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There Goes My Online Shopping

A dented parcel.

What a wonderful reward in a week full of hard work than browsing through your phone and buying a gift for yourself.  Since people can’t physically go to malls, online shopping has been a go-to activity by most people during these times. The agony and joy of waiting several days for your parcels to arrive, to popping up those bubble wraps while opening what you just ordered.

Forget about perfectly wrapped products because in the case of this customer it went the opposite. When the parcel arrived, on the outside everything looked fine, but  when they opened it the product was poorly packed, and as a result it was damaged. Luckily, there was just a small dent on it. However, this experience made the customer reluctant to buy again in case this happens in the future.

So, if you were that unfortunate shopper, how would you approach the situation?

Below are some options to approach the situation:

1. Contact the seller.

Before purchasing the products, ask the seller to make sure that the products is tightly sealed using bubble wrap before delivery in order for the product to obtain an unprecedented degree of protection.

2. State your Concern.

Discuss the situation with the seller calmly in order to avoid causing problems as well as to achieve healthy conversation regarding to the problem.

3. Take a picture of the product and post it on social media.

Post the picture of the incident in the social media platforms in order to inform people about the improper packaging of products and for the seller to take immediate action to it.

4. Return and Refund.

If you have already receive the product, return it to the seller and ask for refund or replacement with good quality of packaging. Of course, present to them the picture of the products to avoid unnecessary confrontations.

What do you think is the best solution?

Contact the seller and state your concern!

Most times, when products come to you with damages and dents, the first question to pop is, who is at fault for that? Fortunately, that is an easy question to answer, especially if you've read the return and refund policies by online sellers. If you've received a dented product, the first thing you'd want to do is inform the seller the minute you recognize the damage, the time interval of your complaint and the time you received the parcel could be crucial in these scenarios. Contacting the seller and stating your concerns are the best legal ways to solve issues like this, keep in mind that it is better if you maintain your composure and try not to take your frustration on them. Aside from the fact that you are keeping a healthy and unaggressive approach, which is good for both parties, you are also helping their business to improve further in terms of the way they handle and package their products. You do not take slight and mediocre inconveniences through posting everything online, which can be much of a hassle and complex, so if you were to experience such scenario in the future, in which I hope you'd not, try to handle things with proper composure and address your concerns without putting other people's job at stake.

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Moldy Bread

Merienda with a moldy piece of bread.

Consider this: it's 3:00 p.m., the sun is shining, the breeze is brushing your hair, and birds are chirping. You smell your coffee and reach for a piece of bread to go with it. Then, whoosh! Molds have formed in your bread. Your neighborhood bakery certainly knows how to sabotage a merienda session.

Mold is a type of fungus that consists of small organisms that can be found almost anywhere, including your local bakery's bread.  Depending on the type of bread you used, you could see growth in as little as 5 days. Keep in mind, that fresh bread molds faster than store-bought bread with preservatives.

This was brought up by a disgruntled customer who purchased bread that showed signs of mold growth. The product appeared to be fine at first glance, but when she bit into it, it had a strange taste and a slight odor. When examined closely, it revealed small bits of microscopic life growing on it. Fortunately, she only took a small bite and immediately spit it out. However, the experience has caused her to have reservations about the bakery.

Thus, how would you handle - that is, respond to and resolve, that upsetting situation if you were that unlucky customer?

Below are some alternatives you might want to consider:

1. Check first before making a purchase.

Before purchasing baked goods, inquire as to whether they were just taken from the oven or if they still have that warm and soft feel to them. If the product has an expiration date, make sure to buy those that haven't passed it yet.

2. Ask for a replacement.

Although most people would not consider eating bread from the same store that provided you with faulty ones. Inform them of the moldy bread that they have given you and ask for a replacement for it just so you could resume your afternoon snack time.

3. Return and refund.

Return the bread to the store, show them the defective product that they sold, and ask for a refund as calmly as possible to avoid unnecessary fights.

4. Talk it out with the management.

Discuss the situation calmly with the store management in order to avoid causing problems for the bakery and its customers. Since there's no point in causing a commotion in the store after all.

5. Report to the authorities.

Because they are selling consumable goods, the situation should not be taken lightly. As a consequence, report their bakery to the appropriate authorities to prevent the same thing from happening again to different people.

