Good customer service...is it common here?

[mopar71]

I've been looking for a new case for my eyeglasses and I finally found a shop that had one that fit my glasses, the optical shopin Tesco Lotus across from that fried chicken fast food joint (there, no adverts).

While I was there I thought I'd asked them about a problem I was having with a loose lens in the frame. He fixed it and gave me the case all at no charge. I was surprised and he replied, "maybe next time you need something you'll come to my shop".

That's how good customer service is supposed to work.

[samuijimmy]

Yes, nice to read positive reports.....

Actually a number of shops excel in customer service here ...but we rarely take time to mention the fact or who they are.....

Perhaps we should start a list.... ?

[saakura]

Have had good customer service from almost everywhere in my 20yrs here. Only get irritated sometimes by too many salespersons following me in Central, Homepro etc. If you can speak fluent thai, they are very helpful and knowledgeable too.

[khunPer]

I've used this specific optical shop for a number of years now – yes, good service, but seems like they charge the price when you buy...
–However, glasses may be more expensive in Central Festival.

[Suradit69]

The last time I went in to purchase some new eyeglasses ... several years since my last new prescription ... after doing the exam they told me the difference between the old and new prescription was too slight to warrant the Baht 25,000 or so cost (for transition & progressive lenses) and that I should wait six months to a year and check again. Exam was free.

I am a long term customer at the shop, but still it was nice of them not to take my money for something that I didn't really need.

And when I got my last pair of glasses they asked if I'd like to have the lenses sent out from Germany. I agreed, but the lenses turned out to be horrible. They replaced them with excellent lenses produced in Bangkok without any hesitation or charge.

And yes, I find good customer service to be pretty common here with the exception of some mega stores where they seem to have a fair number of minimum wage "helpers" with a high turnover but then that's fairly common in some of the mega stores back in the US as well.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Suradit69

[technologybytes]

Experiences can differ a great deal. Years ago my friend and I used to joke that Thailand is "the country where the customer is always wrong", but I have had some great experiences with customer service here.

Sadly, I have also found some shops to offer the worst customer service in the world.

[DrTuner]

I've had good experiences when using brand shops and mom&pop shops, both of which have a stake in the game and absolutely crap service at most of the shopping malls, hardware shops, etc where customers are more of a nuisance interrupting their precious facebooking.

As the result I order all of my smaller specialty items from Hong Kong or China via ebay, frequent markets and small shops for daily stuff and try to limit my big ticket purchases to bare minimum.

Edited February 6, 2016 by DrTuner

[louse1953]

Why not give the shop a plug.If it's Top Chaoron,they have done many small adjustments for me,all over Thailand,and i finally bought some new frames from them,because of their service policy.

[Bangkok Barry]

When service is good in Thailand it can be very good. I once had a 'misunderstanding' with an optician and my bi-focals did not work out as expected. The optician replaced the lenses at her own expense. And last year I had high-speed internet installed at my place in Deepest Issan. I was asked on Thursday by a neighbour if I wanted it as she and a couple of other places nearby needed it and the more there were the more likely they'd do it. The wiring was installed on Saturday, and on Sunday a team came and set it up. There was a problem, and they stayed until 11.40 on Sunday night to complete the job. Try getting that service in Farangland. And what I have is infinitely better than what I had in Bangkok, downloading now at 1.7Mps.

On the other hand, I visited a dentist who wanted to extract three teeth. I put that off and 20 years later my teeth are still intact with no problems. And my wife needed her ring enlarged. We took it to a store within Central Bang Na and the job was done. Only later when we were in a bar with UV lighting did we notice that some of the stones were a different colour. Turned out the shop had replaced some of the diamonds with glass. How would you ever know or be able to prove it? A perfect scam.

[thaipo7]

Good customer service if you believe the "Customer is always wrong."

[Bredbury Blue]

I've found opticions, Top Charoen etc, will do minor adjustments no charge; seems to be their policy and a good one at that. Next time need something I always remember and return there.

[Farang99]

Good customer service is not uncommon. After sales service, on the other hand may be pretty well non-existent

[ripstanley]

Yesterday our vacum cleaner hose split. We took it back to the store where we had purchased it 4 years ago. One man looked at it and said they would have to get part from Bangkok and take 2 weeks. Another staff member who appeared to be above him had a look at it. It was returned to us in 10 minutes repaired. No charge. Good after sales service.

