大咖福利影院

I have found there is little to no customer service here, employees are not paid enough to care. Customer care creates issues that they are not paid for, then they have no interest.

Hello GoDees,

Thanks for sharing your experience. That sounds a bit frustrating, though.

Do you find this is the case across most businesses, like restaurants, shops, banks, government offices, or are there places where customer service is generally better?

Cheers,

Cheryl

Customer service is a foreign word for most businesses in the Philippines. I found out that when you raise your voice and shout at them then you get your right. Especially with Real Estate. I don't like to do it but the ignorance and the "Yes Sir, Yes Sir, ..." is a big issue here.

I have found there is little to no customer service here, employees are not paid enough to care. Customer care creates issues that they are not paid for, then they have no interest. - @GoDees

It certainly doesn't help that the government is so S-L-O-W at their job.聽 No doubt, it can be slow in the US (local, state, and federal), but in the PI it is excruciatingly slow.聽 My Filipina GF filed paperwork LAST March to get a permit allowing for electric to be split b/w her house and her AirBnB units.聽 She is STILL waiting for it to be approved a year later.聽 I'm sure this only adds to the trickle-down affect in the general populous.

@Cheryl

I don't think customer service is a "thing" here. Servers are paid聽 paltry wages and do not care if the customer is happy. Few outlets treat their customers as real people.

Customer service . . . .

(1) Online their聽 first line of service is bots. Finally they switch you over to an agent, after long waits they are available and they can't solve your problem.

(2) You call on the phone after a long wait you have a representative. Somehow you are conveniently disconnected because they have a rate and you are taking too much time.

(3) One customer service representatives聽 audio was louder of a rooster than the agent.

(4) I had a complaint with Meralco about a billing after numerous emails it never got solved.

(5) Over the years I had cable with PLDT, Sky & Converge because of poor or no customer service, I'm not with any of them anymore.

I'm now with Dito (wireless) and am completely satisfied.

I have mentioned this before but it seems like a good time to mention it again. I do not live in the Philippines but have been there 8 times over the last 6 or 7 years and on my last visit my girlfriend had really bad toothache and an abscess which was clearly causing her pain. This was on a Saturday morning and after trying to get her seen at a couple of dentists and failing we finally found the Green Apple Dental clinic in Mactan Newtown which was near to our hotel.

She had a check up and X-Ray immediately and the dentist showed us the results of the X-Ray and explained that my girlfriend would need one tooth extraction and a filling. She was booked in for that treatment later the same day. The dentist came out half way through and explained to me that she had done the filling and had taken my girlfriends blood pressure 2 or 3 times and was just waiting for it to go down to a normal level before doing the tooth extraction. They even gave her a blanket because she was cold due to the air con. After a while the bad tooth was extracted and my girlfriend given a prescription for the pain and to take care of the abscess.

I was very impressed by the high level of service, the professionalism of the staff, the fact that the dentist kept me informed during the procedure and the fact that all the work was carried out on the same day even though my girlfriend was not registered at the practice. When I got back to the UK I emailed them, thanking them for their excellent service. I think that this even exceeds my expectations of getting emergency dental treatment in the UK.

鈥淗ow would you describe customer service in the Philippines?鈥�

Variable. If you鈥檙e based in the capital Manila specifically Makati or BGC and frequent good quality hotels and restaurants the service generally is of a high standard but becomes mixed as you head out to the Provinces.

If I had to name the best hotel for service and genuine warmth that I have ever stayed in then the now demolished Mandarin Oriental on Makati Avenue would take the crown. On my first ever visit to the Philippines in 2001on business my client arranged for me to stay there. In subsequent years I became a regular guest and they even printed me my own (gratis) business cards with the line 鈥業n House鈥� on them. Class.

They had the cocktail lounge adjacent to the Ballroom called 鈥楳artinis鈥� which was my regular early evening venue for a libation or two before heading out to Caf茅 Havana (now closed) on Greenbelt 3. The tall (the management insisted on girls with a minimum height of 5鈥�5鈥� and they all wore 3鈥漢eels) waitresses had different coloured wigs on reminiscent of the girls in the UK 70鈥檚 sci-fi series UFO. They all treated me as if I was Napoleon Solo from The Man From Uncle

鈥淒o expats get treated differently than locals鈥�

Well yes some in a good way others not. Every visitor to the country is aware of the foreigner skin tax. However westerners tend to garner more respect and attention simply because well they are foreigners and the women all think we鈥檙e handsome - right?

鈥淎ny tips on how to get the best service in the Philippines?鈥�

A big smile and I mean BIG

鈥淪hare your experiences and stories鈥�

Several comical experiences from dilapidated rides in taxis with holes in the floor so you can see the road to the old Terminal 4 flights with the sign on the wall stating 鈥楴o Bomb Jokes鈥� to passenger caterpillar lines including myself taking a wrong turn on the airport apron heading towards a taxiing aircraft with nobody in charge. Just about every health and safety rule in the book was broken lol.

Some commentators on this thread have stated reasons for poor customer service being paltry wages. Mmmmm

A comparable country to the Philippines in SE Asia is Indonesia. Slightly higher per capita income than the Philippines but the gap in consistent quality customer service across all metrics is truly gaping. From excellent (flag & Grab) taxis that always use the meter to a wide range of restaurants serving good food with prompt efficient service.聽 Recently returned from Ubud in Bali where I stayed in a 5 star hotel the Ubud Village: about 拢60 a night for a junior suite with separate rain shower and standalone bathtub long enough for my 6 feet frame to lie in. Breakfast menu that was served at your table with egg white fluffy omelettes.聽 Adjacent was a delightful 鈥榮peakeasy鈥� smooth jazz bar (The Whisper Cove) with cocktails to die for. 鈥淲elcome back Lotus - Moscow Mule or a refreshing Mojito?鈥� Fond memories of the Martini Lounge.