Cleverly priced?
P.S. What do you think of property developers who said their properties are cleverly priced? A secondary school classmate posted this on his Facebook today. What an eventful way to start the day. I wonder where he will ended up if no passenger knows that the bus driver has taken the wrong route. Or could the driver divert back to the correct road and continue the journey without the passengers knowledge? It's possible. Just imagine a whole busload of passengers looking intently on their mobile phone.
Anyway, most of us have experienced changes in bus routes from time to time. Sometimes, we find out that the bus route has been diverted and it no longer goes to the place we wanted. Sometimes, the bus will take a detour into a new estate before continuing with the rest of the journey. And you wonder why the bus is going the wrong way. Or buses are re-routed due to road closure or events. Well, there's always the bus guide we can check at the bus stop. And there's an online version too. And you can't really get lost in Singapore right! My classmate is on his way to work and he did the right thing to help the driver. Cos he doesn't want to be late for work. I remember a similar case of a driver taking a wrong route and refusing to let the passengers help him. Preferring to take instruction from the central control station. What if he is not in a hurry to work? When i was in Bangkok in July, I took the bus for the first time. For all my previous trips, I've used only the skytrain and the MRT. It was an unforgettable experience. Firstly, I got the information on how to get from my hotel to Chinatown from my uncle. I'm pretty sure that the bus will still be there servicing the same route even though my uncle took it one year ago. Thing rarely change in Bangkok, don't they? But you can never be sure. Anyway, I just took it. If the bus has ceased operation, there's always alternative transports. And if it changed route, we can always alight and take a cab. The worst case scenario would be to end up at some strange place. Luckily, nothing changed. And I became addicted to taking bus. You see more things than taking the skytrain and it's more convenient. Off we went to Pak Khlong Talad, the flower market by river express boat. While there, we decided to explore the Rattanakosin district for some eateries near the Giant Swing recommended on a blog. We have the option of going back to the pier and take the boat to Saphan Taksin, take the skytrain to Victory Monument and take bus 12 from there based on my research. The easiest way is to take a cab but I dread having to flag down a cab and ask if they use meter each and every time. And sometimes, the drivers don't know the way and take you on a long ride. So we walked into a 7-11 and pointed the Giant Swing on the map to the staff. Like a duck speaking with a chicken, we could hardly understand her. But we could see that she was trying her best with her limited command of English. We walked out and try to navigate ourselves. Saw a bus stop and looked for the bus number 12 the staff told us. But it was white out. So does this mean the bus no longer serves this route? We asked a student who's playing with his ipad and he told us to take bus 42. So was it 12 or 42? Anyway, we deduced that since bus 12 goes to Giant Swing from Victory Monument and Pak Khlong Talad is on the opposite end, we could be half right. Just that we are traveling from the opposite direction. While waiting, the student got up and walked away. Guessed he must have given up waiting for the bus. Me and my cousin were wondering if we should just take a tuk tuk or cab. Decided to wait a little longer and finally we saw bus 12. Boarded the bus without knowing what route the bus will goes, how far the journey will be and where to alight. The only thing we know is to look out for the Giant Swing. We didn't even know if it will even pass by the Giant Swing as it could possibly be hidden away on the opposite of the bus route. We managed to reach the Giant Swing successfully and explored the place a little bit. It's totally different from the shopping belt. After lunch, we asked the shop owner how to get to Victory Monument. Same thing - Take bus 12 from another bus stop. Along the way, we saw the Democracy Monument, discovered a beautiful palace, found some interesting government buildings and small bridges with canals. I'm planning to take a bus without knowing where I'll end up. Do it. Go on a journey where you have never been to and discover. There was a couple with their daughter about 3 year old. With them were the husband's brother and their parents.
They were speaking in cantonese about taking a longer journey on a wrong bus. At the same time, they seemed to be looking out for some recognizable scene outside. Just then, they saw a shopping center and the daughter-in-law pointed to it. It was a sign of relieve seeing something familiar. Yet, they looked unsure if they are on the right bus. Hmm.. Tourists from Hong Kong. Suddenly, her husband stood up, looked left and right and they seemed uncertain whether to alight or not. I was seated behind the daughter-in-law and her kid. Without much thought, I asked the lady where are they going. "Fraser Street." No, it's Fraser Suites. She scuffled and handed me a piece of note with the name and address of the apartment. It's Fraser Suites River Valley. I was lost of a second cos I did not know where exactly is it located in River Valley. I took out my mobile phone and started googling for it. Just then, I remember this bus will pass by somewhere near to River Valley and reassured her she is on the right bus. Before I could find out the exact location on my phone, both of us saw the sign "Fraser Suites" on a building. She cried out "There." And the whole group of them alighted at the next bus stop. Before that, she asked her daughter to say good-bye to me. You bet I've seen this building previously before. But at that moment, I just cannot recall where did I see it. And now, I will never forget. Did I help her? Or did she help me to remember the place better? You really learn more when you help others. Hoot hoot...
