Picture this: You walk into a store, fall in love with their great window blinds, set an appointment for measurements and walk out the store happy with the service.
Then the day for measuring comes and it goes well. The sales engineer is pleasant, he gives you tips on what material would be best, you make your choices, you come to an agreement, you’re given a discount, you give your 50% downpayment. All is set for installation of the blinds: Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.
The week that follows, you continually ask for confirmation on blinds installment. The sales engineer always confirms the Wednesday, 8:30 am installation. Beautiful, you think. All is on track.
Wednesday comes.
You’re on your way to your new place, giddy about the beautiful blinds that will be installed. It is 8:00 a.m. You get a phone call from the supplier, not the sales engineer, that the blinds cannot be installed. You fret and ask why.
You are told that your orders were not included for processing the week before, that materials ran out, that they are very sorry but they can only start preparing the blinds in two weeks time. You are then asked, Didn’t the sales engineer tell you about it? And you say no, in fact both of you confirmed just last night that installation would proceed today at 8:30 a.m. They apologize for the miscommunication and you say there is no miscommunication at all, just terrible, inefficient service.
Imagine all the fretting that ensues, how that Wednesday morning was spoiled, how upset the customers are.
Imagine the Sales Engineer sending you a text message at 9:00 a.m. saying that your blinds cannot be installed. Call me, you send a text message back. You will not spend a single centavo on this inefficient supplier who breaks the bad news to you over a text message and one week delayed at that. He calls you and a long intense conversation is exchanged.
What happened in the end? After a few hours of deliberating, you decide to push through with the transaction. You are at a bind and to find a new supplier to deliver blinds will take just as long anyway. But you make a promise to yourself and to that Sales Engineer that you will not recommend them at all to any friends or family.
The supplier is Pagent-Duralco. For those who are looking for providers of interior products, particularly window blinds, I suggest you go look at various suppliers before zeroing in on this one we got. Our blinds were finally installed yesterday and while we were happy with their product quality, I would not wish the stress we went through on anyone.
I find out later on that many other customers share this same story.
Pagent-Duralco is described as “the most reliable and service oriented provider of a wide range of interior and home building products with distinct designs and exemplary workmanship…” To be the “most reliable and service oriented provider”? I strongly, strongly disagree and now that I have shared our story with you, you know why too.
Hi! I'm Toni Tiu,
and I've been blogging at
at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.
barbara
February 20, 2006 at 6:27 am (18 years ago)isn’t there some kind of a consumer affair who can handle that kind of situation? also.. i hope you have asked for some kind of discount to compensate for it… welll at least they should have offered something for the undue stress – now where is the pic of the stressful blinds?
Junnie
February 20, 2006 at 8:15 am (18 years ago)i can’t say that it wouldnt happen in North America with such a strong consumer protection law but there’d surely be a way to compensate such a terrible service. They truly follow their line of work – they provide you BLIND SERVICE.
don’t let the Pinoy way of being pasensiyosa get in the way. Don’t pay the balance 50% until you get some concessions back. You still have the right after them not following the service level agreement.
Call Atty Junnie – kaso long distance.
pinayhekmi
February 20, 2006 at 10:32 am (18 years ago)So disappointing, I know. For once, I’d like to hear of exemplary customer service from business in the Philippines.
Jher
February 20, 2006 at 5:13 pm (18 years ago)well there are research findings that show na consumers will tell about 10 people about their bad experiences with a company but would only tell around 1 or 2 when they good service. i should know. i worked for a customer service department ages ago. 😛
tin
February 20, 2006 at 6:29 pm (18 years ago)sigh. it’s kinda stressful, huh. just follow your gut and stick to your principles. chase them if you must, nag dp ka na e. hope it works out soon. breathe in-breathe out.
AnP
February 20, 2006 at 9:37 pm (18 years ago)hope it works out soon. wag ka pa stress. hayaan mo silang ma stress sa yo. hehe
greetings to D!
star
February 20, 2006 at 10:39 pm (18 years ago)that is so frustrating. i’ll remember that name and i’ll remember to be careful of them too. but it’s all been done.. so it’s time to enjoy the blinds!
dexie
February 20, 2006 at 11:06 pm (18 years ago)demand a discount. 2-3 days delay is somewhat acceptable but 2 weeks, c’mon. sorry for all the stress Toni.
