SERVICE IS AT THE BAR

This is what I saw the other day in the DELIRIUM TREMENS bar in Brussels.

Delirium Tremens, besides of a beer brand, it is a nice bar in the center of Brussels. It has the most extensive beer menu of the world. More than 2000 beers on the list. Yes, two thousand, simply amazing.

It is then a mandatory stop for any beerlover. But it also reflects the kind of service you should expect in bars.

After three years living in Belgium, I believe less than 5% of the times I have had table service in bars (Excluding hotels of course).

What else can I say?

Cheers!

Résiliation de l’abonnement Fit for Life - Passage Fitness Brussels

Today I am very happy, and I feel good.
I am going to share with you the why....

A few weeks ago I sent a registered letter to my gym to cancel my contract. Yes, my beloved gym in Brussels.

Passage Fitness First
Avenue des Arts 47/49
1000 Bruxelles,


In order to do that, I had to send a registered letter. I would like to tell you that you can use the same template if you want. You can DOWNLOAD IT HERE and modify it.

I hope you use it as I did. A very good friend gave it to me. Most of the people I know in this gym have canceled their contract too, and some have had difficulties to do it. Good Luck!!!

Of course, now I have to take care of how much I eat, and I decided to walk to my job everyday (half an hour time each time).

Be healthy.

The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net)

The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net)


Who can you turn to if you have a problem with a product you bought in another European country?
Who can inform you of your rights and what you are entitled to as a European consumer?
If you have a complaint against a company or you are in a dispute with a trader, who can assist you and help solve your case?

The Network of European Consumer Centres is there to help with such questions and any other problems you may have concerning your activities as a consumer in Europe. The aim is that you should feel as confident when shopping in another country as you do at home.

List of centres Updated 16-06-2008 and centres' websites.

What is the ECC-Net?

The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) is an EU-wide network designed to promote consumer confidence by advising citizens on their rights as consumers and providing easy access to redress, particularly in cases where the consumer has made a cross-border purchase.

The Network was created by merging two previously existing networks: the European Consumer Centres or 'Euroguichets', which provided information and assistance on cross-border issues; and the European Extra-Judicial Network or "EEJ-Net" which helped consumers to resolve their disputes through alternative dispute resolution schemes (ADRs) using mediators or arbitrators.

The aim of the European Consumer Centres is to provide consumers with a wide range of services, from providing information on their rights to giving advice and assistance with their complaints and the resolution of disputes.

What services do the centres provide?

They inform consumers about the opportunities offered by the Internal Market.
They advise individuals facing a consumer-related problem and support them in pursuing cross-border complaints.
They advise on out-of-court-settlement procedures for consumers throughout Europe.
They provide consumers with easy and informed access to such procedures across borders.
They co-operate with each other and with other European networks such as the FIN-NET (Financial Network), SOLVIT and the European Judicial network in civil and commercial matters.
They provide information on EU and national legislation and case law
They conduct cross border comparisons of such things as prices, legislation and other issues of consumer concern.
They provide the European Commission with important ‘grassroots’ information on consumer concerns.

More info here

BELGACOM - THE AGONY OF AN EMPIRE

This is BELGACOM, the biggest telecommunication company in Belgium:



It looks very impressive. But, actually the reality of this company can be visualised in the followting pictures (I took myself):





Yes exactly, that is the real BELGACOM. A company that has had a privileged situation as being the ONLY telecommunications operator until not long ago. In other words, they were the kings of the jungle in Belgium. No one could touch them.

And what happens when you are the king, the number 1....????? It happens that you can only go down, if you cross your arms and wait. That is what happens with that telephone booth.

The downfall of BELGACOM is a reality with the entrance of competitive operators (VOO, TELE2, ELEVEN, etc..). Of course The King is defending its territory with its big teeth. But not for long time.

Today I am going to talk about the customer service of BELGACOM, I wouldn't actually call it like that, but they do. My last experience with them, was very dissapointing and disgusting. They don't care about you as a customer, the philosophy they aply is: "if youdon't like you go to another telecom company". Well I see. They don't give a shit about the quality of telecom. service they provide, and their e-mail and telephone for customers is really ....sad, and pointless, it just makes oyu loose your time.

We have a contract with belgacom for the ADSL Internet connection in my office. (needless to say I think the offer of ADSL connections is very poor and expensive) Well, very simple, we wanted to change the type of ADSL connection, and have a fixed internet address (IP address). We filled up the form, and send it by fax. We asked (TWO TIMES) them specifically by email: "WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE THE CHANGE? AND ARE YOU GOING TO CUT OUT INTERNET CONNECTION? iF SO WHEN?"

They replied, in other works, "you will receive a letter announcing this change, and the internet access will not be cut".

Internet access is essential in our office. Without it, we cannot work. Maytimes, we have deadlines at concrete days and time (e.g. MOnday 16th, at 17h GMT+1) for submitting reports, or projects. If we do not submit it before the deadline, all the work done is lost, (à la poubelle), and I mean, several weeks of work.

Guess what happened.....Murphys Law???? NO, NO, NO. I call it BELGACOM SERVICE. They cut our internet access during almost two hours on a monday working day, and without previous notification. The letter came later. Can you believe this?

This is not everything. When I called the customer service to notify the interruption of service, they were not capable of let me know WHEN they were going to re-establish the internet access in my office. Basically our options were: WAIT AND SEE....

Well, my piece of advice to BELGACOM is this: wait and see how you will end up, once all barriers for competition are gone.

