Adding layers of charges to consumers
I sent my VCR, which plays but 'refuses' to record, to the manufacturer today. As expected, the "customer care" person told me that the manufacturer has a $40 service charge. But surprise of surprises, there is to be another $20 charge for diagnostic fee! To me ,this is just another excuse to make customers pay more for the service.
It is natural to be expect businesses to be profit-oriented but a diagnostic fee on top of a service fee just reinforces the point that consumers today are at the mercy of vendors. What is the service fee for in the first place? Is it not to pay for services that customers expect to be rendered by the manufacturers. Afterall, customers are also expected to pay for any parts which may require changing.
No doubt, companies take great pains to acknowledge that customers are important. Many such companies may think a name change from a "Service Centre" to a "Customer Care Centre" may impress customers. Beyond the words and hype, what matters to every customer is that manufacturers show their sincerity and demonstrate fairness in their business policy.
A Singapore version of the well-known Craigslist
I made a recent discovery. The well known
craigslist classifieds in the US, which has thousands upon thousands of insertions, has an Asian edition. It covers about 20 cities in Asia, including Singapore. A quick look reveals that the number of classifieds in Singapore, however, is only a fraction of what you see in the US sites.
Whichever geographic region it is for, the template is the same where buyers and sellers can put up classifieds for housing, jobs, services or take part in discussions or community services. Through the years, Internet classified websites come and go, but this particular one appears to be steadfast in its appeal, especially for its US sites. What is its secret for success? Perhaps it lies in its simplicity and delivering on its unwritten promise to be a simple platform for surfers to connect. And not being lost in the corporate zeal for making a fast buck?
Unlike other similar websites which charge money upfront, the Singapore version is free, granted there is room for improvement in the number of inserts here. And it did provide the connection for a one-off writing job for me. Now who says good things do not come free should think again.
PS: It does charge for some of its US sites but going by the quantity and quality of classifieds, it must be worth paying for. Furthermore, it has a policy to delete any classifieds on the site that require cash transactions upfront from surfers.
Just Desserts For Consumers, Finally
Number portability is a step in the right direction
For handphone users, number portability is most desired. For telco operators, it is offered at a price. Even then, it is not truly portable. And it has taken a few years for the regulatory authority in Singapore to make a ruling in favour of subscribers.
In an industry where many subscribers have teeth gnashing experiences with their telcos tyring to assert consumer rights, it is common knowledge that number portability is highly valued.
Big is beautiful, so it has been said. Big is also powerful and therein lies one root cause for its association with arrogance and presumptuousness. Many telco subscribers would have such experience. It may be about being charged for SMS service that the subscriber didn't ask for or being foisted with some service that comes as part of a package!
Anyone with roaming service can testify to that. Go beyond Singapore's shores and you will start to get welcome messages from different telco operators. Subscribers want the convenience of being contactable but we don't want the hassle of being charged for service messages that we do not want. Try convincing the telco operators about that. The issue is how does one go about doing it since there are one too many operators involved?
Still I hope the ruling by Singapore's IDA about number portability is a step in the right direction. Maybe more authorities will come to agreement to ensure that telco operators do not 'force' their services on consumers.
