Title of photo: “Still life of three eggplants.” Marketman, 2012
If you are finding ranty kinds of posts tedious, and I would have to agree with many of you at the moment, just do yourself a favor and completely skip this post. We could all do without it, really. But I generally don’t let things like this slip by without a retort. This post is initially published on a password protected basis to make it accessible to regular visitors of the blog, before I open it up to the general public in a day or so. It might just be a self-fulfilling prophecy with respect to my recent lament regarding manners, ethics, and a lack of rational thinking amongst a growing proportion of local service personnel … but I do seem to get more than my share of these kinds of comments/exchanges. And it’s utterly amazing what folks will write under the guise of internet anonymity, or perhaps without serious thought to the potential consequences of what they write.
My recent rant about an experience at a kitchen supplies store was written with a great deal of restraint. I kept all names of the people I spoke to out of the post, and I didn’t even name the company involved. I listed out real service lessons we could all learn from and hoped some good would result from the discussion. The vast majority of the comments were supportive, and I didn’t feel the need to delete any inappropriate comments. In fact, it was all a kind of mild, non-event by typical marketmanila rant standards. Two days after I wrote that rant, I sent a cover email summarizing the key issues to one of the managers I had spoken with last Wednesday. She gave me her card, and her email address. Here is what ensued, and I will comment only on items others have raised, either in their subsequent emails to me, or attempted comments, etc. I am only responding to emails and comments sent to Marketman or marketmanila.com. All of the personal, name, address, other information was either voluntarily provided by the individuals involved or was a result of some simple “googling” or “sleuthing” to track down related IP addresses and possible “faces” to the names provided. Again, my main purpose for this post is educational. So take notes, and hopefully, more folks will think twice before launching a tirade of comments on a website/webpage/social network, etc. in future.
On Friday, July 20,1012, 3:31PM, I sent an email addressed to Ms. Jenny H Carlos, at the address jenny@technolux.net. It was a cover email summarizing my post, and I added a link to my post which I published on Wednesday, July 18, 2012. Ms. Carlos sent a very short reply at 5:16pm the same day, above (you may have to magnify the screen shot, to see details if you are interested). Essentially the content of Ms. Carlos’ reply is “We apologize for what happened. Thank you very much for your feedback.” I truly appreciate Ms. Carlos’ quick albeit terse response, but of course I had hoped to get a more comprehensive reply to the issues raised. Nevertheless, the One THING THAT THIS REPLY CONFIRMED WAS THE IP ADDRESS USED BY MS. CARLOS, and an authentication that she was the sender, using a technolux.net address. Each email sent has a “header” that identifies details of sender, and that is the information that I show in the red oval shape on the upper right hand side of the screen shot above. Ms. Carlos’ IP address was 124.105.251.136 — A PLDT server located in Rizal, apparently. So thank you Ms. Carlos for your reply, but THANK YOU MORE for providing me with the IP address from which you sent your reply, using your ipad, according to your own email message.
All would have been well, until I came back from a dinner on Friday evening, and having been away from my desk for say 4-5 hours (no, I don’t spend all of my time on the blog), I then noticed a consecutive set of curious emails for moderation on the post regarding my recent kitchen store experience. I have operated this blog long enough to know how this works most of the time. I write a rant, then the object of the rant finally gets wind of it, either because I send them a heads up, or they read the blog, etc. Persons who feel strongly about the rant (and more often than not who disagree with my point of view) send a comment or typically a slew of comments hoping to either insult, offend, correct, change public opinion, etc. Logical and rational arguments are welcome. Expletives, slander, libel and irrelevant matters are not welcome. Many times, they are not regular commenters, so their message(s) get piled up in my moderation folder, and if I am lucky, I visit that folder once a day. Truly offensive comments end up in spam, and I don’t even read them. Irritated commenters who don’t see their messages appear instantly feel I am targetting them, when in fact, they just sit there until I get a chance to look at the pending messages. Below are four such attempted comments, and curiously, THREE MESSAGES COME FROM THE EXACT SAME IP ADDRESS AS THE MESSAGE I received in my email from Ms. Carlos. Isn’t that just an amazing coincidence? Now I realize that many people at the same company could have sent the comments, so there is absolutely no proof that one person or another was responsible for it. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY ORIGINATED FROM THE SAME COMPANY, IF NOT THE SAME ACTUAL COMPUTER FOR 3 COMMENTS and a closely related computer for the 4th COMMENT. Again, folks who send these messages often don’t realize just how much information is sent by email. :)
In this case, as was the case in the famous “FISHPAN” exchange of several years ago, the first comment was sent by a person who gives a full name, and a functioning email address. I don’t think there was any malice or intent to hide their identity, so I would definitely like to respond to the comment.
MODERATED COMMENT #1
Charmaine Bonifacio
chameeyb@gmail.com
124.105.251.136 (IP address)
Submitted on 2012/07/20 at 5:12 pm (four minutes before Ms. Carlos sent me her reply above)
“Dun ka sa baranggay magreklamo!”
Marketman’s translation : “Go air your complaint at the local government unit!”
—-
Marketman’s response to “Charmaine Bonifacio” — Thank you for your email. And thank you for placing your full name (if you used your own full name) on the attempted comment. I can’t be certain from your email who you work for, but I do know that you sent your email from the exact same IP address as Ms. Carlos, who works for Technolux. Since you provided your full name, I did a bit of googling, and I found this link below, and I have taken a screenshot from this webpage:
Photo removed and on file.
Would this happen to be a photo of you, Charmaine or is it just someone with the same or similar name? It’s not a particularly flattering photo, but whatever makes you happy, I guess. :) What’s most interesting about this screenshot, if it is in fact you, is that it identifies Charmaine as being in Makati City, and on that particular page, shows a “link” to Technolux One Stop Shop, precisely the group which Ms. Carlos also identified herself with, and you and Ms. Carlos used the same IP address to send your messages. So for now, and I agree it is merely an assumption, but I am thinking you too might work together with the entire Sales Group at Technolux for their restaurant goods. A little more googling and I landed on this next page, a screenshot of “Chamy Bonifacio’s twitter page” is here:
Photo removed and on file.
Could it be a coincidence that the ladies in the photos seem to be identical? And again, what a lovely coincidence that @chameeyb’s account is also the same as your chameeyb@gmail.com address used in the email above? Hmmm. The public view of that twitter page lists Chamy Bonifacio’s occupation as being a Sales Engineer. I wasn’t familiar with the job description, so I looked it up, here. And I quote from that U.S. Government site, that describes a Sales Engineer as “Sales engineers sell complex scientific and technological products or services to businesses. They must have extensive knowledge of the products’ parts and functions and must understand the scientific processes that make these products work.” That’s truly impressive.
