught that they need to be making the drinks in order. Which makes sense, but if all they received was "everything has to be in order, first in first out" then they'll follow that verbatim. Because they don't think about the impact of what they're doing. They're only following orders like robots. First in first out, makes sense.

You'll see examples of this every day, everywhere. Sad, but true.

 

[Vicissidude]

Similar thing happened to me at the cinema recently, Rabbit. I wanted to order a large popcorn with coke. The only combo I saw with one popcorn and one drink was with a small popcorn. I asked if it was possible to get a combo but with a large popcorn, and she said yes. I ended up with a coke and two popcorns, one large and one small. I told her that wasn't what I ordered, but she said it was too late to change.

If my friends weren't waiting for me and the movie about to start, perhaps I would have asked for the manager, but after some arguing with no progress I just paid without a thank you (take that, haha). My friends said it was obviously a communication problem because my bahasa still sucks.. Maybe so, but when she brings the food and I say it's not right, why charge me for everything?

I learned my lesson. Just order exactly what's on the menu so a toddler can understand. Point at the picture, derrrr me want this. It's somewhat about my limited bahasa but more about their lack of common sense.

 

[Scooterindo]

My friends said it was obviously a communication problem because my bahasa still sucks.. Maybe so, but when she brings the food and I say it's not right, why charge me for everything?

I learned my lesson. Just order exactly what's on the menu so a toddler can understand. Point at the picture, derrrr me want this. It's somewhat about my limited bahasa but more about their lack of common sense.

I had a similar experience when I first arrived here. I had only been in JKT for a couple of weeks when I was hit by a bad case of diarrhea. Hoping it would clear up on its own I eventually went to the "apotik" on Saturday morning armed with nothing more than some money and a kamus. After a lot of struggling to make myself understood I eventually found the expression "buang air besar" she said something I didn't understand, I politely nodded and she obviously didn't understand me either. Being English I was a bit embarrassed trying to explain I had the shits to a young chemist shop girl. So when she gave me a bottle of medicine, I paid and went home as quickly as possible.

Not being able to read the instructions on the bottle I decided that maybe 3 tea spoons a day should be about right to get rid of my affliction. I took the stuff all weekend and it did nothing, infact it seemed to make the situation worse. Everything I ate went straight through me. I suffered all weekend and come Monday morning I approached my American boss who spoke Bahasa fluently and explained I was suffering and needed some better medicine. I showed him what I had bought and he burst out laughing. Obviously keen to get me out of the Apotik as quick as possible, the chemist girl had given me a bottle of laxative.

 

[fastpitch17]

Scooter, if you would have just said diarrhea you would have been really close and she probably would have understood.

 

[Vicissidude]

Scooter, if you would have just said diarrhea you would have been really close and she probably would have understood.

Haha, yeah I think it's also diare, right? I had a somewhat similar experience when I got a little sick for the first time, but it wasn't too severe. I found some gel tabs and saw the word "flu" so I bought it thinking it would work for my flu-like symptoms. The next day, someone translated it for me and said it was a cough suppressant. That's when I found out that here flu means cold, cold means fever, and there's no word for flu. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[William King]

I had a similar experience when I first arrived here. I had only been in JKT for a couple of weeks when I was hit by a bad case of diarrhea. Hoping it would clear up on its own I eventually went to the "apotik" on Saturday morning armed with nothing more than some money and a kamus. After a lot of struggling to make myself understood I eventually found the expression "buang air besar" she said something I didn't understand, I politely nodded and she obviously didn't understand me either. Being English I was a bit embarrassed trying to explain I had the shits to a young chemist shop girl. So when she gave me a bottle of medicine, I paid and went home as quickly as possible.

Not being able to read the instructions on the bottle I decided that maybe 3 tea spoons a day should be about right to get rid of my affliction. I took the stuff all weekend and it did nothing, infact it seemed to make the situation worse. Everything I ate went straight through me. I suffered all weekend and come Monday morning I approached my American boss who spoke Bahasa fluently and explained I was suffering and needed some better medicine. I showed him what I had bought and he burst out laughing. Obviously keen to get me out of the Apotik as quick as possible, the chemist girl had given me a bottle of laxative.

Hahahahahahahahshs

 

[Scooterindo]

Scooter, if you would have just said diarrhea you would have been really close and she probably would have understood.

But I was under the impression that was an English word.

