Negating Good Food with Bad Service: A Yellow Cab Experience

I've been a patron of Yellow Cab since I first got a taste of their Hot Wings and Charlie Chan Chicken Pasta way back in 2003.  Naturally, being a staple entity at SM Fairview, this is where I take my family for a Yellow Cab treat. 

Needless to say, the food is good to come back for more.  Service, unfortunately, is another matter.

One thing that a service person should master is the art of LISTENING.  I have been in the service oriented business myself and being attentive to your customer's needs is a key factor in making them feel at home.  Sad to say, I did not feel this way at the hands of the Yellow Cab branch at SM Fairview. 

Paper napkin is an operating cost that would be hard to put a number to so it is just but natural to have an initial number to give away upon order and then give more upon request.  Based on my dining experience at Yellow Cab they give around 4 paper napkins for an order of 4pc Hot Wings, 10" pizza, and pasta.  My wife brings along Wet Ones in her person every time she goes out and that's what we use when the 4 pieces of paper nakpins cannot compensate for all the wiping done during meal time.  However, four visits ago, she ran out of Wet Ones and I needed to ask the rounding service crew for more.  He acknowledged my request politely.  The problem was---he never came back.  At first I thought it was just a matter of forgetfullness but for the same scenario to happen three times is somewhat unsettling.  The kicker came this evening when my wife and I went to dinner at the same branch.  This time I asked for two glasses with ice.  Actually, the attending service crew offered to give us glasses since she saw that we have something to drink but no glasses to drink it with.  Initially I thought that this would be different since it was the service crew who offered---I was wrong.  She did not come back with the glasses so my wife and I just chugged our drink off the bottle. 

It's really unfortunate to have such good food complemented with bad service.  Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Another Funny Bus Story

Riding the bus has been a part of my daily routine since I transferred to the corporate office in Pasig. I have grown so accustomed to the ambiance and accommodation of bus travel that I feel like it’s another home for me. The airconditioning, the soft cushioned seat, and the rhythmic movement of a bus in motion are enough to put me to sleep.

My ritual is to find a seat (usually at the left-middle part of the bus), wait for the bus conductor to get my fare, and then get my 1 hour and 15 minutes worth of shut eye. Unfortunately, sometimes (especially when I’m lacking in sleep) I oversleep and wake up beyond my SM Megamall stop. This event happened a couple of times already. The farthest I overslept was Ayala. On my way home to Lagro, I have once awoken as far as Tungkong Mangga in San Jose, Bulacan.

Anyway, this morning was one of those days. I woke up somewhere in Buendia and decided to alight at Ayala (para mas madaling sumakay). But that’s not the funny part. I took a bus again on my way back to SM Megamall. When I entered the bus, there was these two guys distributing envelopes asking for contribution to a cause (I think they were a part of striking union or something). Not wanting to be harangued I closed my eyes---when I opened it again, I was at the intersection of Robinson’s Galleria! Darn! Nawalan ako ng malay! Buti nalang at nasa bandang harap ako naka upo at dali-daling bumaba!

Nilakad ko nalang from Galleria to Jollibee Center. (Baka pag sumakay na naman ako ng bus e sa Baclaran na ako magising!)

Remembering Marilyn Monroe

The ultimate sex symbol.  A pop culture icon that was immortalized through many a different mediums. 

Last August 5, was Marilyn's 49th death anniversary. Official records said that she died of a drug overdose but there were a lot of questions that remain unanswered until today. But no matter the uncertainty surrounding her death, there is no doubt as to her lasting legacy to the social culture. She has been imitated by many but never truly captured in essence. The one and the only Marilyn Monroe (and that's coming from someone who was born in 1968).  You just can't help falling in love with this woman.

The picture gave life to the term sex symbol.

Painter Andy Warhol drew a couple of inspirations from this Marilyn photo.

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman

Here's a sneak peak at Anne Hathaway as Catwoman in the latest Batman flick "The Dark Knight Rises" to be released next year.

Is she hotter in the Cat-suit than Michelle Pfeiffer?  Hmmm...the spandex looks kickass but she seem to be missing a mask?  Doesn't seem to look like a Catwoman to me.  Nice bike though---is that Batman's?

Remembering Dana Scully

Oh man, did I have a big crush on Gillian Anderson during the 90's!  She played Dana Scully in the cult television series X-Files with David Duchovny as her FBI partner Fox Mulder.  Well at first she did not strike me as a beauty expecially in the first season where she doesn't seem to have a stylist to groom her.  But as the series rose from anonymity and hit the all time viewership polls, I guess the Fox network finally gave her the budget to hire one and that's when she started to climb the sex symbol status. 

Dana Scully 1993

She became hot as her red hair and graced the covers of many celebrity and fashion magazines.  Up until the show's demise in 2002, Ms. Anderson enthralled many male worshippers (including myself).

Here she is now 18 years later.  Still a looker but she's no Phoebe Cates.

A Taste of Venice, The VC Way

A tip from Victoria Court Marketing Officer, Ms. April Escover, about the Groupon promo gave me a 50% off for a suite room with jacuzzi.  I was thinking of booking the Divine Room, which upon looking at the online picturse gave me a feeling of heaven (where I intended to go-wink! wink!).   But leave it to Ms. Escover to get this deal to a whole new level.  She suggested that I get the Venice room for an add on of 2k.  At first I was adamant of shelling out additional dough but knowing Ms. Escover, I know that the suggestion was something to look forward to. 

The Venice Room is one of the party rooms of VC.  A regular 12 hour stay is at Php 9,200.  That was a steal in itself!  But as soon as my wife and I stepped into the room did it dawn on me that it was one sweet deal!  If you've seen the Venice room pictures and found it classy, being there personally will blow your mind away!  It was like you stepped into another world!  The room was spacious.  The jacuzzi was like a mini pool and we had our own videoke system! 

If you're looking at romance, how about rose petals strewn all over the room?  I do believe I got myself a couple of pogi points with my wife with that add on!  Wait!  There's more!  Normally, an extension would cost around Php 1,500 an hour but with the Groupon voucher an add on premium of Php 1,200 will give you an additional 12 hours!  Now how's that for a great deal?!

Needless to say, me and my wife had a grand time!

Click here to go to the Groupon Page
 http://www.beeconomic.com.ph/deals/metro_manila

All Rise!

There's really nothing quite like seeing a beautiful babe in a bikini to liven up your morning!  Man, like a 4 shot caffeine jolt, I was wide eyed awake to my senses!  Now this is the real reason why I'm religiously  following the TV series Chuck! 

Gentlemen, let us all rise to greet Miss Yvonne Strahovski!