[NoshowJones]

The OP is talking about customer service in shops, but what about people coming to your house to do some service for you?

When I first came to live in Thailand, my GF now wife, arranged for a guy to come and fix up the internet for me, I had waited in all afternoon

and he never turned up, then about the same time, I arranged for a guy to come and fix my computer, he also never turned up.

I then said to myself, this is Thailand, so I suppose I will have to get used to this sort of service.

Now, for the next ten years up till now, I have never been let down with any service where someone had to come to my house, I have had guys, and girls

come to install AC units, house extensions, fix computers, do electrical work etc,etc, and never had a comeback, every service came when they said they would,

every work was done to a high standard, and that seems to always be the case now.

[bazza40]

My experience with service in Thailand is mostly good. Very occasionally I'll get a restaurant chosen at random where the service is slow or the food is cold, I just never go back there again. Good service gets repeat business from me.

Bad service is endemic in Australia. A lot of restaurants can take 1 - 2 hours to get an order to the table. Many shop assistants act as if they are doing you a favor by serving you.

[chilli42]

In general the customer service experience I have had in Thailand is excellent across a range of products. The only issue comes when you are trying to get repair service on a product you have purchased overseas at a local Thai licencee (e.g. Apple, grey market cars etc).

[realenglish1]

Have had good customer service from almost everywhere in my 20yrs here. Only get irritated sometimes by too many salespersons following me in Central, Homepro etc. If you can speak fluent thai, they are very helpful and knowledgeable too.

Adtually I get put off when I am looking for something or just window shopping and the sales person attacks me Just leave me alone and if I see something I will let you know if I want something

[callaway]

Went to a PSI agent in Surin Isaan. Was 2 and half hours before aussie rules game was to come on tv. Set a price and said only if they could do it that day. Drove from the city back 16kms to home and there was 4 guys sitting at the front gate ready to install. They run coaxial cable to my jetty, set up the dish on a concrete base (very large pot), tuned in and ran through the ceiling of jetty to tv. It was completed and I watched the last half of the game. No where in the world could you get that done. I did buy gold package PSI as a sweetener too. Was fantastic and me and the installers sat and watched the footy and sank a few cold ones. That was long before the aussie government changed Australia Network so now I cannot get footy. The slimy pr#cks.

[Bantex]

I've mostly had good service all round and have found that in general, if your pleasant and respectful to others its reflected back at you.

[bazza40]

Went to a PSI agent in Surin Isaan. Was 2 and half hours before aussie rules game was to come on tv. Set a price and said only if they could do it that day. Drove from the city back 16kms to home and there was 4 guys sitting at the front gate ready to install. They run coaxial cable to my jetty, set up the dish on a concrete base (very large pot), tuned in and ran through the ceiling of jetty to tv. It was completed and I watched the last half of the game. No where in the world could you get that done. I did buy gold package PSI as a sweetener too. Was fantastic and me and the installers sat and watched the footy and sank a few cold ones. That was long before the aussie government changed Australia Network so now I cannot get footy. The slimy pr#cks.

Think you can get Aussie Rules on Fox or whatever, but you have to pay for it. I was pissed off too.

[emilymat]

Slightly off topic, but in a sense the same principle.

Went to the hospital (BIH) Soi 4 some weeks ago. I honestly thought I was having a heart attack as my chest was in a lot of stabbing pain.

Seen quickly by lady doctor who gave me a full examination. She told me my heart was A1 and I had obviously got a muscle strain in my side.

"Have you got any painkillers at home?" she asked.

"Yes" I answered.

Total bill 100 baht for nursing services (Blood pressure etc).

When I asked the girl who accompanied me to the cashier about the bill she said "The doctor could not find a problem and told me there is no charge".

I wish I could have thanked her, but she had a new patient by then.

Pretty good service by BIH. Refreshing to say the least.

[sawadee1947]

I wouldn't say it's common, but existing:

I was a few weeks I went to RIMPING and found the shelve with my desired product empty. I went to the information to find out when it will be available again. Not hoping to get an satisfying answer. However the lady checked on her computer, told be a batch is on the way and will arrive "some" days later. She asked me for my phone number which I gave to her, already dissapointed.

