Secret to Business Success

There are a lot of contributing factors for a business to be successful but there is one thing that I consider very imperative for the business to flourish; customer service. What is customer service, you would say. Someone defined customer service as a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction. It is an important aspect in business operation; that is why companies are exerting efforts to enhance this area as it is vital for the business to thrive in this highly competitive world.

But what would you consider as a good customer service? For me, it is the way an establishment deals with its customers in a friendly and accommodating manner; that they would leave the place smiling and wanting to come back again. Customer service is the first thing that has been introduced to me by the Human Resource representative on my first day of work in my previous job. Everyday, we were also being reminded that the customers are the most important part of the business. They should be treated with utmost importance as they are the lifeblood of the company; without them the business will die. To make a customer unsatisfied is a grave sin to commit. In my three years stint, this idea has been inculcated in my mind that everytime I go inside a business establishment, I would rate it based on the way they handle customers.

If there is one establishment that stands out among the rest, I would say it is the Pizza Hut in SM City Davao. They have very accommodating crew. I am saying this from firsthand experience. They would serve you from the first moment you enter the establishment until you are done. They have this bell that a customer would ring if he is satisfied with the service. I like their idea; by doing so, they would know if they have done the right thing or not. I have experienced the same thing in Pizza Hut in KCC Mall Gensan. I think it is all the same with all the Pizza Hut branches all over the Philippines. I don’t know with other countries.

If there is an excellent service, there are also lousy ones. And it happened three months ago in SM City also at sadly, one of my favorite chain, Shakey’s. They let me wait for more than thirty minutes without even going to my table to apologize for the delay. And worst, I was served with a cold pizza. I lost my appetite and I vowed never to go there again.

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I Hate Brownout!

I was comfortably watching the replay of the American Idol Top 24 when suddenly the tv turned off. It is this scheduled brownout again! I hate this power outage that we have here. They said it would last until May. I got nothing else to do but light candles and wait for the electricity to come back after an hour. We have a scheduled power outage three times a day and each lasts an hour. It is so frustrating. It is so hot here.

Summer is already around the corner. This is the problem when you are in a tropical country; you only got two choices, a heavy rain that brings flood and sickness or dry and hot summer that brings drought, sickness and skin diseases. Which do you think is better between the two?

We have not yet started to plant on our farm in this condition. Some farms and irrigations have dried up and the soil cracked. I cannot risk investing on the farm because I know what will happen. I do not want to be disappointed.

Hmmm…going back to this brownout, in order not to get pissed off, I lighted 3 candles and imagine I am having a birthday party and that I am waiting for the celebrator to blow the candle. It is better to think of pleasant thoughts than lost my patience. I killed time by singing any song I could remember. Little by little, I forgot about the situation I am in. By doing so, I did not get bored waiting for the electricity to be restored. When I heard people shouting, I know that it has already been restored. Thanks God I can watch tv again but too bad, I already missed American Idol.

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Money, Money, Money

All people from all walks of life have dealt with financial problems once in their lives. In the case of those people who belong to the middle-income bracket and below, it is one thing that is constant in their lives. And I being a struggling government employee am not an exemption. As I have observed most of the time in our office, when it comes to the subject of incoming checks, people are getting agitated. Who doesn’t need money after all? We cannot feed and clothe ourselves if we do not have it. We cannot support our family if we are not earning. Most of all, we cannot solve our debt problems if we do not have funds in our pocket or bank account. Although money is not everything but it helps us a lot in our dire needs.

They said money is the root of all evil but I disagree. It is not the money itself but the love of it. We should spend our money wisely and would not let it rule our life. It is true that it is vital in our day to day living but let us bear in mind that there are also a lot of things that money cannot buy. We have to utilize our money for our good and that of our fellowmen for it is in this reason that this blessing has been given to us.

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Watching Avatar

We sent off our mother this morning for her flight to Manila. I thought my father would be with us but for some unknown reason, he went home very early. He did not wait for my mother’s departure time. Yesterday, I wondered what made him accompany her in going to Cotabato City to spend Saturday night with us. We left the airport as soon as Nanay checked in. We went straight to Euvelyn’s home and lazily spend the afternoon watching Avatar.

It was a good movie and I enjoyed it very much though I passed out several times to oblivion while watching the whole length of the movie. I think I am going to watch it again when I get the time. I am not going to elaborate what it was all about as I am sure everybody have watched this movie. I just hope this movie left a lesson in each one of us. If we do not stop being selfish and greedy, we will end up exhausting and destroying our planet in the process rendering our own civilization its looming demise.

