I sent this letter by fax to the directors of M V Land on 26 January. They did not acknowledge or reply to my letter after 5 days. They have been imposing a lot of troublesome requirements to other people, but when it comes to giving a reply, they are not able to cope. This is typical of many organisations in Singapore, and reflects a culture of high handedness and arrogance.
I had another bad experience today. They told my staff that I had to submit a copy of my log card to apply for a season pass. Many places do not need the log card, but they insisted "as it is their policy". I do not know where I kept my log card, so I visited their office to offer my certificate of insurance.
I had to wait for half an hour as their staff was busy attending to another owner. When I was attended, the staff did not bother with the log card or the insurance certificate, If this was not necessary, I could have sent my application by mail. I protested about this waste of my time. The staff was apologetic, but nothing will be done to change this bad practice.
This is typical of Singapore - troublesome requirements, unnecessary work, blind adherence by the staff who follow instructions set in the ivory tower. This used to be the purview of the government agencies, but commercial organisations have now caught this disease!
They must be congragulated!
ReplyDeleteThe management has selected their staff well and trained them to be very compliant.
To the extent that the management is completely insulated from everyone who is not management!
They are insulated from all forms of unneccessary queries, contact.. simply collect rent and fees.. collect data.. they know all about you and they get anything they want from you..
On the other hand, you cannot see them, cannot touch them, cannot talk to them! the closet you get is the front line person, who is simply trying to earn a living by complying with instructions!
Ahh! The perfect management angle!
As the biggest employer, the government sets an example for some private sector companies. Singapore has been steered towards a Confucian utopia (for the elite) where everyone would know his place in society. So the peasant respects the official who respects the emperor, who respects the heavenly father. Don't question authority. What the officials forget is that there is no nobility in Singapore and the elite do not have a mandate from heaven. The people in government are elected to serve, not rule. Companies that take their cue from the government in not serving their customers are destined to fail.
ReplyDeleteTypical "world-class" standards present due to the monopoly status of the entity. Slide slowly and comfortably into a complacent, auto-pilot mode... Rules and policies are adhered to blindly with little regard for the end-users and the original intent and spirit.
ReplyDelete