The bakery's responsibilities should also be reviewed and be kept in mind. These includes:

1. Offering a high quality pastries.

Of course, bread has always been a must when drinking coffee, especially given our Filipino nature. But, if the bread has molds, how will this satisfy our merienda cravings?

2. Customers’ health is a must-be consideration.

As a bakery that sells food, taking into account the ingredients should be done. They should also know how long a single loaf of bread will last. In that case, this will benefit both them and the customers. They will make more money, and their customers will be satisfied.

3. Take full responsibility of your actions.

As a food provider, it is your responsibility to take the initiative and deal with customer-related issues, which may include differences in taste, smell, or appearance when selling pastries. The best thing to do is simply issue a refund or allow them to choose other options. Inform the customers that you are sorry and that such an incident will not occur again.

4. It is a commercial venture.

Establishing a bakery may be the owner's way of making money, feeding their family, and not going hungry. A single mistake in the production of high-quality bread can have a significant impact on the bakery's reputation. Bad reviews can cause much more damage and, in the worst-case scenario, bankruptcy.

What do you think is the best course of action?

Report to the authorities!

Although it may appear most logical to simply discuss it with the management and end on a positive note. We cannot ignore the fact that they are a store that sells foodstuffs. Furthermore, it is common to see bakeries displaying leftover breads, and molds do not appear out of nowhere. When given a viable environment, they grow. As a result, if molds have infested their products, it simply indicates that there is a problem with their store's or their employees' hygiene, or that they have not followed food safety regulations. Therefore, it should not be dismissed lightly because it concerns the safety of the customers and must be reported to the appropriate authorities.

LET’S MAKE EVERY MERIENDA SESSIONS WHOLESOME AND ENJOY IT WITH BREAD AND COFFEE!

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Unconsumable Goods

An unfortunate encounter of an artist with their expired goodies.

As we make our way through these trying times, many people engage in various activities or develop new enjoyable hobbies (e.g. painting). In the case of this one young artist in the province of Bukidnon, she had just purchased a set of paint that had reached its expiration date. How unlucky, right?

An expiration date, also known as an expiry date, is a predetermined date after which something should no longer be used because it may be spoiled, damaged, or ineffective.

The paint that she just bought does not appear to sit properly in the canvas, yielding an unfavorable outcome. To be more specific, it is all chunky thus, it doesn’t hold the proper smoothness. Moreover, the product emitted an unpleasant smell. As a result, the prospect of completing her new project on time seemed out of reach. 

So, if we were in her position,

What better way can we, as consumers, help to solve this unfortunate product procurement and alleviate the situation?

Below are some options to fix the situation:

1. Check the expiration date of the products.

Check to see if the product is still within its consumable period before purchasing it. Take your time checking to avoid purchasing expired goods.

2. Return it to the store.

If you have already purchased the product, as the unfortunate young painter did, return it to the store and ask the management for a refund or replacement. Bring the receipt, of course, to avoid unnecessary confrontations.

3. Post it on social media.

Post the incident on social media and leave a scathing review to inform people about the store displaying expired products and to bring the store's management's attention to it.

4. Sue the hardware store for selling expired products.

It is illegal for shops to sell any product that has passed by date and with this the owner will take immediate solution to their store.

What is the best solution?

Return it to the store!

Instead of going for a legal proceedings against the store for displaying expired products, the artist could just return the product to the store. Not only it will bring awareness to the manager as well as the other staffs, they can also change the system of how they monitor their displayed products. In addition to that they can also reduce the possibilities of losing other customers because of the incident.

Hypothesis:

             Returning the expired paint products to the store can reduce the chances of other artists buying expired products.

 What do we say to this solution?

It is unfortunate for artists having to experience these kinds of things. Art materials can be quite expensive especially when one’s just starting out or barely even got a commission to make up for the expenses. By simply returning the product and letting the manager know not only the artist can save other artists by spending at something they can’t use, the store also saved a lot of valued customers. Regular check-ups with the products is necessary to maintain high quality of goods being displayed.  

What did we learn?

Ensuring top-quality products is one way to achieve better feedbacks in your business. The drive to always serve the customers nothing but the best of goods you can offer, is a critical criteria to survive in this field. On the other hand, as customers one should be keen on being the "checker", not just to avoid bringing home expired, damaged, and low quality products, but to also help ourselves as consumers and a business be on track.