As for the content of your email. It is innocuous enough. You pose the question why I don’t take my complaint to the local baranggay unit? Certainly a Sales Engineer would understand that when one has a complaint regarding a company’s service, one should first raise it with the company’s managers or staff. And if nothing is done, that other more senior managers should be made aware of the issue. What possible use would filing a complaint at the baranggay serve? Should I have it “blottered” at the local police station that the company I was dealing with could potentially be conducting business despite the fact that they admitted they still had no business permit? Basically, taken on its own, your comment is simply non-sequitur. It just doesn’t follow that one with a complaint about a company should then run to the nearest barangay official. If anything, intelligent, professional people could/should settle the matter amongst themselves. Even my “Plant Manager” of many years knows that. He is a brilliant gardener. :)
MODERATED COMMENT #2:
JAN
janie1423@yahoo.com
124.105.251.136 (IP address)
Submitted on 2012/07/20 at 5:42 pm
“Arte mo te… pinalaki mo issue. !#$@%?! sa brgy ka magreklamo!…accept this comment you only choice(sic) comment na pabor sayo. nag mabasa nman nila…hahaha”
Marketman’s translation : “Sister you are over-reacting…your making the issue bigger than it is. (Deleted) Go air you complaint at the local government unit. accept this comment you only choice (I think she means choose) comment that favor your position. So others can read my comment…hahaha”
—-
Marketman’s response — I don’t know who JAN is, or what her full name is, but she did use a real email address, and not surprisingly, also used THE EXACT SAME IP ADDRESS AS THE MESSAGES from Ms. Carlos and Ms. Bonifacio earlier that afternoon. But it should be VERY easy to figure out if Ms. Jan also works at the same company, as they only have a total of 30 people in their sales force nationwide, and possibly less than 16 in Makati, and I already know the names of at least 3 of the Sales staff in Makati, but does it really matter what her full name is? Geez, could you all be using your company computers to send these emails? Would your bosses be amused by the manner in which you are possibly using company property to pick arguments with potential clients? Are there no internet usage policies in your place of work? I hope for your sake you weren’t using company property like computers, company email connections, company email servers and addresses… I know that would certainly get my own staff in trouble if they did something along the same lines.
As to your specific comment. That I am making a bigger issue than I should… I agree that you are totally entitled to your opinion. I may not agree with your opinion, but properly expressed, it is a valid position to have. As for your next word(s), which I have deleted in the screen shot above. They are offensive, untrue, defamatory, slanderous and potentially libelous personal attacks on Marketman specifically. In other words, I have done you a BIG favor by deleting the words, for had I let the comment in as you wrote it originally, I could, in theory, have a case of defamation/libel against you. And believe me, I know exactly how that works and it is a criminal complaint that is relatively easy to file and pursue. So I suggest that you think before you type words you could regret and in theory, could land you with a criminal record and a massive fine and/or jail time. As for the repeated suggestion of going to the baranggay, see my response to Charmaine Bonifacio, above. And here I have accepted and published your comment sans expletives so that other readers can indeed read it.
MODERATED COMMENT #3:
JAN
janie1423@yahoo.com
124.105.251.136 (IP address)
Submitted on 2012/07/20 at 5:59 pm
“hind ka lng pinapasok nag amok kna…we can ask the cctv vedio(sic) para makita natin kung sino nag amok”
Marketman’s translation : “Just because you were refused entry to the store you go amok…we can ask for the cctv video so that we can see who was amok”
—-
Marketman’s response — Same person as Comment #2, same details, same IP address. Jan, do you always write in bad abbreviations neither in straight Pilipino nor English? Did you have difficulty with spelling in school? A critical issue was that your (I assume) colleagues had categorically stated that the store had no business permit and was not open for business. But you let other people in. That’s the issue. Remember that. Because your comment is most helpful. Now that I know you have a CCTV camera, and if you are requested by a subpoena or otherwise compelled to show the tape, it will only confirm that THERE WERE CUSTOMERS inside your place of business precisely at the same time your managers claim you had no business permit and were not open for clients. So yes, please send me a copy of your cctv video(s) for Wednesday, 18 July between 1:30pm and 3:00pm. I could share that with the City Hall folks who issue business permits if I file a complaint there. Thank you for indicating that you tape all activity at your new store.
MODERATED COMMENT #4:
april jane
a_jane_0412@yahoo.com
124.105.251.146 (IP address)
Submitted on 2012/07/20 at 6:27 pm
“As I read your article having a high definition of a MOK, I think it’s ABSURD! looking for meaning out of abbreviation is actually out of the story. Try to put yourself on someone’s shoe though you still have your point.”
Marketman’s translation : Hahaha, sorry, I couldn’t resist: “As I was reading your post with its seemingly unrelated tangential discussion and high-falluting definition of a MOK, slang for ‘someone with an exceptionally large penis’ I thought it was just absurd! Looking for meaning out of an acronym MOK is not related to the story. Try to put yourself IN someone else’s shoes and yes I see the your point. “
Marketman’s response — New name, new address, and IP slightly different, but probably a computer at the same company. Hahahaha. Sorry, regular readers just have to take that comment as is. And Ms. April Jane, thanks for trying that sentence in English, I do appreciate it, but it isn’t very clear to me… Except of course, that I was having issues at a store that, according to its signage in front of the store, was called MOK, an acronym for “Mall of Kitchens”.
CONCLUSION
I sure hope managers at Technolux/MOK revisit both my original post and this one and do the right thing. As for overzealous employees so intent on defending a position that seems rather indefensible, now you know that every email you write can probably be rather easily traced back to you, so you should take some care in what you write, particularly if it contains offensive and libelous material. This is really an interesting example of customer service gone bad, and somehow, folks from the company digging themselves a far deeper and darker hole than they were already in to begin with. Tsk, tsk.
I do wish Technolux and MOK well when they do finally get their business permit and open their new Mall of Kitchens store, but I sincerely hope they do something to address service issues raised in my post regarding my attempted visit to their store last Wednesday, 18 July 2012.
Thank you.
Marketman
P.S. If you scroll down the comments, you will see a couple more comments from the same people, using the same IP address.
166 Responses
Go MarketMan! I am learning a lot from you. Better be frustrated than be indifferent.
Now they know the real meaning of being Stupid, Unprofessional and Irresponsible.
What’s the use of giving out your company and your own contact info when you can’t take comments, suggestions and constructive criticism?
Maybe, these people are so bored with their job at MOK. Well, they can give their positions to people who are currently unemployed and give the company a big favor.
To Charmaine, JAN and April Jane :
“Dun na kayo sa Barangay magreklamo, at sa Prisinto na magpaliwanag!”
BUSTED!!
She gave a new meaning to the word “unprofessional”
They’re not in your league, but love the still life!
These people don’t really know how IP Addresses work and think they can get away with it. Karma is digital… let’s wait and see how this story ends..
On a lighter note…
OK….MM…now I know what to make next time you are in town! A gum paste or chocolate version of your Still Life of Three Eggplants! Hopefully the recipient will appreciate it…one of a kind because it will the the last one I will ever make!…If only Footloose or Silly Lolo can read this!!!!…..hahahahaha! Sorry Silly Lolo, I know you would like one of those!
We can only hope that they learn from their mistakes and make them better people!
i had to laugh at the photo … and more laughing at those employees who are downright unprofessional and inefficient. those who don’t want to work shouldn’t. and jobs should be given only to those who want to.
that will surely give them a lesson mm. Pls update us how their management would respond to this issue.
Sir MM magaling ka pa lang Detective sa Cyberspace, hehehe galing!
Serves them right if YOU take their advice to heart — “Dun ka sa baranggay magreklamo!”
It would be a bitter pill for them to swallow.
MM, fighting!
Good morning! Yes another password protected post! I just love it when i get to open one!
MM I think it would serve those people right if you’ll just take off the password for this post. It would be great if those sales people get the “attention” they deserve. They’ll sure get “fried” by commenters before noon! :)
Akala nila they can get away with comments like that. Grabe. And it seems to me they did use computers in the same network given the IP addresses, which probably means they used company resources just to air out all that negativity. I hope someone in the upper management of Technolux/MOK gets wind of their antics and imposes sanctions.
And may I just add, they should thank you for making this a protected post; imagine the consequences if it were otherwise!
Now I’m curious what that “JAN” actually posted.
hahaha! this is high comedy, on a Monday morning! thanks, MM!
So funny! hahaha……. Who is the owner of this company??? In my line of work, when the lower ranks cannot perform, it’s the manager that I hold accountable.
