Why the sudden hatred in me? Recently, I spotted a contact lens spree online. I am definitely a cautious buyer so whenever I want to buy from people I don't know, I will make sure that person has positive feedbacks from previous sales. Apparently, the spree was conducted by a girl who appeared on renown local magazine cover(s) (READ: chao ah lian in local context). Anyway, due to a certain level of popularity she has on the internet (and among guys, but friends I know know nuts about her), so it was quite tempting that you would want to buy from her.
The question comes in: Is she reliable seller? She has not sold anything (as far as I know) so I don't know what is expected after transactions. I remember when I used to work in a optical store, the store could sell contact lens. I only found out when the optician from the next door came to our store to get some lenses, that that store was not even allowed to order any lenses from the suppliers. This was because they do not have any optometrist registered, so they were not allowed to prescribe contact lenses.
So when I wanted to purchase the lenses, I wasn't quite sure if selling contact lenses was allowed if one wasn't a optmetrist. But somehow, there was surely a big loophole in this, that the spree was just SELLING, and not PRESCRIBING. Ok, not prescribing, check.
But what about the reliability part? Even Ms Chen LP also sold slimming pills that were found damaging to liver, so the credibility part is definitely highly doubtful even if the seller is someone everyone knows. What consumers want is merely some testimonials from past buyers saying this blah blah product is good. No feedbacks from past transaction, uncheck.
But wait, she claimed this business is legally registered in Singapore. Ah, great, perhaps I can ask her for her business registry no. and check with ACRA her records.
And that was what I did before I confirmed my purchase, I asked for the number kindly.
She didn't gave it to me, but I assumed she will give me later, so I went ahead to place my orders.
I asked her company's name instead, and tried to do a search with ACRA. Apparently, ACRA found no records with that company's name.
So the questions in my head? Is it really reliable? Why would someone who is registered with ACRA not have a record in their database? Why would someone registered not have a company registry number?
So I tried to clarify with her, she was saying that she was using her friend's parents registered company to purchase the lenses with the supplier, just to assure customers that their money will be refunded in cases of the supplier being MIA (her exact words). Ok, that does makes sense, and was why I could trust someone with an image of X magazine model. But isn't that absurb when you, as a customer, asked for a registry no, yet rejected, and thrown in bloody long emails to explain the situation?? (Reallly long, I prefer Jodi Picoult's novels in fact.) I just asked for a number, and it's not even your mobile number (Read: Stalker). So when someone started to beat around the bush (I would call that), and start throwing you a long email saying because this and that... One is sure to be pissed off. It is like I asked you, what is your name, and you answer I live in XXX around Orchard area, and study in XXX school and I am working as XXX, and still, you do not know the person's name!
However, I regained my composure (after cursing and swearing behind the computer), I wrote a email back fully explaining the reason why I asked for the number in the first place. Because you said you are registered, so we gave you the trust, but we just need the number to verify your business, is that too much to ask for? Other than the phrase I wrote "I don't think you should even mention that you are registered. (Unless you are blacklisted, you are afraid to share the info)", I made sure my tone was in check, and did not have the intention to offend her.
As expected from the way I know how girls will react when someone seem to write longer emails than you and appear to be higher authority than you are (me being the customer is always right), she exploded and replied "I'm not taking your enquiry as a friendly one and the tone it carries annoys me", "FIY, I am NOT a customer service consultant" "yet she invited such accusing customers"... and many more. Very typical girl isn't it?
Sigh, personally, if one wants to sell sometime, be it online or real business, customer service is also essential. No matter how much I hate my clients, my colleague and I will solve every problem that my client has, without scolding them and finally, our clients are always impressed and starts to introduce my company to other people. That's how it works. I was merely asking for a simple number, not even a toto or 4d number, and that I became the one stepping on her (fox) tail. I don't know anything about the model, and the only thing I have is her blog address and email (I don't even know her real name), so how do you expected me to believe strangers? I wasn't even accusing her friend (the model), and perhaps that line made her feel that I offended her registered business, but if she has the eyes to read carefully, I didn't even pick on her. Anyway, as a model on male magazines, you need the figure (reads: figure), which I don't have, so I am secretly envious but cautious due to the fact that male magazine models are stereotyped as being lians, or even worse. The fact is, I didn't even spell out anything bad about her friend, or called her names in my email, so I was in fact the one being accused of.
Maybe I am the fussy one, maybe I am the only one who is full of questions. But isn't that a right for consumers who wish to ensure things that they buy are what they want, especially when it concerns your eyes? Am I wrong to ask more questions? I am not even asking for something ridiculous and the word "customer service consultant" is true eyesore, because it gives the girl an excuse for her ranting at the customer, because they don't talk about service, but money.
(Maybe we can start to setup online business tomorrow, and tell everyone, HEY MY COMPANY IS REGISTERED, so everyone will have 101% trust in us even if we don't give them our company register number (opps we don't have that). When people ask for the number, we just ignore them, hehe.)
I don't even intend to reply her email when I sent out the last email, because all have been anticipated. But receiving such email, I just feel that I really HATE girls, because we are really fussy, unpredictable, evil, saddistic... and whatsoever. And as a matter of fact, I hardly have good girl friends because I find it really hard to make girl friends. Whenever I am introduced to new people, people always think I am arrogant, cold, hard to approach... especially girls... I recalled incidents during my lab sessions in year 2s and 3s, when I meet a whole bunch of people in the lab, I always end up partnering with guys, because girls just don't want to partner with me... I don't even know why that happens! (Even Han has that impression of me when he first knew me, but he thinks that now I am totally opposite and unexpected of what he thought I was!) I ended up hating girls from my faculty other than a few good old friends, Josie, Hz and Small S, and always wonder why girls always have "girls' night out" when there behind they curse and swear at each other behind their backs, when guys usually don't do that kind of hypocripsy thing.
That's the reason why I am always straight-forward, if you know me well enough. When I see that you are not doing the right thing, as a friend, I will tell you immediately. Pardon my tone, but you will understand what I am doing as a friend. Usually (I think), friends, and Han, do appreciate my straight-forwardness, and yet, many girls always tend to stab people at the back.
(FYI, I don't think I am stabbing the girl behind the back. She has my email, and can find my blog easily, but this isn't my challenge for her to do it. Remember those days I put up exes website links on my blog and forced her to change her website? Now, I definitely keep names private because I am just ranting at the situation, but not trying to bring her down.
Sigh, it is not as if the first time I encounter such hateful girls. Sometimes life just sucks isn't it.
The only good thing that turn out well (for now) is that I have received my lenses in the right order. But color didn' turn out quite like what was shown on the website, which was disappointing.
(Glad I didn't get friends to buy from the website, because the experience was really nasty after all.)
(Glad Han doesn't read that men's magazine. So, it isn't considering boycotting somebody's "products" when you don't use it in the first place.)
(I rather read my books. Picture perfect is a great book, and I can't believe I have read 5 books in such a short period of time!)
Girls, please approach me nicely, I may become your friend or enemy in minutes.
Labels: ranting