What surprise!!! After 2 weeks she called me: Sir, your item is here, ready for you to collect. WOW !!!

[Shaunduhpostman]

I went to one optical shop in Emporium last year that inexplicably gave me free arms to my glasses. I tried to pay anyway and they wouldn't have it. But I'd rather just have normal and good service every where I went in Thailand rather than amazing service at a few places and complete dysfunction most everywhere else. One of my peeves is going into a shop and there appears to be nobody in the place. In America you'd expect that people would just start stealing everything in sight if after 10 minutes nobody appears to be there. Of course you'd likely be beaten to death by staff if tried that here. So, you have to nice and let them not pay any attention and you quietly leave unable to buy what you came to buy.

[rasg]

It seems that opticians have good after sales service in the UK and Thailand. I've had good experiences in both countries a couple of times each in the last year in different opticians. They’ve fixed mine and the GFs specs and sunglasses more than once, FOC.

[1FinickyOne]

I was in a food market the other day with a lady and she wanted a box to put her food in - she had already bought from another vendor when I found someone who had boxes... she gave her not one, but two for free and threw in plastic spoons... she asked for nothing - -

I see this type of behaviour regularly and done with a smile and a delight in being helpful.

[fosseway]

A couple of years ago my Sealy Orthopedic Emperor king size mattress lost some of it's firmness on one side, at the time it was about 8 years old, I went to Homepro, Pattaya Klang, and was thinking about replacing it, From memory, I paid about 120K Baht, for the complete bed. (At the time it was very expensive, now the price has been drastically reduced) Chatted to the Sealy salesman and told him about the problem, and my intension to replace it, he said, No Need, the bed has a ten year warranty! we will repair it for you at no charge, and loan you a new mattress, whilst this is being done,I told him I most probably could not find the original receipt, no problem he said as the bed is barcoded, true to his word, the very next day, a new Sealy Mattress was delivered, not the same quality, but hey, and the old one taken away. About 2 weeks later the repaired mattress was returned as good as new, so hows that for service.

[emilymat]

I have this theory about customer service, not to be confused with the daily acts of kindness of many Thai's (as mentioned in this thread already).

My theory is based on two experiences over the last fewmonths.

1. My optician, whose service and attention to detail is first class. Now, tests your eyes and discusses the appropriate frame etc. But, he then has to send the prescription off to Bangkok (or wherever) to be manufactured. He then ensures you are satisfied, given he has not manufactured the product but is responsible for its accuracy. He has a reputation to protect, which pays dividends as he has been recommended on this forum by many.

2. My washing machine that malfunctioned and I called out the 'mechanics' from the big store. They had a quick look and said it would take 6000 baht to repair. (It only cost about 8000 18 months earlier). They then buzzed off after the 400 baht call out. I finally fixed it myself for about 300 baht spare part from China. The shop is now off list for future purchases.

The point is, the mechanics had no 'reputation' to protect. To them, you are just another farang who can buy a new machine.

Maybe my theory is potty, but I think it has some substance.

[emilymat]

I meant to add tomy last post (too busy watching Leicester score).

How many times have we seen signs in shops say 'no exchanges or refunds". Now such signs in the UK would be illegal but I realise this is Thailand.

It does though indicate to me the view of a number of shops (not all).

Once you've given us your money, our responsibility to you as a customer, ends.

[ableguy]

Why not give the shop a plug.If it's Top Chaoron,they have done many small adjustments for me,all over Thailand,and i finally bought some new frames from them,because of their service policy.

In Pranburi I asked to adjust the frame as it was a loose fit, I bought the glasses there, they cracked the lense and then laughed at me when I demanded they replace it, I grabbed him around the throat and shook him like a rat, security came and asked me to leave (we'll sort of )

Top Charoen never again cute chicks in short skirts trained to front load .

[mopar71]

Why not give the shop a plug.If it's Top Chaoron,they have done many small adjustments for me,all over Thailand,and i finally bought some new frames from them,because of their service policy.

It was KT Optic.

I tried Top Charon in Lamai and Chaweng with no luck. One didn't sell cases and the other only had very slim ones.