Those people from Technolux seem to be really stupid.
I love that title for you gardener: Plant Manager. Very witty.
The eggplants are…. Interesting! Hahaha!
The company/employees should’ve just taken the issues constructively and learn from them…
I agree with cwid, absolutely giggled at the Plant Manager title. Also, just a quick typo: “your making the issue”. Sorry MM, couldn’t resist. :) Thanks for the highly entertaining and educational Monday morning read.
We actually have gotten some stuff from Technolux and their repair service responds quite quickly here in Manila when something goes wrong. Replacement parts are quite expensive though. A busted oven part was quoted at 70k to replace, so I went online and found the same part for $400, or around 17k. They carry some very well known brands. You could try others like HKR, PFESCORP, Multi-Mach, KLG etc.
Have to say that those comments from Technolux were stupid.
Good morning sir. Thank you for sharing your stories with us readers.
Last stormy saturday, I was able to drive by the area mentioned above and I was already deducing, at the back of my head, that this might be the area you’ve mentioned. Well, it turns out that I deduced correctly.
For me, I believe that I have learned something valuable today from your story. I, too, am working in the sales field and act as a jack-of-all-trades in our small company. I just feel sorry for those ladies who didn’t think first before posting their comments.
I wish you more success and more stories to share.
Safe travels. ;p
those girls are rude!
what ever happened to great customer service?
It is rather pathetic for a “techno” company trading “lux” products to have sales personnel predisposed to using gutter language.
bada-bing, bada-boom!!! serves them right to be thrashing stuff they should’ve fixed in the first place… this is what we call misuse of company property; and yes, i’m doing this comment in the office… hahaha… what a post to start this great week… and yes, i noticed the eggplants… great photo, MM… hahaha… bon appetit!!! :)
Once this entry goes public and this idiot sees it, there is a high probabililty that she won’t get why you are “flipping the bird” on her.
Got a little surprised when I learned about the identity of the company in this issue. The firm is proud of its stability, competent workers, professional outlook and corporate values. Indeed, we cannot judge a company by just one unfortunate incident. But then, due to the nature of its business, a negative incident like this must at all times be avoided as impressions matter and stick to clients’ recall or memory. Negative incidents result to negative impressions which ultimately, leads to negative recall, as simple as that.
How sad also that people of questionable level of professionalism and competence are gainfully employed while hundreds possessing better competence and higher degree of professionalism are without work and are struggling to find one.
All I can say is wow.. People like that should never be in service-related businesses/industries. If I had the resources to pursue legal action, I would. I’d file a lawsuit against COMMENTER #2 just to put the fear of god in her/him.
Judging by the terse and curt response of the sales manager, you know that there’s really no customer service at all and gives the impression that Technolux doesn’t train their people to respond professionally to complaints/criticisms etc.
It is sad aboutthis incident involving such young women who may have just been starting their careers and their work. It is quite obvious that they have not been trained well and do not have the passion for their work. It is sad because at their young age, they should have been quite energetic, passionate and willing to learn their profession. I can only imagine how their parents must feel if they know that their children have acted this way.
Since you have already spent a substantial amount of time on this issue, it would be good if the owners of this company would indeed know about this incident. It would be interesting to see how they would handle this. For now, I will remember this company, and will not buy from them. I cannot afford to do business with a company who does not value good customer service and ensures that their staff uphold such value.
i’m into food business, but i will never even bother to pass by at their shop. hahaha. i do not want the same experience as you had, MM.
MM, this reads like a Hardy Boys detective story. Can you please make sure that you post the ending of this story ? Did you send them your investigative piece ? I can only imagine the look of the girls’ faces when they find out they were exposed. Thanks for another great post.
I almost commented on the original post — you mentioned that the website was out of date, I was going to register my surprise that they had a website at all — it seems that many companies, even major one, don’t really have the sort of web presence I would expect.
Given what happened in this post it looks like there’s probably mileage is offering training to companies in how to (inter)act on the web. If you think about it many people are coming from a world of facebook or twitter, were you can — quite easily — pretend to be someone else. Many don’t realize the trouble they can get into.
Those girls are rude, they don’t know the real meaning of customer service. they should have thought of the consequences of their actions before posted their comments. Well, I’m sure your readers including me will not visit their store ever.
Oh my… these girls may be old enough to hold jobs but they certainly react like teenage schoolgirls. I’ve looked at this post several times and could only keep shaking my head. Maraming marami pang bigas, asin, suka, at toyo silang kakainin. It’s sad and pathetic.
I recently met an person whose business is training and she gave an interesting insight. She said training can only do so much. They run on-site training that last 3 months. In their experience, after 3 months training, their participants learn what they have to learn. But without constant, consistent, and persistent follow-up and monitoring, whatever they’ve learned is quickly lost.
She said that there are so many things the trainer is fighting against. One example is the participant’s past or upbringing. People’s past determine their habits and it is very difficult to shake off habits. For example, a person’s home might not have running water from the tap and so they either get water from the well or buy their water. In this circumstance, they minimize the use of water to only as absolutely necessary. If these people become waiters, they are trained to wash their hands frequently. They learn why and how. After training, they will be following what they’ve learned. But months after, when they do spot checking, you’ll see they’ve reverted back to their old habits.
She says you have to love it (training) otherwise it’s easy to get discouraged and tire of it.
napaka token ng response ng sales manager, wala man lang point by point discussion of the issues raised and how they would improve things in the future. obviously she didn’t read deeply into it and thought her apology would make everything right.
Ah… i’m so happy 2 search dis katuray plant and at last i find it, hahaha… kilala q naman pala 2 we had this when i was kid in the farm of my granny in new bataan, comval…tnk u, you tube
Iconic! I will steal this image for my fish pan moments!!!! With your permission , of course, LOLX10!
Ah, so that’s the ‘mok’ and eggplant connection! I just read about the lettuce stepping photo which was traced back to a BK employee by data embedded on the photo source. Three employees were fired for gross mishandling of food at the BK franchise.
I would not want those girls at Technolux as my employees if that’s how they handle clients.
The eggplant still life photo is cute heheheh :-) that’s why i love your rant post very creative and informative :-)
Am I stupid to give my whole name and my email address kung ayoko mag pakilala???? hello??? i just want to give my own opinyon, wala na bang freedom of speech sa bansang ito?
so what if you knew all our names? e ikaw? e word na BAKLA bakit kailangan mo i-hide? nagpapanggap ka nho..tsk,tsk,tsk…harharhar…
OMG, does the phrase “torpidly stupid” not come to mind? Hello?! Charmaine and JAN, a copy of these two posts will be sent to the CEO of Technolux, I believe his name is Mr. William Stelton. As well as your managers. A PR nightmare is about to begin. I knew you were acting irresponsibly, but the complete lack of understanding is now even more apparent.
JAN, I am pursuing a libel case on another matter right now and it is very simple to do. If you do not publish a real comprehensive and contrite apology for the comment you just put, you may be the next on the list for a libel suit. It would give me some comfort that for educational purposes, you be used as an example for others who may think making statements such as those in your comments are acceptable behavior. Wow. This definitely is moving into chainsaw rant category. :)
For your own good, and with a degree of civility in mind, all future comments of this nature will be moderated and deleted.
Oh my goodness, MM, they’re really pushing you to the very limits of your patience! Very, very rude indeed. Do what you have to do…this kind of behaviour deserves what it gets, and rightly so.
Words fail me….. >:o
I’m just appalled at the stupidty!
To Charmaine & Jan, girls, please think about your future. Use the education that you have received and think before doing anything please. I really want the girls to realize how they are currently not thinking clearly because of their latest comments.
