Tuesday, August 31, 2004
The quality of service is strained
Wow, just called FedEx Singapore to try to send a letter overnight to the US and had to listen to a completely inept telephone person. It's not that he didn't answer my questions, but basically he couldn't seem to comprehend that I'm pretty much a newbie to FedEx and didn't know their procedures. Hence such scintillating exchanges as:
Wow, just called FedEx Singapore to try to send a letter overnight to the US and had to listen to a completely inept telephone person. It's not that he didn't answer my questions, but basically he couldn't seem to comprehend that I'm pretty much a newbie to FedEx and didn't know their procedures. Hence such scintillating exchanges as:
FedEx Man: "Will you be using your own envelopes or FedEx ones?"It wasn't surly, but it sure wasn't friendly. Please. "Of course"? How was I to know? And since I had told him that I needed it there by the next day, he could have offered that I could go to a FedEx authorised center instead of sticking to trying to arrange a pickup. Which in itself was fairly pathetic:
Me: "Is there a difference?"
FedEx Man: "Price difference."
Me: "Huh?"
FedEx Man: "Price difference."
Me: "Okay, which one is cheaper?"
FedEx Man: "Of course FedEx will be cheaper."
Me: "I'd like to schedule a pickup"Sigh. Customer service in Singapore has a long, long way to go. Look, I'm not a regular FedEx user, and it would be useful if the man sounded like he wanted to help me get my documents where and when I wanted, instead of just giving short responses to my questions. Oh well. I went on to use UPS.
FedEx Man: "Okay, what's your name?"
Me: "Daryl."
FedEx Man: "Okay."
Me: "Don't you need my last name?"
FedEx Man: "Okay, what's your last name?"
Back in black
Back in Singapore, and this blog should be back in form soon. Meanwhile, I just finished reading Schott's Original Miscellany, which is an incredible book for trivia buffs like me: it's like the compendia I used to read as a child, what with diverse info from the Mohs scale to the hair colour of Miss America winners (70% brunette, roughly). A scintillating read.
Back in Singapore, and this blog should be back in form soon. Meanwhile, I just finished reading Schott's Original Miscellany, which is an incredible book for trivia buffs like me: it's like the compendia I used to read as a child, what with diverse info from the Mohs scale to the hair colour of Miss America winners (70% brunette, roughly). A scintillating read.
Sunday, August 22, 2004
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Stupid inventions
My stupid invention #1: fake fake meat. It looks like tofu... but is made of meat. For when you're dining with vegetarians.
My stupid invention #1: fake fake meat. It looks like tofu... but is made of meat. For when you're dining with vegetarians.
Monday, August 09, 2004
Hoosiers
In Indiana now. Saw my first "John Kerry for President" sign in this red state. May be more intermittent in my posting. But I'll say this: the nomenclature of Indiana towns has a great ring to it. I knew about French Lick from my Boston days (Larry Bird, yeah!), but it was nice to see Bean Blossom on the road signs.
In Indiana now. Saw my first "John Kerry for President" sign in this red state. May be more intermittent in my posting. But I'll say this: the nomenclature of Indiana towns has a great ring to it. I knew about French Lick from my Boston days (Larry Bird, yeah!), but it was nice to see Bean Blossom on the road signs.
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