After Sales Service

[12DrinkMore]

Thought about putting this in the motor section, but I think it also applies to the aircon unit, the fridge, the TV, the computer etc.

Yesterday took the bike into Honda for an oil change and service.

Oil Change

The grinning spanner monkey drained the old oil, the oil was still running out in a stream, not just dripping, and he started to put the sump plug back in. STOP! It's not empty, so he waited. Then he started to put the plug in again. STOP! The oil filter has to be cleaned. Big smile, (yes, he knew about that but was too lazy). So he cleaned that. The new oil went in and the dipstick too. Then he pulls out a pair of pliers. STOP! I pointed out that the dipstick was plastic, has an o-ring and there is no pressure in the metal crankcase, so finger tight is perfect.

Chain Tension

He then tightens the chain to the same tension as Jimi Hendix's "E" string. STOP! Back it off, otherwise I have to buy three times as many chains.

He was then satisifed with his efforts, but STOP!

Spark plug

He was no longer such a happy grinning spanner monkey. But he took out the plug, cleaned and checked it.

Tyre pressure

Front tyre was pumped up. Moved to rear wheel, valve was in the wrong position so he grinned, hit the tyre with a spanner, "OK" and got up. STOP! Move bike 0.5 metre and now we can check the pressure. No more grins.

And then today I went to fill up the tank.

Male "Dek Pump" started filling, got to around 292 Baht it was almost full, he then turned and watched the dial, determined to sell 300 Baht. At 294 Baht the fuel was running over the tank and onto the engine, I said STOP! it's full! He looked and said "uh, uh", turned back to the pump and carried on filling, fuel was now running down the engine onto the ground. I grabbed his arm and said STOP! STOP! STOP! I paid 298 Baht, which included some 5 Baht of fuel wasted. He would have happily put another cupfull of fuel on the ground to reach 300 Baht.

I despair. It is not the first time and will not be the last time.

To distill a decade of experience, the only way to ensure that things are done properly is to understand what has to be done, and stand around, making sure that is is done.

I could go on and on, but here are a few examples.

1. Earth wire not installed to shower unit. STOP! What are these! Copper earth rod and black earthing wire, why have you not installed them?

2. Replaced cam chain. STOP! What is this left over? Chain guide not installed. Why? "Japanese engines 150% so not necessary". NO! Japanese engines 100% Thai repairs 50%. Real reason? They forgot, so another hour to dismantle covers again and replace guide.

3. The classic, computer broke and was returned with a reformatted hard drive full of Thai software. Now I always remove the disks.

I just don't understand it.

They know what has to be done, and also know how to do it properly. I have seen it, they can do the work properly.

Somewhere there just seems to be the attitude that "it doesn't matter", "I don't care about what I do" and "I am not responsible". And it seems to apply to predominantly the male half of the population. Perhaps the answer I received when I asked my accountant why the office had some 20 female staff and not a single male, "if I emply males I only have problems".

[cynthialee]

i guess this is why i just visit a lot

i had one where the burger place wouldnt add lettuce on thier fishburger. they just said cannot, all the way up the line!

it does make sense in that thai boys see farangs scooping up all the hot hiso chicks leaving them with the issarn girls, little payback maybe!

Edited August 2, 2008 by cynthialee

[Beardog]

sounds like you need to do your own work. 20-30 minutes to reformat a computer 25-40 minutes to reformat with all programs intact & settings perfect if you have backed up your computer with Norton ghost or the like program. 3 questions yes yes & yes.

Oil change or minor repairs too easy to do yourself. You sound like your savvy enough to do your own work.The cam chain maybe not. Lots of other good shops. Electrical ....You are on your own on that one.

Home repairs & building. I just rented a Kamatsu claw (excavator) & dug 5 holes & planted 5 -7 meter trees 3 days ago.

That way if the cat breaks down I can get it running quickly & not hear a song and a dance.

If you want to get a good job done in Thailand best to do it yourself.

I do all my own plumbing & will build the next 1500-2000 sq.ft. house addition myself as I get tired of substandard building practices. The only large amount of work I will sub out is the electrical & I know I will have to take off all the electrical tape & put the connectors on myself to get it right. Unfortunately I am not educated in the electrical dept & am not willing to make errors that could be critical.

No way around it- Sorry to say but Thailand is not standard in building or common sense issues.