I think that they may both be scared right now, but instead of thinking clearly, they just keep on adding problems to their predicaments. Life lesson: think before you post anything that borders on maliciousness & negativity.
Clap*clap*clap, MM!! Bravo on how well you responded to this last post of Jan. Indeed this matter should be brought to the owner’s artention and a libel suit is worth pursuing. I wonder whether this Jan and her cohorts comprehend reading proper English!!!
Oh my… these two need to be “moderated” ASAP. Charmaine and JAN, please consult an adult before posting again. Preferrably a lawyer. Seriously. The evidence for possible termination from the company you’re supposed to be representing is mounting each time you post comments that certainly go against the principles of good customer service. If for some reason you are not afraid to be terminated by your company, you’re still causing damage to the reputation of your organization. This blog of MM has a very wide readership, attracting people that is likely the target market of Technolux: high income foodies or those in the food service business. Your antagonistic remarks towards a customer is certainly putting off a lot of people from patronizing MOK or Technolux! So on top of the libel case that you will face against MM, perhaps the company will also likely sue you for damage to reputation!
Stupid girls. Rude.
Wow. Well done girls! You’ve successfully screwed yourselves over. Marketman, thank you for providing your readers with lessons learned from fishpan stupidity.
Hay, naku, CEOs have to get a handle of customer complaints especially in the world of social media. Wow, amazing that emails can be traced!
These girls are so out of their league and clearly clueless on what constitutes basic customer service, communication skills and etiquette, it is mind-numbing how they got their jobs in the first place. On the other hand, they obviously have not been trained and/or, management and its policies are sorely lacking in how their employees should comport themselves to the public. So, so sad . . . .
I am in the BPO industry… started out as a frontliner taking calls and emails, then on to training then finally to operations… eto lang masasabi ko: tsk tsk tsk (just picture my head shaking at the same time).
tama si bluegirl: Maraming marami pang bigas, asin, suka, at toyo silang kakainin.
sigh.
Glad you posted these girls reactions/comments! Just goes to show what kind of people they really are….they should be taught lots of lessons….hay!
OMG, seriously? In the company I work in, we would NEVER be allowed to speak to customers in that manner, regardless if the customer was right or wrong. That is definitely not the way to treat irate customers.
In one of the Pinoy shows I watch here in Texas, before the ending of the show – the host’ reminds viewer – – – – “THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK!!”
I love your rants
They might get nose bleeds with your responses in English.
those girls are DOOMED…rude rude rude..
sumagot pa….please think very hard before you reply any further or email MM… ..know when you’re beat, accept when you’re wrong
Hooh! A sad thing about airing bad customer service is that even though we customers, were the ones done wrong, they (the company/employees) may make it look like we are making a big deal out of nothing. You are very right MM, I’m a big supporter of all your rants. Go, go, go! And to a better Phils. Cheers!
Teach these girls a lesson! Hayy, the intellectual state of our country disappoints me. Go MM, kahit anong sabihin nila, sa utak at utak pa lang, malayong-malayo na. Walang mararating tong mga to.
I say, keep everything posted! Make a page with the faces of these two (insert derogatory word here), so when A FUTURE EMPLOYER googles something about this two, it would pop up. They do screen their potential applicants, e mukhang hindi alam nitong mga to e, freedom of speech pang nalalaman, freedom comes with responsibility, hindi yung bira lang ng bira haha.
and sue the other girl, just like the boneless liempo (insert derogatory word here), purge the world of ignorant and senseless people, kahit one at a time haha.
Omg, i am lost for words.
Unbelievable! And these are sales people?!
Whoaw!! Total nosebleed talaga ako….I’m learning so much …tsk…tsk…these girls is barking on a wrong tree…
Thanks MM for making this post public. (long time reader/lurker ;-) but I wasn’t able to get the password on time)
My jaw dropped when I read their other comments and/or reply. I seriously don’t know what to say. I hope these women will learn their lesson when they get served with papers.
Just a friendly advice to the 2 girls – think twice ( maybe thrice or a few times more) before you click. You may have your own opinion, but there is a thin line between what is acceptable and what is criminally liable.
Yet another award in a few weeks time MM. Makes you wonder what’s happening to the kids (I couldn’t even acknowledge these 2 girls as ladies, even if they are in the work force already) these days…….
first reaction… Oh no you didn’t O_O hahaha………..
Now they’ll surely see how Marketman works.. :)
Ilabas ang fishpan! Hahaha
the reason why i like reading your rant articles is because i learn a lot. as a relatively young, foolish and impulsive young lady, my emotions tend to get hold of me (and cloud my understanding). stories like this one makes me stop and think hard of the things i do and say.
mind-blowingly thoughtless move on their (her?) part. keep us posted, MM!!
Those 2 girls (can’t be called ladies, right?) are clearly ILL-BRED. I have many times encountered sales personnel that even as they were not competent in English, were very courteous and service-oriented. But to be ill-bred and crass..
Wow!! Talk about “Online Disinhibition Effect”:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_disinhibition_effect
or to put it graphically:
https://netownsend.net/dart450/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/internetdickwad.jpg
I wonder when/how will they learn that what they are doing online has REAL life ramifications, E.g. them having a “hit” when getting their NBI clearance.
The word “clueless” does not even begin to describe these girls, it would be an insult to Alicia Silverstone. :D
OMG!!! can’t believe what i am reading!!! all-out war na yata, no holds barred.
tsk, tsk….. where have all the frontal lobes gone???
I think someone’s career in sales is over! And I don’t think you can just easily slide into marketing either…coz the stigma you get for acting up foolishly against the Man of Marketing ( hehehe..sorry could not help it MM ) will stink up your resume for a long time.
This is now public matter and every time you submit your resume for a job position, Google will gladly point you to this forum. See for yourself . Ouch!!!
Google “jenny H carlos technolux sales ” and see what comes up on top.
Unless of course you change your name or “Charm” yourself to your future boss…;)
Hi MM. Nice to see that a little bit of sleuthing turns up all that information and that a careless attitude could land one in very hot water. May I express my 2 cents?
I wish you had not published the pictures. I was shocked on their behalf and I’m on your side. I wish that you mentioned you had these pictures but did not post it for all to see or post it but hid their faces/names anyway. Doing so just humiliates them. They’re already doing that to themselves without your help. I’ve been a reader of your blog for years and I am now familiar with your your rants. But when I saw the pictures, I felt bad for them. It’s almost as if you were feeling vindictive (understandable) and humiliating them with glee (not so understandable). I understand how you feel but I also understand how they would feel. If you had just said that you KNOW who they are and would like an apology, they would still have ‘face’ left to do so. But being confronted with your own image in a post such as this would be very humiliating and will trigger more negative responses. What I’m saying is, give them a chance to realize that what they did (posting those comments) was wrong and that the consequences could be really bad before you post. They may not learn from it but at least give them a chance as they are clearly clueless.
On a side note, I feel for our gay brothers. How ‘bakla’ became a term used to insult a guy you’ve never known before, but has a complaint, is beyond me.
Sigh. I’d like to think that this is an isolated case of two ill-bred girls but I fear that this generation’s manners have gone to pot.
I think there is no other way for these girls to learn their lessons unless libel suits are pursued to completion and they serve their sentences. And even then, one can only hope that they would indeed learn a lesson.
Or maybe it is not manners at all. Maybe they don’t even have two neurons to rub together to see what a predicament they were in and how gracious MM was for providing them an out if they just kept their mouths shut.
Why did they have to react that way? The original post was not about THEM at all. It was about the company, and Technolux was not even mentioned. So, why make it personal?
