Pkchukiss – Reality Wine

Well, after the last post on how I feel that Singapore Polytechnics’ servers are underwhelming, it caused some concerns about the attitude that that post was made in. While I didn’t show it at that time, I am agreeable that positive criticism is always a better platform to get things done, rather than just ranting about it on my blog.

However, at times, the huge amount of red tape hanging around most government institutions make it a frustrating process to get things done in a timely manner. Where certain time sensitive issues are concerned, it might have been far too late to have it settled through normal channels. For example, I don’t believe that a certain laptop provider would have revised the prices of the products in time for the enrollment drive if we had not raised our concerns directly with the Principal. Already, a check on its website still shows the old, more expensive offers for other polytechnics. I won’t elaborate on this, because it isn’t the point of this post.

The issue that I would like to address is the appropriate use of channels for complaints. After the letter regarding the pricing of the laptops was sent in, I received word that we caused some unhappiness that we had skipped over the chain of command, and had worded the complaint too strongly. While the issue is now closed, I would like to clarify my rationale on why we acted as we did.

Firstly, the letter was written on the weekend prior to the start of the enrollment drive – the freshmen would have been purchasing laptops based on the official price list given by the vendor, which is outdated, and more expensive. I believe that this is not a fair deal for the incoming first years, as it is always implied that the laptop offers in the school would always be cheaper than the recommended retail price. Leaving the situation as it is would be unconscionable. There simply wasn’t enough time to send an email to a generic feedback line and hope for an answer: the last time I used that, it took one week to get an answer, which if it happened this time round, would have been too late to salvage the situation.

Secondly, there was no way to contact the department or a person in charge of the event. No emails nor telephone numbers were listed on the laptop road show web page. Facing the lack of an immediate way of reaching the decision maker, that was when I decided that we should write to the Principal.

Now, while I believe that the level of escalation was appropriate, I don’t believe that the tone of our letter was correct. Inside the email that was eventually sent out, I added the word “blatant fleecing”, which was a really negative and accusative phrase to use in the context of sending in a complaint. I agree that my tone was wrong, and for that I do owe the recipients of the letter an apology. The most constructive feedback, and one that would get the swiftest response would be the one that is positive, and targeting only the issue on hand.

It is a lesson learnt, and I do hope that fellow frustrated people out there will similarly keep your cool and do the thing that is most beneficial to the situation. After all, we do start out with the eventual goal of solving the situation. Using the wrong tone would only heighten tensions: even if the problem was resolved, the new cracks that appear in your relationship may eventually lead to more communication problems down the road.

Filed under: General