Daphne
February 21, 2006 at 5:35 pm (18 years ago)Ay naku that is how it works here … only in the philippines ika nga. It was quite a culture shock for me when I first got back here and services were not as prompt and efficient to the ones I was used to.
Meeyagirl
February 22, 2006 at 2:39 am (18 years ago)i hate bad service, and hubby usually gets into trouble because i won’t let him let them get away with it, hehe. i think they need to change their mission statement (or baka 2-3 weeks delayed pa din ang pag-che-change niyan, haha.) thanks for this tip toni, i’m sure they have lost a lot of potential clients from amongst your readers. their loss.
kat
February 24, 2006 at 5:49 am (18 years ago)oh ye gods! you are not alone. dealing with contractors is a bitch and it seems you will always run into some sort of snag, and be forced to deal with it even though you are in the right and they are in the wrong. when we moved to our house, a company totally screwed us over when we hired them to sand and stain our woodern floors. we go the short end of the stick and are now living with so-so floors. at least your dilemma is only about timing, so take a deep breath and don’t sweat it! good luck!
Jerome Daclison
February 24, 2006 at 2:05 pm (18 years ago)Dearest! I’m very sorry for the screw up. I got confused with tintin (of tin@30). Mahabaging langit, naway mapatawad mo ako….(pleads with eyes like Puss n’ Boots in Shrek 2).
rolly
February 24, 2006 at 9:44 pm (18 years ago)Very frustrating talaga yang ganyang situation. It’s like having promised a sumptuous meal where you are told what the ulam would be and when you get home, iba ang niluto. kakainis yun. Nasa dulo na ng dila mo yung lasa di ba?
Toni
February 25, 2006 at 3:29 pm (18 years ago)barbara : Consumer affairs aren’t really big here. That’s kinda sad ‘no? But the blinds were beautiful nonetheless and I will post a pic sometime!
Junnie : Hay naku Atty, ang sakit nila sa ulo. Nakadiscount anman kami kahit kont. Consuelo de bobo nalang!
tintin: Bihira eh. Pero once I experience exemplary service, I will be sure to write about it too!
Jher : Ah just as I told tintin, once I experience good service I will be sure to write about it too!
tin : Yup, we followed our instincts and stuck to them. Maganda naman ang blinds.
AnP : “Hayaan mo silang ma stress sa yo.” Hehehe true true!
star : We are enjoying it a lot now. Time to move on!
dexie : Aww thanks sweetie. We did get a discount, a really small one lang. At elast tapos na ‘to lahat!
Daphne : Never naman nakakasanay ang bad service! Bad trip talaga.
Meeyagirl : You’re welcome. That’s the power of blogging, hehe.
kat : I’m sorry to hear about your floors! Well at least we both have moved on now and have learned from our terrible experiences!
Jerome : Awww it’s okay little kitty cat. 😀
Tito R: Galing niyo talaga! Hehehe. Ganun na nga!
delish
February 28, 2006 at 11:20 am (18 years ago)Buti na lang sis, I neednot worry over blinds
Anyway serves them right for being inefficient and unprofessional.
Paparazzi
February 28, 2006 at 9:13 pm (18 years ago)You should thank the Good Lord for giving you the rare chance to exercise the virtue of patience despite what happened.
As His true followers, let us face daily problems or annoyances with patience for Jesus’ sake. Amen?
Smile. God loves you, Toni.
Alma
March 1, 2006 at 12:24 pm (18 years ago)Toni! I had the SAME supplier! They made my beautiful wooden blinds, and sadly, medyo delayed din ang installation… 2 weeks yata…
jing
March 1, 2006 at 10:33 pm (18 years ago)… nevertheless, enjoy your new home. It seems to look very well coordinated. More pictures for interior ideas ha? Please!!!
barbie
May 24, 2007 at 1:10 pm (17 years ago)oh! no its not true! i am a fanatic of that product.
barbie
May 24, 2007 at 1:21 pm (17 years ago)a big big no! to your story.