How old are these girls anyway? At saan mga nagsi-aral?! Kawawa naman. I think they have to start looking for new jobs, pronto. What they are doing or did is simply unacceptable!
The rudeness of these two young women tests the limits of tolerance and civility that one normally extends to imbeciles!
Posting more inanities after being busted shows how utterly shameless these girls are. Charmaine obviously has no qualms about having her photos up there for everyone to see. I do not think you can drive home the point to these girls using kid gloves.
running along the same vein, please provide us with an update on the boneless zubuchon issue. thanks.
When you google the name of that Bonifacio girl, your entry comes out of the front page! haha,. Then if you google her full name (Charmaine Bonifacio I assume), yours is the first that actually pertains to her.
Good luck finding a new employer Sales Enginner. Haha, your “quick” wit (or lack thereof) landed you on the pages of the internet forever. Not a very good reference for someone working in Sales. Let’s see how FREEDOM of speech can help you now huh?
Pitiful
The way they wear their ‘titles’ on their sleeves that they tried to play the shame card in this exchange.
Unfortunately the shame card has no value in this high stakes game of pusoy.
Her foursquare account now shows ‘market m’ as name and location is ‘hell.’
Behavior is quite appalling and doesn’t seem as if she intends to stop. Maybe she has nothing to lose and she just doesn’t love her job at all. Most people would stop once they have been caught red-handed, evidence and all, but this one doesn’t and seems intent on putting herself further down into a sinkhole. Do what you can, MM. Bring these/this unprofessional people/person a peg or two.
I have three words for you, gals — CRUDE, RUDE and PRIMITIVE.
Last i remember, freedom of speech should still be exercised with decorum. This is also why we have libel..hay…and what’s the connection of MM knowing their names and him hiding that word? Kaya ayan..Obviously, these people dont know their opponent. Its like going to battle with no armory at all..ay may dala pala — ang kanilang opinYon spelled with a Y…haha
So low-class. Her comments on this page are so jarringly different in language and crassness, it’s like an ipis flying into a sit-down dinner and landing on the soup :p
Miss, wag ka nang magsalita, nahahalata na wala kang pinagaralan.
PS. I agree with Sunflowii… Since when did being gay become an insult? Can we give Mrs. MM the fish pan so she can knock sense into this woman?
Ahoy Charmaine Bonifacio and JAN! My goodness girls! GROW UP! You better act like the college graduates that you are, if you are indeed college graduates! You’ll be the shame of your co-workers, friends, and relatives if you will not restrain yourselves.
Looks like the unemployment rate of our country will go up thanks to these girls.
MM, you’re my idol when it comes to tracing IP addresses and stuff. I hope I get to learn it too.
These 2 are dense as concrete,nothing gets through it!
Wow. I really thought that this incident would no longer progress and take complicated twists and turns (since I posted my comment yesterday). Goodness. Indeed, indeed, Voltaire was right when he said that common sense is not so common. They should have considered the very obvious fact that in this issue, they are no longer just representing themselves but, their company as well. Hence, they should have been more careful and watchful of all their responses and actions. Logic and not emotion, is what these individuals must use as their guide in handling all these. Their irresponsible actions unfortunately could affect the very company that pays them to have roof over their head, clothes on their back and food on their table.
I agree however, with Ms.Bonifacio when she opined that she only wanted to exercise her freedom to express herself. But then, she must remember freedom is NOT absolute and must at all times be carried out RESPONSIBLY.
Man was created with his head higher than his heart. Logic over emotion. Think first before saying or doing anything. I really hope that the ladies in this issue experience their epiphany the soonest time possible.
Now that these two …persons… have indeed gotten themselves buried deeper in the quicksand, the issue has gone beyond bad customer service and lax employment and/or hiring standards.
It points to a much bigger, appalling “phenomenon” of cultural deterioration wherein young people — the supposed hope of the motherland — are becoming increasingly uncivilized (as evidenced by their very casual use of near-expletives in a public forum), insensitive and apathetic (failing to recognize that they encountered you in the first place as a potential customer, and that you write a blog that has a huge following), and downright unlearned (discernible through their mangled use of language and spelling). For sure these two characters had a fairly good dose of education, but then again it begs the question: just what kind or standard or quality of education are the youth of today getting? That is another issue.
I suspect that the media has a lot to do with this (no offense to media practitioners out there). But just listen to many FM radio stations airing right now. The popular and dominant ones seem to follow the same format or style wherein idiotic and risque jokes are incessantly dished out as publicly-acceptable humor (never mind that there are minor-aged listeners tuned in), supported by equally sleazy banter by live DJs who habitually punctuate their crass spiels with maniacal laughter. Why do the network bosses allow this? Why do the advertisers support this kind of “culture?” It is precisely that kind of “culture” and “language” that your two adversaries flaunt here.
Another issue is the internet. True, the internet has democratized technology and information. It has even led to virtual (i.e., pseudo-personal) interaction through the creation of social networking. But obviously that has only led to the empowerment of a brazenly thoughtless, senseless and insensitive class of users. In other words, the internet has become an abusive tool to a group which already had abusive tendencies to begin with, perhaps due to lack of exposure to proper parenting, high quality education, material security (their circumstances ingrain anger and belligerence among the underprivileged), et cetera.
I sincerely feel a sense of “awa” not only for the two ladies above who have shown themselves not too different from thugs and hoodlums — but for all of us, as a nation in general. There are many, many more of those two characters out there, and their number seems to be increasing. If that were truly the case, nakakaawa tayong lahat.
Tsk, tsk, can’t help but pity those girls, maganda pa naman sana yong isa. They should have just used their “common sense” , let the issue die down and learn from their previous comments. Everyone should be careful of what they say especially on the internet since it can last forever.
my oh my, these two girls are surely “palaban” or just plain dumb?
I agree with Papa Ethan’s concerns and examples. Hence, as parents we have to be vigilant and open our communication lines to our children especially the teens. Girls and women have changed in attitude and behavior through the years. Sabi nga, “kasing lakas nang uminom ng tatay nila”. It starts from the home then the school. Media of course has a lot to do with the new “role models”. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean you can say anything you like or feel, anytime, anywhere. As they say, with freedom comes responsibility. *peace*
its ironic that the company they’re trying to defend to death will probably leave them hanging in a few days or weeks.
oh, and I did notice that there is a sense of self-entitlement among a lot 20 somethings here nowadays… they go around with the attitude that they’re doing YOU a favor for doing their job, or that everyday they were forced to get out of bed and show up in their workplace and that is enough for them to deserve their paycheck. y’all could do an experiment and try approaching a young representative of an organization and an older one and you will know what I’m talking about.
methinks there is a need to instill old-fashioned values to a lot of our young brethrens.
I’m very disappointed. They should know better. Did they learn nothing in school? In college? From their managers or peers?When they go out to shop or eat out? Very unprofessional and shame on their supervisor for letting it happen twice.
The sad thing is that the company might not even care that much about this incident since a majority of their business comes from the big chain accounts. Hope upper management sees this and acts accordingly.
I think my jaw hit my toe-nails reading those comments from these silly girls. It’s one thing to talk like that in your twitter, FB pages or any other media blog , but to talk like that were your professionalism on your job or lack thereof is reflected is another thing.
Girls, I just want to let you know, being on the other end of hiring personnel, I do look at potential’s employees FB and twitter accounts so I can flush out the ones walking around with empty cans in their heads from the ones that can potentially deliver the goods. I do not work your line of work, but I’m reminding you, potential employers do look around, besides the resumes we have on hand.
Dear Technolux CEO,
There is still time to fix this. Fire the wayward employees and hire MM as a Customer Service Consultant.
