Customer Service

Yesterday, I went to the Customer Service Center of my mobile phone service provider. When I arrived at the said center, I was glad there were no lines and there are just few people walking around. I saw the cashier area and there was no customer at the counter.

I approached the security personnel if I could just go straight ahead in the counter. ANd he tols me, "No, you have to get a number first from there (pointing to an improvised counter near the entrance)". So I approached the woman pointed by the security personnel but could not ask for a number since she was entertaining a customer's inquiry. The woman however, looked pissed. I don't know exactly why, probably because the customer was annoying, had too many questions or could not understand what she was explaining.

I waited for a couple of seconds, the 1st customer left so I approached the customer service personnel. I told her that I would be paying my mobile phone bill, she asked me if I had my billing statement with me, so I said no and she asked for my mobile phone number so that she could check it thru their online records. As I was saying my phone number she interrupted saying "Mabagal lang ma'am (slow it down, ma'am) " although she said it in a very irritated tone, I politely obliged. After that she gave me a piece of paper stating my account number and the amount I have to pay. before leaving her counter, I asked her, "Should I get another number if I need to ask about the status of my postpaid plan? ". She told me, "Sa akin, pwede ka na magtanong (You could tell me your query)", again in an irritated voice. I just smiled and told her that I will ask her after I pay my bill.

When I returned to her post, I saw her texting in her mobile phone, so I smiled and said," Pwede na magtanong (Can I ask you now about my query "). She looked at me in a way as if to say "Can't you see? I'm texting?", she however, nodded so I took it as my cue to begin my query. As I was starting to start my query, I can tell from her tone and her facial expression that she totally got pissed this time. She told me, "Sige, ituloy mo lang ha? habang nagtetext ako (Just go on okay? while I continue texting". To some that may seem okay, but for me that's complete rudeness and lack of customer service etiquette.

She was lucky, I am not the type of person who would scold her right then and there or who would go ask for the manager and report her attitude. It may not be right but what I usually do is to tell it to my friends and to other people who I know, so that they could either avoid the same incident or learn from it.