That's why that saying "If you want to get the job done right do it yourself"

[lardy]

Maybe more so in Thailand but even in the Uk many standards are awful. Had some repair work done on m car they fitted 2 new doors one is a sliding door and repainted them and a new cill. Cill where you couldnt see wasnt painted, rear sliding door now hits front opening door, and they managed to spray grey primer on the undamaged side of the car. 3 phone calls to the company 2 attempted emails (there address on thieir website didnt work) 1 letter and 2 phone calls to my insurers and finally they came to collect it to rectify the work. It came back hardly any different Im now fixing it all myself. Its true do it yourself if you can.

The Uk may have better consumer protection but they give you just as many excuses and the end result is little different.

[jingjingna]

Yes lardy,

but at the end of the day 'Thai's do not care about 'after sales service'. They do not not even know what it stands for! End of Story.

[mgjackson69]

It makes for a funny read, but it sure is frustrating when you are on the receiving end.

But when a farang tries to tell a Thai how to do something....we do not know jack.

It amazes me, when we go up to Mom's house in Nong Hin, every time I find things to fix...water taps, wiring, etc etc. None of the men around there will fix anything, but as soon as I start about three show up and tell me how I am doing it wrong.

[ovenman]

Where, oh where is Weho when you need him?

[sbk]

I have found that if someone doesn't do the job right, I just don't return. There are places that can and will do a good job and those are the places that I patronize. Shoddy service and poor standards can be found everywhere (the construction/remodeling industry is rife with that in the US) the difference being that in Thailand there is little recourse except to move on. Find a good one and recommend him to your friends.

As for the overfilling the gas tank issue, I sometimes wonder if the gas station employees work on some kind of commission.

[KhunRon]

sounds like you need to do your own work. 20-30 minutes to reformat a computer 25-40 minutes to reformat with all programs intact & settings perfect if you have backed up your computer with Norton ghost or the like program. 3 questions yes yes & yes.

Oil change or minor repairs too easy to do yourself. You sound like your savvy enough to do your own work.The cam chain maybe not. Lots of other good shops. Electrical ....You are on your own on that one.

Home repairs & building. I just rented a Kamatsu claw (excavator) & dug 5 holes & planted 5 -7 meter trees 3 days ago.

That way if the cat breaks down I can get it running quickly & not hear a song and a dance.

If you want to get a good job done in Thailand best to do it yourself.

I do all my own plumbing & will build the next 1500-2000 sq.ft. house addition myself as I get tired of substandard building practices. The only large amount of work I will sub out is the electrical & I know I will have to take off all the electrical tape & put the connectors on myself to get it right. Unfortunately I am not educated in the electrical dept & am not willing to make errors that could be critical.

No way around it- Sorry to say but Thailand is not standard in building or common sense issues.

That's why that saying "If you want to get the job done right do it yourself"

BEWARE! My understanding is that you are not allowed to do ANY work without the appropriate work permit, not even charity work. It is also extremely unlikely that you would be granted a work permit for this type of work, even if you applied for one.

[Beardog]

Most of the work I do is for 1 of the govn. top official's son where I live. I fix his excavator & I get to use the tractor or excavator.

been here almost 5 years. where I live the cops come by & give the farangs a thumbs up if your bustin a sweat. I guess technically you can't work, but I have never heard or the mods of cases where it is actually enforced.

Now if I owned a tractor & didn't pay the taxes or have a business lic. it might be a different story.

In Pattaya or Bangkok -they might care but here it is Mai pen Rai. All of our neighbors that are blue collars do their own repairs & cement projects themselves- not to save money (as the savings are minuscule) but not only to get a good job done once, but also get some exercise.

[cloudhopper]

BEWARE! My understanding is that you are not allowed to do ANY work without the appropriate work permit, not even charity work. .

Not even taking out the trash, cutting the grass or washing the car.

There are NO exceptions!

[tartempion]

LOL,

I emailed TOT, CAT, AIS, DTAC, NOK Air, Thai Air Asia and a few more for info or help, NEVER got a single reply.

A customer, what's that? Never heard they exists

And Oh, try to pay a vendor online, I use Siam Commercial Bank, good luck if ever you can figure it out

Wonder who designs software in this country...

