HONDA MALAYSIA: My Ridiculous HONDA Experience

SKIP TO HOW IT ALL BEGAN IF THE FOLLOWING BORES YOU...HOWEVER YOU MAY STILL NEED TO READ IT TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE MATTER OF FRAUDULENT QUALITY AROSE

Question: When you sell a product with obvious quality issues that are inconsistent with your Brand standards, is it fraudulent?

PRELUDE

Beginnings

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. was established in 1948/9 and its Headquarters is located at 2-1-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-8556, Japan.

Message from Takahiro Hachigo, President and Representative Director Chief Executive Officer

In order to continue to be a company society wants to exist,

Honda aims to become the “power” that supports people around the world who are trying to do things based on their own initiative.

Ever since its foundation in 1948, Honda has been making continuous efforts to offer various kinds of value as we strive to help people and create a better society through our own technologies, ideas and designs. The starting point of such efforts is our desire to “help people and society” and “expand people’s life’s potential.”

The underlying basis of such efforts is the concept of “Respect for the Individual,” which is a part of Honda’s Fundamental Beliefs. We always put “people” in the center of our thinking, and we believe in the potential of people. That is the nature of Honda, and that is why Honda wants to be a company which becomes the “power” that supports people around the world who are trying to do things based on their own initiative, including those who are taking on challenges and trying to bring about positive changes for themselves and for society.

As a result of various efforts we have been undertaking with such passion, in 2020, Honda delivered attractive products and services, pleasing a total of approximately 25 million customers around the world, combining all of our businesses including motorcycles, automobiles, life creation (power products), aircraft and aircraft engines.

As this number of customers indicates, Honda is the world’s largest engine maker. That is why “decarbonization” is an important mission Honda must fulfill as addressing environmental issues is becoming an urgent challenge facing the world.

Based on this belief, Honda set an ambitious target and began initiatives to realize carbon neutrality by 2050. Including the introduction of the new “Honda e” electric vehicle in Europe and Japan in 2020, Honda will accelerate electrification of its mobility products. At the same time, we will strive to realize a “zero environmental footprint” through our initiatives in the area of manufacturing, such as the utilization of renewable energy and recycling of resources.

Another important challenge the mobility industry must take on is the realization of a collision-free society. As a company which develops and sells both motorcycles and automobiles, Honda must strive for the realization of a society where everyone sharing the road can enjoy mobility with total peace of mind. To be more specific, Honda will strive to realize “zero traffic collision fatalities by 2050.”

To this end, Honda will further advance and popularize Honda SENSING, including the introduction in Japan of Honda SENSING Elite which features advanced technology qualifying as Level 3 automated driving equipment.　This represents a new step forward in the area of advanced safety technology. Moreover, Honda will work toward “zero traffic collision fatalities” from both the software and hardware perspective, including the development of technologies which connect motorcycles and automobiles and the advancement of traffic safety educational programs, especially in newly developing countries.

Honda will continue taking on new challenges to serve as a source of power for people who are trying to do things based on their own initiative and to continue to be a company people and society want to exist into the future.

The Honda Philosophy

The Honda Philosophy consists of Fundamental Beliefs (including "Respect for the Individual" and "The Three Joys"), the Company Principle, and Management Policies. This philosophy is not only shared by all associates, but also forms the basis for all company activities and sets the standard for the conduct and decision-making of all associates throughout the Honda Group. Driven by its dreams and reflecting its values, Honda will continue taking on challenges to share joys and excitement with customers and communities around the world to strive to become a company society wants to exist.

The joy of buying is achieved through providing products and services that exceed the needs and expectations of each customer.

NOW BACK TO THE MAIN STORY, How It All Began

Consumer Alert - Fraudulent Quality of the 2021 Honda BRV

At the time of this writing, 5 months have passed and Honda Malaysia has yet to resolve the FEW remaining issues that I painstakingly listed for their action, a list with over 20 issues that is not acceptable for a new car let alone a HONDA. I've also sent them several e-mails from start.

