I should say that last 'Sunday' was a day of learning for me. There are times in life when you change your perceptions towards life. Two such incidents have modified the folder of 'Trust' in my life. This is one of the folders which had constantly got updated in my mind till today.
First in 'Coffee Day'. After a long while, in the hot sun, wanted to have cold coffee. It had been a long time since me and my husband went for a coffee chat. Each step there took a long time, from receiving a menu card, to taking an order, and receiving the order. People there didn't bother much about the long wait, all in their own world with their friends! We got our menu card, me a 'cafe frappe', a 'cappuccino' for him and a 'warm choco indulgence'. The waiter didn't speak good English, but he uttered words very fast and asked about lot of toppings and add ons. We avoided the toppings. The order arrived little late. Time just passed looking at people around, muted 'animal planet' on TV, loud Hindi song. Finally my 'cafe frappe' arrived, but without the whipped cream on top! 'Where is the whipped cream?!' was my first reaction. Then they added to it.The hot weather made me enjoy the cold coffee. I really relished it and the yummy choco indulgence. I was happy about the wonderful evening and the coffee, but the happiness really didn't last long. Here comes the Bill, almost double than what we had ordered! We could count the three items we had ordered, and there was a fourth one 'Pomegranete quencher' - quantity 2. Oh! we hadn't ordered that. When enquiring the guy said that it was the sweet flavour which was in the coffee! 'Can you show us in the menu card?' was our next questions. The guy showed us a 'drink' in that name and said that was the extra flavour we had ordered. He argued with us for long and trying to make us believe that he was very correct. We went to the branch manager and asked him about it. His response to his subordinate was 'this is different' and cancelled the charges for that order. After this a lot of unanswered queries still linger in my mind:
1) Does all the people in the branch have a hand in this fraud?
2) Missing of 'whipped cream' - was it deliberate?
3) When people come with their girl friends and boy friends, do they find it hard to get into the details of the bill, feeling that the other might take it bad?
4) Does the shop do this kind of things regularly or am i the only victim?
A basic shake of TRUST from a branded popular chain. But we could get our money back. How many people here are getting deceived??
The next incident want in the Gaming area of 'Skywalk'. The same evening, after returning home, me and my daughter went out to Skywalk. I always wanted to take her to the Gaming area of skywalk and finally found time for her. I am not an ardent lover of video games. I went to the counter, asked the guy for details of payment, since I was going there the first time. There was an offer that day, i.e., you pay for 2000 and get 4000 rupees worth of gaming free, pay 500 and get to play for 700, pay 300 and play for 380. It took the 300 rupee scheme and he gave me a card. The money is not refundable unlike the food counters in Skywalk. The place was so crowded as it was a Sunday evening. I was looking around to see what kind of games would suit my daughter. A small boy came to me, and guided me to a direction where games for small kids is available. I didn't find the games suitable for kid. But swiped the card in two areas, and played the games, with guidance from the small boy. The third game was bike racing. The boy swiped the card for me, to start the game and gave back the card to me. I was holding my daughter and helping her play and after which, I found the boy missing. I thought he might have gone to help others. I took my daughter to a next play booth. I didn't know what the game was about, no instructions. I swiped the card, and got an error 'Insufficient balance - please recharge'. I counted the expenditure the last three games and it was less than 100 rupees. I tried 2 to 3 times and I thought there was some problem with the machine. Another set of people were able to swipe their card and play in the same booth. Then I realised there is something wrong with the card. I went to the counter and asked him to check the balance. The balance was 10 rupees. I realised that the has swapped the card! Then I told the man at the counter that there was a small boy with me who was helping me operate. The person at the counter said that there are people like that, and he could do nothing, but put some 100 rupees in the card. He escorted us with a person and asked him to take us around. I was not in a mood to play any further. I never expected this from a small boy like him.I went out and called my husband and narrated the incident. He asked me to be there and he could come. I suddenly realised that since it is an electronic card, it should be easy to block or deactivate the card. I went to the gaming section again, asked the person in the counter if it is possible to block. At first he hesitated, but finally agreed to check it for me. I narrated the first 3 games we played and the approximate time. He could trace the card name for me. He made the previous card balance as zero and moved the balance of 300 in a new card and he gave me the new card! I was happy, thanked him and came out. Here too, I have a set of unanswered queries:
1) The people at the counter are aware of such frauds. Why have they not written down any 'warning'
2) Are they also involved in this fraud?
3) How did the small boy target me?
Whatever be the situation around us, the success or happiness lies in how well we handle the situation. My TRUST folder has been modified and folder is linked to a SITUATION HANDLING folder. Both the folders have been updated with some valuable information.