 

[fastpitch17]

But I was under the impression that was an English word.

Scoot, you know quite well that if they don't have a word for something they just borrow someone else's. I believe they use something like diare and they would have understood you.

 

[Scooterindo]

Scoot, you know quite well that if they don't have a word for something they just borrow someone else's. I believe they use something like diare and they would have understood you.

I know that now but 22 years ago .......................

 

[tihzho]

That's the part that I have difficulties with. I'm an engineer at heart, and I really want to fix everything. Plus I have the expectation that people can do anything they put their mind to. I am starting to learn that the problem is many don't want to put their mind to do anything more than the basics and following the strict rules.

Its not they 'don't want to put their mind to do anything but the basics and following the strict rules', they've been taught to do exactly what they're told to do and not to question it from as far back as they can remember. I see this all the time, at work, on the road everywhere and its very hard to change as they're creatures of habit.

I'm also an engineer at heart, and I really want to fix everything yet here it is an impossible task. When I returned to Indonesia I had high spirits and hopes for Indonesia coming from Shanghai which stressed me to no end. However in the 6 years I've been back to Jakarta I'm embarrassed for all the complaining I did about Shanghai and China in general. The one thing that I've come to understand is Chinese are not satisfied with just maintaining the status quo, its their attitude to be better. Ask Chinese what they think about their lot and China they will proudly say we will be number one.

Conversely I've come to understand that this mind set / attitude is opposite for Indonesians. There is no real inherent desire to improve and are satisfied with just maintaining the status quo. Ask Indonesians what they think about Indonesia and their lot they will say there's too much corruption, nothing they can do will make things better and so on.

That's my two cents

 

[rabbit_39]

Sat at a table in Seroeni restaurant at Plaza Senayan for over an hour (darn near 2 hours) without anyone giving me a menu or said hi. I've got work to do so I just opened my laptop, used tethering to my phone, and started typing away. I'm not that hungry nor thirsty to flag anyone down. Not my job.

 

[Euc-]

Ah, just came across an absolute pearl.. I'm looking for a specific type of Seiko watch, go to jamtangan.com which was recommended by an acquaintance, and they claim to be the "number 1 online watch store in Indonesia". On their site it also states: "Kami juga memberikan jaminan 100% Customer Satisfaction".

So the watch I'm looking for isn't listed on their website, I contact their "Customer Service" to ask if there's a way to get the watch perhaps by special order, the reply is "Nope, can't". When asking why the reply is: "Because it isn't on our website".

_#)%(_#()%#)(%_#)+)#

Been here long enough, should know better, but still, argh!

 

[jstar]

Kinetic perpetual? Had to buy it in the US.

I must say though that, esp. in restaurants, one would not get away with certain things in Europe, that are perfectly normal here. Stare at the bill for 5 minutes (they will wait), start by asking which credit card will give most discount, ask for new tissues or tea refills every 10 minutes, get doggy bags for anything, get them to buy beer next door, etc. etc. And that's (customer) service too.

 

[John_Oates]

I'm amazed how my standards have changed over the years here. When I first arrived I used to think it was very rude if a shop didn't have what I was looking for and didn't try suggesting somewhere that does... Now I'm used to the blanket "kosong" and would find it a little strange if they followed it up with a "but x y z might have it".

I wonder if they would get in trouble from their boss for helping competition...???

 

[Saudade]

Yeah....I'm getting to understand the futility of me wanting to fix everything and getting everything to move forward and become better. I've given up far easier and far more often these days when compared with 3-4 years ago. 5 years ago when I first came, I would have never given up to the end. Oh well, live and learn.

This is me but with the difference I arrived 17 years ago, I tried very hard to improve things and growing up and learn together, but for the last few years I feel so flat and lack of energy, is tiring, very tiring and given up already, which sometimes upset me as well...........
One sentence I have been using always here, of course globally speaking, they don't think......at least on the way I suppose people should think.

 

[Euc-]

Kinetic perpetual? Had to buy it in the US.

I must say though that, esp. in restaurants, one would not get away with certain things in Europe, that are perfectly normal here. Stare at the bill for 5 minutes (they will wait), start by asking which credit card will give most discount, ask for new tissues or tea refills every 10 minutes, get doggy bags for anything, get them to buy beer next door, etc. etc. And that's (customer) service too.

SUN043, standard strap needs to be changed though. My first Seiko in years.