Etihad Airways

From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etihad_Airways

Etihad Airways is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates. Established by Royal decree in July 2003 and based in Abu Dhabi, Etihad commenced operations in November 2003.

My Customer Service Experience: 

I had a hard time booking my flight since my flight fare is more than my credit card limit so I had to fly to Manila to book my flight personally in their office since they don't have any ticketing office in Cebu and if there was, it isn't stated in their website.

Their office was really nice and luxurious and the ground attendant served me well, with pleasing personality and all, she even helped me find a cheaper flight despite the fact that I booked my flight like just a week before my actual departure.

I opted on choosing a flight from Singapore to Abu Dhabi then from Abu Dhabi to Ireland and I believed it was a good decision on my part because when I boarded the plane, my experience was really nice.  Both planes from Singapore and from Abu Dhabi were well maintained, stewardesses would really attend to your needs properly.

However, I felt that there is a bit of a discrimination on the part of Etihad because, while my flight from Ireland to Abu Dhabi was as nice as my previous flights with the airline, my flight from Abu Dhabi bound for Manila is not.

Not only does the airplane look old and shabby, the Chinese flight attendant was rather nasty and rude toward the customers.  The way the flight attendant acted makes one think that she is belittling the Filipinos.  The way she answered customer queries was with no courtesy at all. To think I paid more for this flight than my previous ones.  And I booked this a month before my actual boarding

The thing is if Etihad airways is able to provide a par excellence service with their other flights, why can't they do the same with their Philippines flight?

NAIA - Terminal 1

Ninoy Aquino International Airport which was once known as Manila International Airport is the largest airport in the Philippines was named after Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. who was assasinated in the said airport during martial law.

I have been in this airport thrice, I believe. Twice for back and forth domestic flights, and once for international flight arrivals. 

My customer service experience:

I probably had one of the worst customer service experience in this airport.  I had a "not so good" experience abroad so I decided to go home with my then 4 month old daughter.  All alone with loads of luggages while carrying my daughter, I was happy somebody offered to bring my luggage outside so I can go to terminal 3 for my domestic flight going to Cebu and to meet my cousin.  When I arrived outside, not only did the guy asked me more than Php100 for the services, he also asked me for some dollar bills and when I declined him, he left me without knowing where exactly I needed to go.  I asked the security guard and he told me that I was actually at the wrong place as the van for terminal 3 is just one level above where I am.  I have to drag my luggage up again, baby and all. The security guard told me that the van is for free as it is a service offered by the airport itself so I was relieved but when I arrived at the terminal the person who helped me out with my luggage told me that I should give the driver and his assistant some money because they were the once who carried my luggage inside the van. My cousin did not arrive until later so I asked the person who brought my luggage that I will just wait inside the check-in hall, I was already crying and everything but that person still managed to ask for more than a hundred pesos with no empathy whatsoever for, again, "services".  The things, weren't these people being paid by the airport themselves to do what they are supposed to do?  Why are they victimizing their customers especially fellow Filipinos? And why does the airport management allow this kind of hussling within airport premises? This does not happen in other provincial airports, so no amount of reasoning can justify what the airport employees are doing to the customers.  It is a disgrace, just because people came from other countries does not mean they lay golden eggs.  In as much as I want to support local business establishment, I will never recommend to anyone who comes from abroad and had to make a stopover before reaching their province to do a stopover in this airport.

CHOWKING

I have always found the food in Chowking to be worth going back for.  They are quiet different compared to other "normal" fast food chains.  Like any other successful fast food restaurants, you can find a Chowking chain almost everywhere in Metro Cebu. The first time I tasted Chowking's food was when my mother brought me to the place because whenever she goes out with my Aunt, who is a senior citizen, my Aunt will always bring her to Chowking because she gets big discounts using her senior citizen ID.

My most favorite is the Fish Tausi from their Chef Bowls collection.  I love the mixture of fish and tufo with stir fry sauce and tausi.  Whenever, I go to Chowking, I order this from them. Not really being health conscious or anything, I just love the taste and the fact that it is easy to use chopsticks, if this is what I order.  See, I have always been proud that I know how to use chopsticks hehehe...

My customer service experience:

In Chowking Fuente Osmeña, their staff and crew are very prompt and respectful.  This is also true with Chowking Sto. Niño and Chowking Colon. 

However, I have had several bad customer service experience in Chowking Ayala.  Mostly minor things like take out foods that take a long time before they get to you, to them forgeting your orders that you have to call their attention to follow-up for your food or when you ask for plastic condiments or chopsticks and they don't have that on stock. One noted experience was when my daughters and I had so many left overs, I asked one of the staff to have them packed so we can take them home, afterall, a food paid should not go to waste, I am a single mother of two afterall, expenditures should be thought through properly.  I wondered why the staff did not take our extra food with him. I thought maybe he will just come back for them but to my disappointment, the staff brought several plastic bags and told me to pack the extra food myself.  Now, Ayala Center Cebu is noted to be one of the finer malls here in Cebu, so it is expected that any store inside the mall should raise their customer service expectations.  Chowking Ayala, failed and it is something that the manager or managers of this outlet need to focus their improvement on. For now, I still go to Chowking Ayala because of the food but my patience with regard to how their staff treats the customers is running thin. Customer's do not only go to a restaurant for the food you know...