service without a smile

in case you didnt know it already, service at Singapore's HMV is always without a smile.

Ok i have to admit only making a purchase there ONCE, when i bought a couple of VCDs that cost less than $10 each. (HMV's CDs are usually so ridiculously priced, it doesn't warrant a visit at all - i usually just go to browse the mags) it was a weekday afternoon I recall, and as a result, there weren't that many customers around.

So I placed my purchases on the counter. she scans in the prices and puts them in a bag. she doesn't tell me what the total is, doesn't utter a word and naturally doesn't give a smile (can you say "cos i work at HMV and ít's just too cool a place to smile"?)
i was tempted to just say, forget it i changed my mind about the vcd. i should've. but i wanted one of the vcds cos i hadnt seen it (Mumford - starring loren dean and jason lee! and i love jason lee!)

anyway i stalked out there determined never to buy anything from HMV anymore.

but then again, i just did.

no i have not gone back on my word. i just havent bought anything from the singapore store since. i made my purchase this time in Toronto where service was definitely with a smile.

pp will definitely expect better service in places like the US and canada at restaurants etc becos of the practice of tipping. but in a store like HMV where of course tipping doesn't happen? exactly.
i was looking for the Will & Grace box set. but could only find season 2. i wanted to get hold of season 1 as well but that was all that was on the shelf.

so i approached one of the cashiers, this asian-canadian girl, and asked about it. she was like.. oh? that's odd. and she went over with me to the shelf and had a quick look around. and then she nicely asked me to stick around while she checked the stock. and apologised when she returned to say that they didnt have it in stock. but i decided to get season 2 anyway (after all, we all know it's not going to shown on local tv) and she rang it up for me, adding that if i liked, she could place an order for me and i could prob pick it up within the next few days. i explained that i was leaving town that night so it wasnt possible. but it was great that she offered to do that. i was very pleased. :)

meanwhile, back in sg, i popped over to borders (yes another service without a smile place) a couple of days ago on my off day.

i was looking for a book for a friend's bday present. wasnt sure if borders had it, altho i know amazon.com did. so i decided to check with the info counter. the guy was quite nice, checked it up on the computer (altho he took ages to find it) and said they didnt have it in store. i cld order it tho it would take about 4-6 weeks to get in. shipping would be free.

so i thanked him and did some wandering around the cd section. smsed jem to let him know that we'd need to go to plan b, watever that was. he wanted me to ask if there were any other books on running away (which would be another story for another day...)
so i headed back towards the books area. and then decided to poke around the travel section cos i knew the bday girl liked to travel n cld prob do with a guide bk or sthg like that.

and whaddya know... i found the very book i had been searching for - there was one copy right there in the travel section (which is one of the shelves near the info counter btw) so naturally i bought it. and left borders thinking wat a clueless place it was. full of pp who absolutely have no clue wat the hell they're doing.