Memories From The Past, Malaysia, Sept 2004
Royal Selangor Museum
Memories From The Past, Phillipine, Mar 2004
Workshop on Rostima Software
Sari Pan Pacific Hotel
Manila
Memories From The Past - Thailand, Nov 2001
The Ambassador Hotel,
Bangkok
Memories From The Past - Vietnam, Nov 2001
2 Day Workshop - Predicting Consumer Behavior
Yesterday after receiving the material from Frontier Consulting Group who provides the workshop, I simply forwarded the material to Director Operations. He agreed that I should attend this workshop.
The workshop will be on Fri, 25 May and Sat, 26 May 2007, take place at Ritz Carlton Hotel, Jakarta.
The materials are :
1. Consumer Behavior Model
2. External Factor : Culture, Demography, Social Group etc.
3. Internal Factor : Perception, Emotion, Motivation, Personality etc.
4. Research for Consumer Insight
5. Predicting Consumer Behavior
6. Educating Consumer Behavior
7. Formulating "Best Consumer Marketing Strategy"
This is like a new toy to me and I am eager to learn something that is applicable to the situation I am in.
Another Step Forward
Last week was a great experience to me which also enrich my understanding about what I call customer service aspect in my current job. Finally what I want was heard and followed.
Wed, 16 May 2007
As expected that the day was busy. Normally we finished the service on 17:00 but because Thur, 17 May was public holiday, the service was still busy until the time. I was called about the time to meet The Yard Manager. I did not expect to hear what I would hear, that I was complained by the brokers association. They met the President Director who passed the message on the Yard Manager which finally forwarded it to me.
The message said that 'the service was deemed to be delivered too firm'. The customers need more flexibility.
I was firmed for some cases :
1. Shortage of bank guarantee.
I can say that I was not authorised until I raised this problem. When I was not authorised, I
was not allowed to receive the money whatsoever. This is what they called 'too firm'.
2. The service hours.
Since beginning I identified that in the past (Import Service is still doing it) that the service
hours are flexible, can be over than 05:00 pm, but later I found that the transaction was
done personally. Supply - demand rule applies in this case. The customer demand extra
service which can be supplied by the officer, but the official service hour finished, then this
is personal service which need 'extra money'.
I did not allow this happened anymore. That is why I was firmed about the service hours. I
would like to have this to be standardised by the management, but sometime I doubt if my
my understanding was right or wrong. Because in the same area, I identified difference
standard between export and import service.
I was firmed about this, but in the other hand, import did this. How could this happen ? Did
the Management know about this ? If so, why did they let this happen ? If not, howcome ?
I have many questions in my head, which need answers, until Fri, 18 May 2007.
Fri, 18 May 2007
Since Thur, I heard that Shipping Agent would open the service on Fri full day, which could be problem to us, as our service would open from 09:00 am to 02 pm only.
What I reckoned then happened. At 02:00 pm, the late customer unhappy to see we closed the service and started to get upset to me as the service supervisor.
The demanded the service to be extended. I sent them to the Yard Manager who then decided to listen the customer.
The following day, The Yard Manager told me to set up the official service hours as I always expected !!!
What a day....
TPS Booth on Surabaya Maritime Expo
The girls from left : Bu Nuri, me and Bu Corry. The photo was taken by Pak Iwan when we visited TPS booth in exhibition on Sat, 12 May 2007.
New Position = New Challenge ? -- Export Document Service Supervisor
Since February 16th, 2007 I have been transferred to a new post as Document Service Supervisor. As soon as I received the letter of assignment, I understood that a lot of things to do in this job.
First thing I did was went through my job describtion, in particular targets set up by the management for this position. There are 2, data accuracy and first in first out service methods.
But to be honest I considered that there supposed to be another target set up, ensuring zero tolerance to illegal tipping which was being bad practice amongst my staff.
I also recoqnized there are some areas of problems which are :
1. Problem related to physical/office landscapping
2. Problem related to attitude and behaviour
3. Problem related to the existing regulation/rule/policy/procedures
After being 3 months holding this position, here are my analysis to the three problems aforementioned :
1. Problems related to physical / office landscapping
The office is located at the ground floor of the operations building. Situated in the service center area, the services provided are export, import and domestic documents process. In the same area, some associates and partners complete our service such as customs, bank, insurance.
The service counter desks are not designed to be 'customer friendly'. At beginning, this may be strange but then lately I find this helps us to protect ourself from our customer, given that our 'customer' is not similar as bank customer. They are brokers for containers, who dealing with truck drivers and other hard duties on street.
However after a while, I learnt that I have to change the lay out into a better and more efficient one. This idea, includes taking over one room which I suspected to be the place for illegal transaction. I have a very good excuse for taking over this area, I need a filing room !!!
I conveyed this idea with relevant managers in my area, but they were quiet. Then I decided to talk with relevant department that is in charges with office housekeeping. Again no significant progress. Only when I talked with Director, finally I was heard.
This is now in process of purchasing. Target to complete : next 2 months.
2. Problems related to attitude and behaviour
It was wellknown that this area was full of illegal tipping practice. Some said that this situation was caused by the customers who offered the money for extra service. The rest said that the situation was caused by the staff who forced the customer to pay more for the service provided. Frankly I do not care which one was right, the only thing I care about is that my presence must eliminate this practice. No tolerance anymore.
The good thing was that management provided me with outsources staff who completely fresh. I therefore decided to be the first person who built their standard for the service. It was simple, at the time they still had to be working side by side with the old people. The soonest I am here, the more I can reduce the bad influence from old people to those girls. I set up the rules for them to follow.
The second thing was customer's attitude. At the beginning they did not pay respect at all to all of us. They could be very aggresive against us. They used to think that we would asked more money for the service as we always did. I need to change our reputation. And now It has changed !!!!
3. Problems related to regulation/policy/procedures in office
The problem related to the procedure for payment of shortage charge was up lately. In particular on Saturday and other off days, such as public holidays when bank closed and our finance staff is off of duty. This happened as customers mostly paid used bank guaranty. They normaly estimated the total cost, but somehow the calculation sometime is incorrect resulted shortage on the total payment.
On normal weekdays, our finance staff could receive the payment, but Saturday is different case. I had tried to raise this problem plus the alternative solutions, but finance simply rejected it without consideration. The problem continued then until weeks later, when this problem drawn attention of operations manager who later discussed this problem with finance manager. Solution is basicly following my initial suggestion that operations is allowed to receive the payment on Saturday, in this case I am assigned to do so.
And Sat, 5th May was the first time I had a pieceful day without having argument with brokers about the payment shortage.
After holding this position for six months, which will be on August 2007, I plan to have presentation to the management explaining and describing what I have faced, the improvement and the outstanding problems need solution to be delivered.