O…M….G!!! I wasn’t able to visit this blog yesterday afternoon. May ganitong kaganapan na pala? These girls do not know what they’re getting into.
#74 – You were only able to read this posting from MM because you know the password, meaning only avid followers are able to see this and still not available to MM’s general public. So the pictures and comments from these 2 nitwits are still “private”. I think MM is still thinking about making this posting public, So it’s still totally up to MM if he will publish this with their pictures or not.
I believe all the pictures MM posted are public as he gathered them from the social networking sites. He may or may not make this public, but i wish he would.
MM, i just saw the KMJS last night and you were featured on it So I wonder what that 18yr old feel now and what’s the status on that issue btw?
These girls need to be taught a lesson! I have a 20 year-old here who’s gonna be joining the work force soon and was totally appalled when i had her read this post.
This is almost unbelievable! Those ladies certainly do not have a place in Sales or service field. I salute you Market Man for handling this very, very well. There surely is a lot to learn from you. Well done! I’m an instant fan.
It’s not just HR professionals who check out social networking sites. Consumers (esp followers of this blog) and other potential wholesale customers are also checking out the company on how it will rectify the situation. It’s bad enough that the customer encountered a problem but for anybody in the company (especially the CEO), not to do anything is a complete turn-off. Old stats revealed that a dissatisfied customer will tell 5 more and the 5 will tell another 5 each…that’s the multiplier effect. With the internet, it’s many more per person, especially an angry customer! A check of Technolux’s website revealed that the description of their organization does not match these two sales representatives’ attitude and behavior. Sadly, more organizations these days are getting lax with the quality of their service. CEOs should roll up their sleeves and go to the battlefield often rather than stay in their ivory tower and be thankful to complaining customers.
something new again, thanks MM! I really learn a lot from you esp. from your rants…
I am with you, Marketman. These 2 girls need a jolt of reality check for their rude and unprofessional conduct. They think they can hide under the guise of virtual anonymity. Serves them right!
That’s the difference with those who have brains and common sense.These girls have definitly none they even found their match!!! Way to go MM!
I used to have a store in Divisoria, and I wouldn’t hire these girls as my tinderas!
Oh wow! Uber dumb girls.
Unfortunately mas madaming kagaya nila ang nag-eexist sa mundo. I should know lagi ko sila nami-meet yan ang nakakalungkot on my part. Moral values is something na only a handful of people has nowadays. Yan din ang negative na effect na binibigay ng internet. Mga nagtatapang tapangan because they think they’re “hidden” behind their computers. Good for you MM that you have the capacity to sue. Ako I really wanted to give so many people a good lesson and sue them pero mamumulubi yata ako so no choice but to let it go. So please continue to fight for what is right and teach them how to behave well.
I’m having a good time digesting information from such post MM it’s very education indeed. This post teaches us something really important ” Think before you type” or the Digital Karma will hunt you down!!
Hahaha.. The reactions of Ms Bonifacio and JAN are so mindless that it’s almost absurd. Almost but not quite, because of the possible legal ramifications. I say teach them a lesson they’ll never forget.
Sorry for the following off-topic comments…
acid wrote: “…methinks there is a need to instill old-fashioned values to a lot of our young brethrens.”
translation: kulang sa palo (read: bugbog) ang mga kabataan ngayon kaya lumalaking suwail.
All this new age way of raising and disciplining kids is not effective and doesn’t build character. The way I was brought up is not 100% ideal (heck! who can claim that anyway?!) but I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it weren’t for numerous sessions of corporal punishment that I got from my parents. Corporal punishment, whatever psychologists/psychiatrists say, builds toughness and character when properly balanced with appropriate nurturing. ;-)
Goodness gracious! How much more palengkera can you get? My husband was right when he opined that young people nowadays act so mataray and have no urbanity in them. these girls don’t realize that if they get fired from their present job and apply to another company the HR might check out their online presence and see this? They are prime examples of why people should think before they speak/react online. More power to you MM. I stand by you!!!
I am in shock over what these girls did. Thing is, they’re no longer children. They’re adults and; therefore, are responsible for their own decisions and actions. I am glad that you are not sparing them the consequences of their actions. It is very sad that they have to react to something that might have turned out to be a blessing to them.
Being in the retail business, it is very rare for customers to spend time to detail their complaints. Often, they just walk away and bring business to your competitors. Had they taken your comments as a learning experience, they might have become better at what they’re doing and can bring these lessons to their future employers (or even future own companies).
WOW! talk about good customer service. if I encountered these situation, I usually turn my back and have my business elsewhere. I salute you Marketman, You are the MAN! considering there are sales people…do they know what is the number one rule of sales? (1) CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. (2) if they are wrong, SEE RULE NUMBER 1. I rest my case.
UNBELIEVABLE!
peace man…peace man ….huwag ng gatungan si MM. we know him better than this 2 gurlz. i love the eggplants picture. i dont know but i still love the mushy bushy ones. hahahaha. some more MM
they are rude MM. dapat mag iisip talaga sya/sila bago magsalita ng ganyan. di dapat pinapalampas ang ganyang klaseng mga tao para matuto at matauhan.
I cringed at the crassness displayed by these two! MM, you can file the case in Cebu to make it more difficult for them to defend:)
Their responses made this “saga” more entertaining, and I was laughing as I read your witty replies!
Seriously, I do hope this reaches their employers.
Cool eggplant shot! =)
How ignorant can these two girls be?! Sighhhh….sometimes you can’t fix stupid:/
OMG, these girls should know when to shut up! nag comment pa rin ng ganun… tsk tsk tsk
And the lesson to be learned here: just because you can post scathing comments on the Internet, that doesn’t mean the Internet won’t fight back.
Give them hell.
I am aghast by the rudeness of these unlettered bitches. The management of Technolux, obviously, did not exercise the due diligence in the hiring and the selection of their employees. We should all boycott Technolux products until they can issue an official mea culpa!
Ok…I think those concerned have already seen the error of their ways and hopefully have learned a most valuable lesson that they will carry through their entire lives! Maybe it is time to close this post, MM?
I agree with Betty Q.
bettyq and netoy. I have not received any emails of apology or acknowledgement that they are aware what they did was wrong. I am sending letters to their senior management today. And I will see what response if any will be received. I sent a follow up to their direct sales manager the other day, and she has not acknowledged that email nor responded. This post will remain open until I receive a satisfactory explanation and apology and any corrective action taken, if any.
And let me remind JAN, that there are likely two counts of potentially defamatory statements, as she sent two offensive emails/comments, and I had done her the favor of editing her first comment. But I have the original comment on file. And “Ley” is an Attorney in Cebu whose firm has filed libel cases for facebook related posts (not related to Marketman in any way) so she knows what she’s talking about… If I were to file a libel/defamation case in Cebu, then the party against which the libel case was filed would have to come to CEBU for all hearings and to clear his/her name. The travel hassle and cost alone, legal fees, and not counting the criminal record and likely monetary fine if found guilty of libel/defamation, is not a laughing matter…
Team Marketman ako! teach them a lesson they will never forget.
I was surprised when Technolux’ name was revealed. While I have never dealt with Technolux, I am a regular customer of an affiliate that, for me, consistently delivers excellent customer service. I am surprised that this skill was not imported by Technolux from its affiliate. I know i have always dreamed of the day that the SME my wife and I help manage would provide a level of service that approximates that of Technolux’s afiliate.