TODAY I CRY OF SO MUCH HAPPINESS!!!!!

Yes, because sometimes, just a small and tiny thing can make you so happy.

Today I sent an email to the Customer Service (Service Apres Vente) of the company CHAFFOTEAUX. It is a company that belongs to the big international group MTS.
The main business of CHAFFOTEAUX are all kind of WATER HEATERS for domestic applications.

They replied to my email just a few hours later and solved my problem. Isn't it that great?? Where can you find better service here???

A big applause for them!!!çI am so happy when things just work as they are supposed.

et Merci!

Letter from Zacharia

First of all, I am really glad you read my blog Zacharia, you must be the only one so far, I am grateful and happy for that. But….did you really read it? Or just had a quick look?


Zacharia
Monsieur,

Votre blog et les commentaires que j’y ai lus m’ont franchement choquée et n’a fait que conforter l’opinion souvent répandue des expatriés travaillant dans les institutions internationales (et je suis loin d’être la seule) et dont les plus jeunes squattent les 4 coins de la place du Luxembourg : incapacité à s’adapter aux belges et à la vie bruxelloise, qui abondent en critique sur le bruxellois et/ou les belges qui sont soi-disant d’une grande froideur mais la plupart de vos congénères sont incapables de se faire un seul ami bruxellois et ce même parfois après avoir vécu 10 ans à Bruxelles, persuadés qu’ils ont tous les droits pour être désobligeant ou dénigrer le personnel dans les magasins ou les administrations bruxelloises sous prétexte qu’ils travaillent à la commission ou qu’ils font partie de l’élite des fonctionnaires européens, etc… et je sais de quoi je parle


That is a very long sentence, but allow me to react. First please let me quote the subtitle of my bloc, which I think you did not read.
“This blog is dedicated to all those individuals/private companies/institutions/public administrations/services/etc. who do not understand the meaning of two words:”service and clients”.In particular in the area of the capital of Europe (yes,I said THE CAPITAL).This blog will channel my anger, my rage and my will to change things in this respect, and I invite anyone to do the same here. This is the best way I’ve found to do it between an absolute lack of interest from those mentioned.”

This blog is not against anyone or any country. The purpose is to channel and disseminate my testimony (an others that may contribute) of experiencing bad quality of service in general in Belgium. I want to write what I think, because it is my right to express myself, and let the others know about that. You have no idea where I am from, where I work, how long I have lived here, and how many Belgian friends I have. That is none of your business or anyone else, and it is useless in this blog.


. Je travaille et j’habite tous près de la place Schumann et j’ai déjà assisté à plusieurs reprises à des scènes à la banque, au bureau de poste où chez l’épicier où j’étais horriblement gênée ….. J’ai pu aussi constater que quand on discute avec un de ces expatriés (et j’en ai souvent l’occasion) on peut constater après une petite vingtaine de minutes que votre interlocuteur ne connaît ni le nom du premier ministre belge, ne sait pas que la Belgique est un royaume, etc… un désintérêt total pour la Belgique et les bruxellois.

So you have been testimony of other people frustration…interesting to know I am not the only one. Again, and even if it is not my case, living in your expat’s bubble has nothing to do with the purpose of this blog and the quality of service.

Tout ceci peut vous sembler très stéréotypé mais j’ai eu la même sensation en lisant votre blog. Moi j’achète et consomme en permanence en Belgique et je n’ai pas rencontré toutes les difficultés que vous énumérez mais bon .... je comprends en général très bien ce qu’on me dit au téléphone (en NL ou FR) et de manière générale je ne pense pas que l’herbe est plus verte ailleurs.

So you talk of stereotypes? I think you were trying to put me inside one of yours, only having a glance to this blog, and without knowing anything about me.

Please tell me where did I say it in this blog « l’herbe est plus verte ailleurs » ?? where did I compare Belgium or Brussels to other cities /countries ? Again….that is not the purpose of this blog. …..Of course if you live in the dessert for several years, your body get’s used to it, that is what I discover when I discuss this topic with beilgians.

Heureusement tous les expatriés ne tiennent pas le même genre de propos que vous et j'ai pu en rencontrer qui possédaient une large ouverture d’esprit, curieux de rencontrer l'autre.

I agree, fortunately all expats are not doing the same blog.

Pour terminer, Monsieur, voici une petite phrase à méditer d’un sage monsieur et qui s’adapte tout à fait à votre cas : « Qui n’a pas quitté son pays est plein de préjugés » (C. Goldoni) ou vous pouvez toujours visionner l’excellent film de Cédric Klapisch « L’auberge espagnole ».



…so, who is stereotyping me here?

C'est pas posible

How many times have you heard that response when you were in a Bar/hotel/café/pizzeria or simply a shoe store????

They just love it. They use it mostly when you ask something that is not on the menu (like pizza without one of the ingredients), or when you ask for a “special” treatment (like splitting the bill in two)

No my friends, these kind of small excesses are generally not allowed in Brussels. You must use all your power in order to get these small things. In other words, you must insist twice or more, you must ask to talk to the manager, you must go behind that person all the time and double check they don’t mess it up because probably they will, or you must even threaten them somehow. This makes me mad.

One thing I experienced to the maximum extent in this country is that everything, from the smallest redundant detail to the most important issue, can go wrong. You cannot ever count on anyone or anything, even your lawyer, your notary, your bank, or your insurance. The lesson here it: YES, EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

So next time you hear from someone “c’est pas posible”, be sure they probably are wrong and what they truly mean is “I don’t give a shit bastard, leave me alone”.