Retail therapy?

I have always known this...but,

Have you noticed how bad customer service can get in a designer boutique? Ok, I shall rephrase that, have you noticed how bad customer service can get in the retail sector?

SM and I went out and surveyed the scene last night around Bukit Bintang, of course, what do you know, like the Chinese saying, the store hands/attendants/sales-persons were pouring profits down the drains. We were at the famous 1st floor Sungai Wang's glitzy local designers' row, where some of the more well-known local designers' masterpieces reside. Most boys and girls who work in those little stores are bored air heads who couldn't sell a packet of kuaci to save their lives, let alone selling a dress that cost RM1,800.

Working in a boutique selling beautiful clothes to people is still one of many things that I hope to do, and those air-heads with coloured hair, studs on their faces and fashionable clothes are just so uninspiring.

Sure, sure, we know they are just hired help, not just any ordinary hired help, but unenthusiastic, bored, de-motivated, slightly dumb and very un-ambitious.

Wow, now am I a bitch or am I a bitch?

I'm not trying to offer any profound insights or anything....just some observation. You may say, the reasons why services are so fucked up in the retail sector, because,

1. these airheads with pierced noses are hired help and not the owners so they sure can't and won't show the same enthusiasm as the owner

2. if they can offer slightly better service than what they are doing, they wouldn't be where they are....

3. maybe it's SM and me, maybe we don't come across as potential customers with dough to spend

Anyway SM noted to herself to apply lipstick the next time she hits the stores....probably never!

You know what is the worst thing in this? The fact that we Malaysians are used to less than desired, mediocre to bad customer service, that's the worst thing. By putting up with 2nd class service, we are allowing the situation to stay bad and 2nd class. To my fellow Malaysians, when I make a complaint about the wrong food they bring me in the restaurant, I'm being difficult and `asking for it' when the waiter ignore my complaints. To them, I'm supposed to be `Asian' and therefore, nice, and take the wrong orders in good heart and just wallop it anyway even though I don't like cockles in my curry laksa.

So anyway, SM and I ended up tired and hungry in Desa Sri Hartamas. We slumped into the chairs of this incredibly quiet Thai fusion restaurant (Manggon 1881) next to a very noisy and crowdy pub called Home And Away. In that unassuming and quiet restaurant, we got the best service we had the whole evening. We were attended to the minute we stepped in, and orders were taken quickly, drinks arrived super fast (yes there was only one other table occupied but I swear I have been to other restaurants where I could be the only customer and still my ice lemon tea could take forever to arrive) and the food was tasty.

What a nice feeling when you get good service in an outlet. To end this on a happier note, let's make a list of retail outlets that we know have slightly decent (to very good) service in KL

Here's my list, feel free to give me your list...

Kinokuniya
MPH
IKEA
Manggon 1881
Eastin Hotel coffee house
Caring pharmacy
Zuup (Soup & Pasta in One Utama, LG level)
Pasta Connection (my fave restaurant, now closed)
Cafe 18-19 Century