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Franchise Gone Wrong!

A dilemma in the franchise business in the area of Bukidnon has given the owner a headache.

In this day and age, many people dive into the path of making additional income by starting their own business. One method that an aspiring business owner did was to franchise an already existing business in their area. But what does franchising mean?

Franchising is a type of license that allows a franchisee to sell a product or service under the brand name of the franchisor by giving them access to the franchisor's unique business expertise, procedures, and trademarks. In exchange for obtaining a franchise, the franchisee typically pays the franchisor an initial start-up fee as well as annual licensing fees. This type of business can assist an entrepreneur in getting started. It is easier to start a business using this method, BUT you must invest and try to earn as much money as possible.

Now you might think that starting a business through this is as easy as writing your name backwards, but remove that thought! Franchising is a business that can also have problems. Of course, if you start a business, you want to make much more money than you put in, but what if the products you franchise are the ones you least expected?

Let's take a look at the situation.

Food is one of the many things that we require in the Philippines and around the world. We seek food at all times and in all circumstances! Much more if these are snack foods.

In times like these (a.k.a. pandemic), the most convenient way to view the products that are offered is through a video presentation. Snacks such as burgers, lemonade, siomai, siopao, and a few others were featured in the video, which included a total of eight products. In addition, the franchisee can easily order the burger patties, siomai and siopao from the franchisor and everything seems to be in a good condition. So, what exactly is the issue here?

The main problem here is the burger patties. They're tasty, which is great, but the franchisee found that the patties were too thin even when they were raw. As a result, when cooked, it became even thinner, much smaller than in the franchising company's advertisement and promotional video.

This image is from the franchisor's promotional video, and notice the small margin between the patty and the bun.

This was of the franchisee's, and you can see that there is a much larger margin between the patty and the bun.

So, let’s ask ourselves:

How will the franchisee sell those burgers when its buns are twice the size of its patties?

Is the price reasonable in relation to the product's content?

 To solve the situation, below are some options:

1. Buy the burger patties elsewhere.

Since the size of the burger patty is the problem, this option will emphasize more on the size of the patty. The franchisee could reach out to other suppliers that provide a much thicker patty. However, it must be kept in mind that this option will require additional cost. Another to issue to look out for is that will the taste of this patty pass the customers’ taste? 

Thus, when purchasing the burger patties, they may come in twos. It could be big enough for the bun and taste good, or it could be big but not tasty.

2. Lower the planned price.

Although lowering the planned price may appear to be a good option from the consumer's perspective, it may be the opposite for the franchisee because it may not make a profit on the money invested.

3. Innovate the food product.

Adding some twists to your product through the addition of other ingredients may come in handy to hide the fact that you have a thin burger patty. This may increase the franchisee's expenses, but it may also increase its selling price. Taking care of two birds with one stone!

4. Ask the franchising company about the burger patties.

Despite the fact that this appears to be the most logical response to the current situation. This may also be a hassle for the franchisee, as they have already agreed on the franchise. Furthermore, the process may take a long time and cause harm to both parties.

  What is the best solution?

Innovate the food product!

Instead of leaving the burger as it was, the franchisee could add some more fillings. For example, top it with an egg, cheese, or even bacon, and other burger toppings such as tomatoes and lettuce, then sauce it with your local mayo and ketchup, and voila! With this option, the planned price will not have to be reduced; instead, the price will be reasonable and sufficient to satisfy the customer's hunger.

Hypothesis:

The addition of several fillings make the burger look more plumpy and tastier, fitting in with the price range and increasing the rate of acquired customers.

  What do we say to this solution?

Choosing the best option for a new business is critical to its success. And the first step toward success is acquiring more customers and converting them into regulars, because customers generate your income. However, these all depend to your products’ quality. As a result of the franchisee's decision to simply innovate the product, many more customers became aware of it and took an interest in it. 

In a nutshell, business is a trial and error, it is always a learning process.

 The upgraded versions of the burger. 

What did we learn?

Having a good business is essential for success. Budget, quality, and customer feedback should all be taken into account. We cannot expect a successful business unless we think outside the box. The worst-case scenarios that could occur are essential for us to progress in developing solutions to specific problems in every business. And keeping in mind that every business will face problems, being prepared to solve them is the best solution.