I refer to the letter AirAsia manipulating passengers. AirAsia is not the only so-called great Malaysian company with such poor services. Many 'big' Malaysian companies adopt the same attitude.

Let me quote some cases:

  1. Astro - When there were subscription problems with their magazine, they encouraged customers to e-mail and telephone them but they never replied. I wrote in to complain to their customer service manager and the CEO to highlight the incompetence of their company but there never was a single reply from any one of them.

  • Alpha - This company advertises everywhere about their 'Superbrand' status. They are famous for heaters, fans and many electrical appliances. I bought all my fans from them to fit my new home with. All the fans had the same problem - a remote receiver problem. During the warranty period, they obligingly replaced the part.

    • But when the warranty period is over, they charge the customer a high price for the spare parts! I wrote to the CEO. There was no reply. I wrote to 'Superbrands' International. They replied and said they had informed the CEO. But again, no reply from the CEO.

    I vowed never to buy Alpha again. I removed all my Alpha fans and replaced them with Panasonic fans which never gave me any problems.

  • Local furniture - I have purchased from a few furniture companies at a furniture complex in Cheras. They sell defective furniture and when you complain and write to their bosses, they ignore you.

    • Now compare the above companies to the ones below:

    1. Reader's Digest - When the magazine failed to arrive, I e-mailed them informing this. An automatic response was generated. But two weeks later, a letter of apology together with the magazine arrived. That's service.

  • Nikon - Twenty years ago I owned a Nikon FA SLR. I faced problems with the local agent who took a long time repairing my camera. I wrote a letter to the Nikon CEO in Japan. I received a reply from the CEO three weeks later apologising for the matter. I was amazed.