[phutoie2]

BEWARE! My understanding is that you are not allowed to do ANY work without the appropriate work permit, not even charity work. .

Not even taking out the trash, cutting the grass or washing the car.

There are NO exceptions!

A neighbour of ours decided to wire brush and repaint his tatty steel fence and gate, a passing farang stopped and informed him that he should not be doing that!, 'taking work away from a Thai'

[mgjackson69]

BEWARE! My understanding is that you are not allowed to do ANY work without the appropriate work permit, not even charity work. It is also extremely unlikely that you would be granted a work permit for this type of work, even if you applied for one.

Yeah, right....

[davejonesbkk]

Yeah here we go with the old 'You're going to get arrested and deported if you dont get a work permit to cut your lawn' type posts....

The paranoia never ceases to amaze me :D

[Steve2UK]

Most of the work I do is for 1 of the govn. top official's son where I live. I fix his excavator & I get to use the tractor or excavator.

been here almost 5 years. where I live the cops come by & give the farangs a thumbs up if your bustin a sweat. I guess technically you can't work, but I have never heard or the mods of cases where it is actually enforced.

Now if I owned a tractor & didn't pay the taxes or have a business lic. it might be a different story.

In Pattaya or Bangkok -they might care but here it is Mai pen Rai. All of our neighbors that are blue collars do their own repairs & cement projects themselves- not to save money (as the savings are minuscule) but not only to get a good job done once, but also get some exercise.

Same here - I had exactly that while I was sweeping up grass-cuttings etc from the soi outside my house in Chiang Mai. Thumbs up and big grins - I could read their minds: "Hey, look - a farang who will actually do something and get his hands dirty!". More to the point, this is looking after your own place. If one did take it into his head to question the "work" I was doing the answer is - it's not work it's exercise for "sanuk" .

Returning to the OP's original point - it always pays to get recommendations on where to go for any of the jobs you mentioned; that approach hasn't let me down yet.

Edited August 3, 2008 by Steve2UK

[toptuan]

...and Thai workers really resent it when you watch-dog them like the OP did. It creates such resentment, I am wary of using the worker again for fear of some kind of retaliation (a little extra dirt in your oil?).

I had a problem with my brakes on my Honda (new brakes installed by Honda). From day one they didn't work right (screetching, out of adjustment, grabbing, etc.) Every time I took the Honda back (4 times) the worker attitude was worse, and the brake problem worsened. Finally I took it to another shop, had the brakes replaced (again), and everything's fine.

My time, my expense. Don't even think about getting reimbursement from the perpetrators.

There's another thread about "do you hate your home country now that you're in Thailand." No, I don't. On the contrary, I DO appreciate the higher standards of customer service I enjoyed there.

I also spent 10 years working in Japan which completely spoiled me. Had a newly-bought music system stop working on me. The day of my complaint, OWNER of the store came to MY HOME, WITH a technician, and tried to fix the problem. When they couldn't, he had brought a new back-up unit in the van, and brought it in, replacing the malfunctioning one. The stuff of dreams.

[12DrinkMore]

Back to work...

http://www.phuketgazette.com/issuesanswers...ils.asp?id=1038

....

So yes, it is OK, to do household work, including mowing the lawn.

BUT ALL YOU GUYS WRITING STORIES ARE ILLEGAL, whoops, that's me too

[kmart]

A lot of generalisations in this thread. There are a lot of places here where after sales service is excellent. My business relies on them.

I tend to buy from smaller, privately-owned shops or businesses that will go the extra mile for you. The larger chains / franchises do engender a sense of entitlement amongst their staff, I agree, but you generally get what you pay for.

[12DrinkMore]

I also spent 10 years working in Japan which completely spoiled me. Had a newly-bought music system stop working on me. The day of my complaint, OWNER of the store came to MY HOME, WITH a technician, and tried to fix the problem. When they couldn't, he had brought a new back-up unit in the van, and brought it in, replacing the malfunctioning one. The stuff of dreams.

That reminnds me, here we go again....

Signed up for UBC and received a free DVD player. Stopped working a few days later, took it back. They wouldn't offer a replacement, but had to send it to Bangkok. Every month I went to pay the bill and asked if it had been repaired yet. Nine months later I moved away, four months after that I received a telephone call, "you DVD player has been returned, when can you pick it up!".

Never bothered.