#119, like they say in Japanese, these girls don’t have “crass” ;-)
I guess this time around, they weren’t exactly TECHNO-FANTASTIC!
f, I agree, technolux’s related restaurant chains are very well known, and some of them deliver great value in my opinion. But this may just be a one-off situation, and it’s always hard (I KNOW) for managers to manage all staff and provide consistent service. But this really breaks the bounds so to speak…
(sigh)
I had a good laugh over the still life and the post until I got to comments 39 and 40 and it just went downhill from there. :(
Hope this gets resolved soon. I’m a sucker for happy endings but I doubt that will happen in this case.
What strikes me most is the fearlessness of those involved. That speaks volumes about how the company is managed.
These “kids” should be taught with a lesson the hard way. i have worked dealing with customers before and no matter how irate the customer has become I don’t necessarily throw defamatory words.
The thing is, also, I think in Pinas the state of customer service is so dismal. Everyone might not agree but I don’t necessarily like it when the cashier ask for a smaller bill or something like, “naa lang kay piso or tres or cinco pesos diha mam?” every time I hear this I always sigh, “welcome to the Philippines!” because indeed from my experience (though have not been on extensive travel) it is only in the Philippines that cashiers expect you to pay the bill with the exact amount of money. But this is a different story altogether :)
a simple apology could have ended things.
No apology? Tsk tsk. Very unprofessional. This will make me think twice before going to Technolux.
Thanks MM! I have got new ideas from you. Whew! I learned so much today. Actually, I’m not used to post comment but I love to read comments from other people. In this way, I’m getting something which is very favorable on my part. With regards to your rant, hope everything will be fine. You know what to do with it and how to deal with it. Good luck!
Peace to all!
magsorry na kasi kayo kay MM, yan hindi kayo nyan tatantanan. next time kasi pag me ginusto cia… pagbigyan nyo na. ayan humaba tuloy yung tantrums. tama si Ms. BettyQ. moveon. nauubos tuloy yung energy nya jan sa mga walang kwentang bagay. waiting for more nakakatakam na posts. :D
Nisha, is that you Charmaine? or JAN?
Sunflowii, I get where you are coming from regarding Charmaine’s pictures but anything uploaded/posted in cyberspace is public property and therefore people should think a million times before typing anything as these can be searched, along with their photos…
If these girls were my daughters, they’d be grounded… forever… and a day…
Wow this is the same exact lesson we tried to teach the whole 6th grade at the end of the school year after a classmate(s) sent out unsavory emails using their school email addresses. Our IT guys traced the IP, etc. and we even gave them a chance to come clean…but because they didn’t the whole class was effectively banned from any internet use at school and school email through the end of the school year. I always tell the students “Just when you think we won’t find out, we will. Why? Because we know everything. Every text, every email, every nasty FB wall post you make – whether you are at school or not – we will find out about it because what goes around comes around.” Quite sad that adults have to be taught these lessons too.
ted at #100 – i never had to enter a password to get to this post.
MP – i know that what is available on the internet is public. what i’m saying is that that information could’ve been just mentioned here, not posted. that way the women become aware that they have been identified and given a chance to think about their next step. by posting the pictures here, it most likely further inflamed things, hence the additional comments in this post.
i understand that MM is frustrated (i know how i am if i’m frustrated). and i know that he wants to teach customer service lessons. but threatening libel every time somebody doesn’t learn his lessons right away and reacts to it negatively isn’t the best way of going about it because: they do not understand customer service, they have a wet market (palengke, pun intended) mentality and react by calling names instead of having a rational discussion, and our courts would be tied up with all these libel cases since it will inevitably degrade to that. but potential incarceration for these women over this? really? with all the crime going on in manila or cebu right now you won’t even give these 2 people a chance to learn at least their internet lesson if not their customer service ones? i know the sentence for libel was not decided by MM but by the law and the courts. but knowing that, would you take the step that could potentially send someone to jail over this? i’d rather see MM be the teacher in a customer service class that has case studies. but since the people he needs to reach are the regular folks who will be intimidated by his english, maybe the best teachers are his own customer service staff. however, since the businesses who need a customer service lesson or two are probably not the type who’d pay for it, how about videotaping the lesson/discussion and posting it here as a podcast or on youtube so that it’s free? at least this will be a bit more proactive than reactive. and for the case studies, they can be based in real life but the parties involved don’t have to be named so that it doesn’t become a flame war.
Yikes. Was the still life really necessary? Your sainted ancestor’s ashes are in tornado mode.
@sunflowii
i agree with your sentiments.
but somehow life lessons need to be done the hard way.
and somehow apology is one of the hardest thing to do it goes with swallowing one’s pride.
It is MM’s way of teaching a lesson
but i may have to agree that libel is way too harsh… only lawyers benefit in this kind of ordeal.
I hope Jan and charmaine learn there lessons on how to behave professionally. time to grow up its totally a different world out there.
am i the only one who thinks the libel case is not a threat?
Knowing what you have done is a serious violation of laws is educational. Realizing you could be up for a criminal case is a step further. Actually pursuing a case takes real resolve. When I think someone has done something maliciously, rather than just plain stupidly, then I am inclined to pursue a case, as I am already doing in one other situation. But all I am saying here, frustrated or not, is that if you sling mud, then be prepared for a mud fight. The basic argument underlying all of this was poor service and an inability to give a client a straight answer… and when the answer was given (no permit to operate) it was immediately undermined by the fact that clients were in the store. That’s all. The later comments of other people, JAN and Charmaine included, while perhaps a result of their own frutstrations, crossed the line. Not to mention could have broken laws. I look at these things in black and white, and always have. It is the essence of my rants for the most part, and over 8 years, I have never had to withdraw a rant because it was inaccurate, unethical, inappropriate or illegal. If people don’t like the smack that I send back when these situations happen, then they shouldn’t start the mudslinging. If you notice, I exhibited tolerance by deleting defamatory words in the first comment, only to have JAN come back and comment again. Stupidity once is perhaps understandable… repeated displays of the same behavior warrant as strong a response as I feel like launching. That’s me. And it isn;t the same sentiment of all readers, I know that. A simple honest explanation from the company would have ended the matter right in front of their store. Instead, 5 ladies, all company employees gave wildly different answers, several of which apparently invented on the fly, only to be contradicted by their most senior manager who claimed they couldn’t open due to lack of license. Then they couldn’t explain why they let some customers in, and others not, despite vehemently claiming they couldn’t, without a license. That is the crux of the matter. They were, in my opinion, caught with their pants down.
The comments which came after, from two ladies, ignore the basic issues, and try to make this a personal matter, which it isn’t at all. Had those two commenters sent a simple and genuine apology, their comments would have ended there. Instead, with follow up comments with more of the same, it seems clear to a majority of the readers that they obviously didn’t understand what the key issues were.
Let me point out that I have sent an email to the manager at the company, in an effort to stem the issue. But she has chosen to remain quiet. The only next step is to inform the CEO, so he can do as he deems fit. If that means the company does nothing… that speaks for the company. That’s all.
This makes me want to check all networking accounts of my own staff…. I hope I don’t read anything scary! Thanks for sharing this MM!
I had a bad experience with Technolux a couple of years of ago. Their sales staff promised to inform me of the delivery of my ordered items. the staff promised for weeks and said it was going to be delivered soon. Weeks led to months. I never got the items. The least they could do was let me know that it was not going to be available at all. That would have ended months of useless anticipation. I finally got hold of the email of a Manager and I got a very immediate response with a personal call with an apology. I do not understand why they are behaving this way now. I also noted that upon referring friends to buy stuff, a sales personnel was robbing the company blind. She was selling expensive items at least 1/5th the list price minus an official receipt. This went on for months under the nose of others including the security guard. These show a total lack of control over their personnel for a big company that it is. I wonder if management ever found out.
