Good customer service experiences

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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Mine both involve Super Pola in Centro San Juan, B?varo.

- The cashiers at Super Pola sometimes ask if you've found everything you were looking for, and give you a slip to report them. I mentioned two products that they used to stock but no longer appeared, and they phoned me to explain that they were still on order, and when one was finally received they phoned me to let me know. The other one still hasn't appeared, but I appreciate the gestures and the effort to keep the customer informed.

- A couple of weeks ago I bought some dried apricots from Pola. The brand was "Dinasty" (sic) a Dominican company that imports dried fruit and nuts and packages them here. Unfortunately when I got home and opened them they were off - they had a strong fermented taste - despite being well within the sell-by date. These things are rather expensive so I was p?ssed off and reluctant to risk it again. I went back to buying the US-packaged variety. I meant to take the apricots and my receipt to the Supermarket but didn't get round to it.

I was in Pola again a few days ago, this time looking for almonds. A man standing next to me suggested I try the Dinasty brand. I realised he was a sales representative so I mentioned the fermented apricots. He insisted on paying for a replacement even though I hadn't brought the defective product or proof of payment, and asked me to e-mail him with my comments. This time the apricots were fine and he succeeded in restoring my trust in his brand.
 
Dec 26, 2011
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That Pola's a great store. Do me a favor and ask them about considering carrying sour cream in their dairy case, since you've got a rapport going with them.
 

flyinroom

Silver
Aug 26, 2012
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wow.....sounds like someone decided to employ a newer, fresher approach to doing business as usual...
How refreshing.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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That Pola's a great store. Do me a favor and ask them about considering carrying sour cream in their dairy case, since you've got a rapport going with them.
Pollo, I'm sure I've seen sour cream there, but will double check next time. Both the local 'Elite' brand - red, green and white container - and the US imports.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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wow.....sounds like someone decided to employ a newer, fresher approach to doing business as usual...
How refreshing.
Supermercados Nacional's customer service is very personalised in Punta Cana - they've had the same managers since they opened so they've got to know many of the regular customers. They also have customer feedback slips at the cash desks, and on a couple of occasions when I've returned products they've given me a credit note without query.

Still, Pola take it a step further with their follow-up phone calls.
 

flyinroom

Silver
Aug 26, 2012
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Chirimoya ...Thanks for posting a positive comment to counterbalance all of the negative (but true) posts on "Playero still No Clue" thread.
( my own #28 included.)
 

J.Baby

New member
Dec 23, 2012
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We just got back from Super Pola. The cashier shut down her lane, even though we already had our stuff on the belt. Another cashier yelled at her in some rapid fire spanish, and took us right away apologizing. All in all, we have great experiences there and prefer it to Iberia. But no, they haven't had sour cream for a little while. If they did, they would be perfect (or at least close) I really want some sour cream.
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
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That Pola's a great store. Do me a favor and ask them about considering carrying sour cream in their dairy case, since you've got a rapport going with them.

You can find all the sour cream you want at Nacional in PC.
 

J.Baby

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Dec 23, 2012
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Thanks Sky. I usually don't go that far, but I have a few recipes that I need it for, so I will make the trip out there. Have you ever had mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives in them? I think that is worth the drive. Nacional is far from my place and I usually don't go because all I have is a little pasola, but for sour cream, that would be a worthwhile trip.

On another note, the customer service at Pola has always been good, so we go there every week. The guys that bag my groceries even ask if I have a car or taking the gua gua or moto, so he can bag my groceries accordingly. That is pretty nice. In Canada, they don't even bag your groceries. They charge you for every bag and if you don't bag your own fast enough you get a dirty look. Customer service here in DR is hit or miss, but when they do hit good service, they blast it out of the park.
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
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Thanks Sky. I usually don't go that far, but I have a few recipes that I need it for, so I will make the trip out there. Have you ever had mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives in them? I think that is worth the drive. Nacional is far from my place and I usually don't go because all I have is a little pasola, but for sour cream, that would be a worthwhile trip.

On another note, the customer service at Pola has always been good, so we go there every week. The guys that bag my groceries even ask if I have a car or taking the gua gua or moto, so he can bag my groceries accordingly. That is pretty nice. In Canada, they don't even bag your groceries. They charge you for every bag and if you don't bag your own fast enough you get a dirty look. Customer service here in DR is hit or miss, but when they do hit good service, they blast it out of the park.

You do know you are supposed to give something to the guy that bags your groceries, at least when he brings it to you car as well, right?

By the way, the moment will come that supermarkets here will agree among each other not to give free plastic bags anymore. Besides the weight on the environment, after electricity and payroll the plastic bags are one of the biggest overhead posts for a Dominican retail store.
 
Dec 26, 2011
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You do know you are supposed to give something to the guy that bags your groceries, at least when he brings it to you car as well, right?

By the way, the moment will come that supermarkets here will agree among each other not to give free plastic bags anymore. Besides the weight on the environment, after electricity and payroll the plastic bags are one of the biggest overhead posts for a Dominican retail store.

50 pesos?
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
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That's what my wife gives, I give 20, or most of the time bring it myself to the car....(yeah, I'm cheap)
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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By the way, the moment will come that supermarkets here will agree among each other not to give free plastic bags anymore. Besides the weight on the environment, after electricity and payroll the plastic bags are one of the biggest overhead posts for a Dominican retail store.
I hope this happens soon. We take our own shopping bags most of the time. Sometimes the baggers get snotty when we say we don't want plastic bags or that we don't need so many, even in Nacional where they sell reusable ones.

I usually tip RD$35 or 40.
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
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I once went to the supermarket with my plastic foldable crates. The looks I got made me decide not to do that again
 

J.Baby

New member
Dec 23, 2012
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I don't usually tip more than a few pesos, and that is just for posterity, unless there are a lot of groceries, then i give 50 pesos. Call me cheap if you want, but we only have the scooter, so we don't buy anything more than will fit in the backpack, and usually I help, because I am pretty picky since I have to carry the backpack. I also carry them out. No need for the bagger to carry my backpack to the parking lot. If I had a car it would be different, or if it wasn't just two bags of food. Sometimes they force me to let them do the packing, then I have to re pack it all before I leave. Although the few times I have done a major shopping, I let them pack and pay accordingly. They don't seem to understand the backpack concept, and my spanish is still a work in progress.
 

yb1

New member
Oct 6, 2008
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Ok here's another two.

First was at Codetel's main office in La Romana. Bought iphone5 in US. Went to Codetel to get it hooked up not knowing whether it was unlocked or not. Service rep Carlos Rijo was incredibly helpful (when no one else in the office seemed to know anything about iphone5s or give a sh$%). Carlos put us in touch with a phone shop owner who could unlock it properly and even took his break early to show us where the store was. I'm sure he got a cut from the unlocking guy but needless to say he also got a good tip from us too. On subsequent visits to Jodetel I've managed to only deal with Carlos, he knows his stuff 100% and finds solutions quickly and effectively (he must have escaped the Jodetel-anti-customer-service-brainwashing-course).

Second good customer service story: Compa??a de Electricidad de Bayahibe (CEB). For some reason our apartment complex's power cuts off at random but frequent intervals, sometimes 5 times a day. I have their head Technico on speed dial, one call and he sends someone out to fix it immediately day or night and without any bribery! :D
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,545
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la sirena in santiago, cashier told us that in a couple of weeks they are stopping free plastic bags, got into a conservation cos we use french type big carriers with handles that u buy once and bring with u... Everyone seemed to think it was a grest idea. I always take a couple of sirena plastic bags off them cos they make great bin bags for toilet bins.....