If you've enjoyed and learned something from my posts AND think that your friends can get something useful out of it.... get them to come along this journey we are taking. If not, please SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME!!!!!! Outrageous Marketing But they have the power to make a building disappear.
There is a funny article about a man writing letter to himself. It's not that he is crazy or lunatic. Here's the story. Bhaskar Rao is working in the police force. Due to manpower shortage, he was appointed Inspector General of Police, for Internal Security and Inspector General in charge of training. Since then, he has been writing to himself. Source : Business Insider
This is funny. And is your company practicing some kind of processes or procedures like this? You ask a colleague for some information, document or something verbally. The colleague acknowledge your request but still ask you to send him or her an email about the same matter. You call another colleague to answer the question he or she sent you and you're still required to reply by email. If you want to enjoy the promotion, you have to sign up as a new customer. Cancel your current subscription and re-apply. You have to print out the email to redeem your prize when the organizer already have all your particulars. A manager in a company I worked previously assigned a staff to be in charge of the stationeries. In charge has a different meaning here. Let me be more clear. This staff duty is not to ensure there are enough stocks every time and to reorder when quantity is low. The manager has the stationeries locked in a cabinet and the key kept with the staff. Anyone who needs anything will have to approach the staff to open the cabinet. And if you want to get a new pen, please bring the used one for a one-to-one exchange. And everything have to be recorded and signed. All these for a pen that costs less than a dollar. Find them and throw them out of the window. There is a 2-day orientation program for new staff joining a company.
As usual, the session revolves around these areas: - History of the company - Company structure and their core businesses - Mission and vision - Various departments - Games to get to know each others - Visits to various departments Within the respective departments, there will be another orientation for staff on the following: - Working hours - Rules and regulations - Department culture - Dos and don'ts - Where things are kept - Signing and issuance of necessary documents - Assign a mentor or buddy - On the job training Of course the lists are not exhaustive. The objective of orientation is to get the new staff settle into the new environment as quickly and comfortably as possible. Most importantly, not to break the rules. I remember attending an orientation program when I joined a big organization many years back. There's the usual company stuff communicated to us. We played some games to get to know each other. Many years later, the only memory I have of it is the person who was seated besides me and my mentor. Well, it's normal. Who bothers to remember boring stuff and head of departments (aren't they boring?). It's not that orientation is useless but it is usually the first contact a new staff has with a company. You have a chance to make it different and unforgettable. How about having a Zumba or kick boxing session for your orientation? There's a famous fresh fruit and vegetable market in Bangkok next to the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market. Unlike Chatuchak Weekend Market, it opens everyday. The products sold here are said to be the best in quality from various parts of Thailand. Many tourists like buying fruits from here to bring home. Last year, my sister came to Or Tor Kor and got a box of fresh mango home. When I went to Bangkok after her trip, she asked me to go back and buy mango again. Well, she told me to look for a thin elderly auntie somewhere in the center of the market. No stall number and no photo of the lady to show me. So there I was at the market looking for her. But to my horror, I couldn't find someone who fitted my sister's description. And what's worse, there were many ladies who fitted the one she described. But none of them were selling mangoes. They were selling other fruits. I ended up buying from a young lady. When I was back in Singapore, I realized that by a stroke of luck, I actually bought the mangoes from the stall my sister had bought. How did I know? Cos I took lots of photos of the stall to show her. It turned out the elderly lady was not at the stall when I was there. This July, I was in Bangkok again. When I went to Chatuchak Weekend Market, I saw a lady selling mango at the entrance to the huge market. She was wearing a hairband with a huge mango on top. Of course, it's a fake one. But that made her easily recognizable. I'm sure you won't have a problem finding her. Just look for the lady with a big mango on her head. Do you have something that is easily recognizable by customers? You don't need to wear a toilet bowl if you are selling that. |
AuthorOutrageous Marketing Archives
May 2020
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