I wouldn’t expect an answer from the company manager… fact is she works with these ‘palengkera’ types and another fact is they act so emboldened in their workplace… at least emboldened enough to use company resources to personally attack a potential client. miss company manager is either a ‘palengkera’ type herself or she’s someone so passive and weak for that position she “lets the inmates run the asylum” as they say.
ah well… that is why we talk with our wallets. why hand over your hard earned money to ingrates?
Technolux,
May I suggest you treat everyone who reads this blog and is a fan of MM a free meal at Zubuchon to settle once and for all this hullabaloo? It would certainly change the way people think of your company ha ha ha. Everyone who agrees please say Yay!
Very well said MM!
I totally respect your opinion and the way you handle such issues.
“If there is an action, there is a reaction.”
I have a feeling the company’s not going to do anything. I hope I’m wrong :)
I do hope those girls do a Kristen Stewart and own up to their mistakes due to ‘momentary lapse in judgement.’ It takes courage to admit one’s fault, and it is better than sinking oneself deeper into the mud of shame. And MM, kindly accept their apology IF or WHEN they do, and close this post as Betty says. I am ready for some happy reading, please.
Dear MM, Perhaps you could also send a registered slow mail to the CEO as well – emails can be easily denied as received, can get lost in spam, or simply ignored or deleted. With registered mail and an acknowledgment receipt, you have more proof.
i agree with jade 186. Send your complaints through slow mail. It might get through :-)
I still hope that this can all work out in the end. I do hope the girls summon the courage and responsibility of apologizing for such malicious comments and that you MM remove their personal information and pictures in the end.
i have to agree with @sunflowii.
Sadly, these young girls do not realize the shit they’re into or they went into. But just like what sunflowii said, their photos should be at least covered/blurred or you should’ve just mentioned that you’ve already traced their whereabouts or identity. it’s humiliating. We all know masama ginawa nila, pero diba as adults (or as parents for that matter), hindi naman natin isinasailalim sa kahihiyan ang mga anak natin para maturuan lang sila ng leksyon? Mga bata sila, kelangan maturuan ng leksyon/disiplina pero wag naman sana sa paraang parang wala na silang dignidad.
You’re a good man, MM. And you know better. I hope this issue gets resolved peacefully.
The photos used were publicly posted on the net, presumably for public consumption. Some of the respective websites have been shut down, made private, or photos removed, so it is quite obvious that the parties involved have learned a lesson or two, though admission of wrongdoing is apparently not one of them. I would be MORE than happy to end the issue if a genuine apology were proferred. None has been received from the two commenters, and I am taking personal photos down (but keeping screenshots on file) as I believe their purpose is now superfluous. Thanks everyone for your comments… But this issue is obviously still left hanging.
Names and addresses and comments shall remain up as they were provided by the commenters and specifically intended for publication, and they were indeed published.
I noticed on a fairly widely watched local television talkshow with Kris Aquino and Senator Escudero the other day, the topic was the internet, its usage, etiquette, etc. I am glad the popular press is addressing the issues with respect to internet usage and issues of intellectual property, language, legality, libel, responsibility, etc. Hopefully, the younger generation (as well as the oldies) learn to use the tool with the same degree of care as they might use their own mouths.
still, not a word from the palengkeras of technolux.
speaks volumes about their corporate culture and the kind of people running it.
face it- they don’t care. they’re happy with their customer base and they feel like this is just a nuisance. and they probably think you’re not serious about pursuing a libel case.
oh well…
for whatever it’s worth, count me in as yet another of your supporters, MM. :)
indeed, anyone who is truly passionate about food is truly passionate about life–and how it should be lived.
stay on this as long or as briefly as you want. i fully respect and admire your crusade against the morons of this world and our culture that, sadly, continually condones if not encourages them. if only you were the majority, not the minority. :)
I have belatedly just learned that the Philippine president recently signed into law the so called Cybercrime Prevention Act. I have but read only portions of it but of what I have read, the wording is sufficiently vague that practically any comment that may be construed as “injurious” to any individual, organization, or group, can be a criminal offence.
Wouldn’t this mean bloggers such as yourself MM, may be criminally prosecuted for libel or defamation, should you unfavorably review any eatery, store, or any establishment, and even be critical of anything and anyone under the sun? Or perhaps the author of the review or comment didn’t even intend to be critical but that the object of it merely perceived it as such. All that the offended party and their ‘padrons’ in power have to allege is that they were “injured” by the criticism. Apparently not a very difficult thing to prove in an environment where a very influential and powerful government official can, standing within the halls of Senate, addressing that “august” body with a straight face and aggrieved demeanor, against all common sense and reason, deny the act of plagiarism as plagiarism.
i dont get why you got so furious about the situation? when i encounter a situation like you did, i just leave..why get into all the fuss? i also dont get why you are so upset about not giving you a specific date of opening? give them your number and then let them call you up when they’re open..
one last thing..The company i think is Tecnolux at that time was open to DEALERS only that is why they were not allowing retail clients to come in. i think the manager could not explain clearly but in your side you should have just accepted that they were closed for retail clients. wag pipilitin kung ayaw. sorry to say but you were like a brat who had a tantrum because you were given a NO and persists on what you want.
like i said before i just leave rather than make a huge fuss about such trivial things.
Oliver, a couple of issues to be clarified.
The previous shop before the company moved locations was open to the public, and as such, was a retail location I understand. They were featured in several articles specifically stating that, and so therefor I was going under that assumption.
The company website, before I wrote that post, did not indicate the move, so there was no way of knowing the opening date. It was replaced with the new address of the store, making it seem it was indeed open, when it was indeed not. And it clearly says products are for household use as well as institutional, so its fair to assume it is for retail customers as well. Nowhere does it limit it to “dealers”… Why bother to announce your location if it isn’t even open yet, for several months more at that? Or why not simply indicate you will be opening soon and give the date if you know it. And why not just say “open to the trade” which is the more correct phrase actually.
If they didn’t know the date of opening, then simply say so from the start. Rather than fabricating answers that were different from the three ladies spoken to. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like being told fibs by a professional working for a company that wants to be taken seriously. And if it WAS only open to dealers, then why not just say so when the other person waltzed into the showroom that was technically NOT YET GIVEN THE APPROPRIATE BUSINESS LICENSES TO OPERATE???
You may choose to leave when faced with such a situation and that’s your prerogative. But that isn’t how I chose to deal with it. I did receive an answer from the most senior person at Technolux in the country at the time (his boss was abroad) and even HE AGREED that the behavior of his staff was unacceptable and inexcusable. And I quote, he said “…I would like to assure you that our company does not tolerate these kind of employees. They were already subjected to disciplinary action.” I will publish that letter soon. And that is the result of customers raising legitimate complaints. You may not have gotten why I was annoyed at the time, but if you bothered to read all of the reader comments on the related posts, most if not 98% of readers felt the same way. So thank you for visiting this one post (and perhaps the previous one if you bothered to read that), but you obviously haven’t read this blog for any significant amount of time and know what it has covered in the past. So just leave now and don’t make a fuss about my reply. :)
Hahaha! I like that last zinger MM!
If in the same situation, I too would be inclined to make an issue of it simply because I was misled and consequently wasted time, effort and some money, just on making the trip to the store. I don’t need anyone wasting my time – I do well enough of it on my own, thank you!
hi marketman! i came across your blog through my sister who’s been a follower for a while now. anyway, it’s good to know that there are other people like me. haha some people would probably just say to shrug it off because it’s not worth your time or energy to argue with people like them. but i disagree. i don’t mind “wasting my time” for as long as i know that i am defending what’s right and what i deserve as a customer. i hope that more people would do the same so companies (whether service-oriented or otherwise) will invest more on training their people how to handle customers the best way possible.