That is all for now fellahs! I am off to sleep as tomorrow is another grueling work day. Wish me luck.

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We Have a New Baby

My mother is scheduled to go to Manila on Sunday to be with my sister Elanie as she is expected to give birth by first week of March. She wanted to be earlier than the scheduled delivery of her granddaughter. Yes it is a girl based on the latest result of my sister’s ultrasound. However, this afternoon, I was surprised the moment I came out of the courtroom. When I opened my bag and checked on my cell phone, I read my other sister’s text message saying that Elanie was already in V. Luna Hospital in Quezon City as she will deliver her baby today. I was euphoric thinking that I am going to have a niece this time.

After dinner, my father called me to suggest names for the baby but I told him we already have chosen the baby’s name. Yesterday, Elanie and I have agreed on giving her the name Eriene Leila. What is funny was that yesterday she was telling me that she plans to make passes and asking me what will be a good reason for it so she could be permitted. Now, she has all the good reasons for that much needed passes so she could get some rest.

As for my mother, she was not able to make it again for the second time. She wanted so much to be with my sis when she gives birth. However, circumstances did not permit her as Elanie delivered her baby on a much unanticipated and earlier date. With my sister’s first baby, she did not make it too. She arrived when Elanie was already out of the hospital. Better luck next time again Nanay. That is; if Elanie is still planning to have a third baby.

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Getting to Know Me through My Sign

I was born in the Year of the Ram. I look it up on the net to know more about the personality of a person under the sign of this animal. It says that that ram is the most feminine sign of the Chinese zodiac. Good thing I am a girl hehehehe… It is also talented and has a good sense of fashion. Most of these people preferred to be a painter or a designer. This is not true with me; as far as I know, I do not possess any sort of talent; more so with painting or designing. I am the exact opposite.

The following statements are true with me.

People born under the sign of the ram wanted to win the approval of the person they respect. They always in need for attention of those people they love for them to feel loved and protected. They are sensitive and too emotional and cry for unknown reasons. They shy away from confrontations. They have a gentle and caring nature that always in need of protection. They are sweet and sensitive in a relationship but too shy to say what they feel. They find it hard to approach strangers and strike a conversation. They can be lazy sometimes. These people find joy in the simplest of things like a good view, nature, a well-written song or a beautifully crafted object.

Of the negative personality of the ram, I have the following:

Pessimistic, self-pitying sometimes, lazy, indecisive and careless.

On the positive note, I am candid, sympathetic and perceptive.

As for the rest of the personality of the ram, I decided not to put it here as it does not say anything about me.

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True Love

I do believe the Lord above
Created you for me to love.
He picked you up from all the rest
because He knows I love you best.

I have a heart and that is true,
And it was given from me to you.
So care for it like what I do
For I have mine and you have too.

When I go to heaven and you’re not there,
I’ll wait for you on the Golden Stair
If you’ll not come on Judgment Day,
I know you went the other way.

So I’ll return my angel’s wings,
My golden lamp and everything.
To prove to you my love is real
I’ll go with you wherever you go.

Sorry guys, I can't resist the Valentine's Day fever so here I am sharing one of the best poems I ever read.  It was written simply with no hints of Edgar Allan Poe's Annabel Lee appeal but it is really beautiful.  I hope you like it the way I do.   

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Scribbling my Way the Second Time Around

Finally, this is the realization of one of my goals this year, to start a new blog. I have been thinking about it for some time, and at last here I am posting my first ever post for this new baby of mine. I decided to start it today as the world is celebrating two occasions, the Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day.

Why Scribbling Moments? Scribbling is my way of killing time and a golden opportunity for me to reflect. I find inner peace while I let my hands traverse the face of paper and from that scribbles, a new idea is born, sometimes it is during this moment that I am able to find answers to my questions. This is the moment when I could think clearly and evaluate myself in another perspective. Not only that, when I scribble, I could feel the flow of endless ideas that I could not afford to mum and would let it die eventually. Those ideas are meant to be shared and not should be kept inside myself. For what is the use of keeping it when you can convey it to the world?

And my next goal now is quite challenging. That is, keeping this blog as active as possible. I know that as of now I am already having a challenging life by just trying to manage and balance the time I am spending in anything I do. However, I will try my best to achieve this goal.

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