In December 2021, I received delivery of the "brand new" facelifted 2021 Honda BR-V V variant from Honda Malaysia’s dealer in Kepong.

The experience since then has been very tiring and extremely stressful because the one would never have expected a Honda vehicle to have so many flaws and defects. 

To top it off I was told by their Customer Relationship Department that Honda vehicles have all "undergone research and testing" which implies that my concerns are improbable. However, I do not think when there is MORE THAN ONE or two or more issues at the same time that it’s coincidental.

Is it because Honda now manufactures its vehicles in Malaysia under partnership with DRB-Hicom, or is that coincidental as well? 

Because this is a HONDA and all, I feared that perhaps their 1-year CEO at that time, Ms. Madoka Chujo was not aware of the quality problem ALTHOUGH no matter how unlikely it be, given the fact that Honda Malaysia has been selling the Honda BR-V for years now and are still marketing the old model as the 2022 Honda BR-V. For the record, the manufacturing plate on my Honda BR-V is stamped 2019. 

SO, I wrote to Honda Malaysia's CEO Ms. Madoka Chujo to seek a written reply acknowledging the problems with their quality and to receive assurance that they will reasonably fully make good all the defects and flaws identified to date without any further delay. At first they ignored this request and I had to repeatedly push for the reply. Some time later, I also started to copy the Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna AND the National Consumer Complaint Centre when Honda Malaysia appeared to be unresponsive.

The problem with my Honda BR-V also prompted me to inspect other Honda BR-Vs and I was shocked to see the same lack of quality and finishing. This led me to the conclusion that Honda Malaysia has issues that concern their overall quality of operations, procurement, and complaints management.

The problems identified with this vehicle included the following,

    A. Point of Delivery

1. Rear Right Mudflap missing a screw,
2. Poorly fitted armrests, Front Passenger and Rear Right Passenger, and
3. Interior plastic panel scratch.

    B. Over the Course of Use

1. 2nd Row Seats that rattle over bumpy roads,
2. Door panel rattle - Door Lock cables were not insulated properly,
3. Dashboard rattle - Glove Box loose,
4. Dashboard rattle - Meter gauge surrounding panel,
5. Deformed door stud hole at the Rear Left Passenger Door,
6. External fumes and dust in cabin - Fresh Air/Recirculation Lever Cable loose,
7. Bad road/traffic noise insulation - later told by the dealer that there is zero sound insulation material in all the 4 doors,
8. Door Frame Rubber Seals, only 1 fitted nicely while the other 3 were either ill-fitting and/or torn beyond the machine press mark,
9. Dropping Coolant Levels - failure to bleed the air in coolant system prior to delivery,
10. An A/C system in Cabin that makes a cracking sound each time the plastic parts expand and contracts which is quite "unheard" of (at most I had a Perodua with an A/C that hissed each time the DVVT kicked in!),
11. Finger-wide Gaps between the Carpet and plastic side panel trims at the Rear and Front Passenger sides - missing were the carpet liners to raise the carpet at those areas,
12. Car Jack scratched even before use - due to design of the Jack Receptacle which has unprotected prongs that scratch the Car Jack each time it is installed or removed,
13. Bonnet freeplay
14. Rear HONDA emblem freeplay
15. Ill-fitting plastic parts that creak at Windscreen and Side Mirrors,
16. Mold/Debris under the Infotainment touch screen,
17. Driver’s floor mat with eyelets that do not fit the floor studs, and
18. Horn Pad with imperfect surface smudge marks.

Ok, I get it. The Honda BR-V creaks and rattles like an old car!

I wanted Ms. Chujo Madoka to acknowledge the issues raised as I thought they would never have otherwise be brought to her attention. And, after serving one year at Honda Malaysia as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Madoka Chujo will be handing over the reigns to Mr Hironobu Yoshimura. Will this be boon or bane?

What else if not fraudulent quality when the Honda BR-V is plagued with,

1. Low Quality Parts;

2. Design Defect/Flaws; and

3. Manufacturing Defect/Flaws.

When Ms. Modoka Chujo failed to reply, I stated my expectations for a HONDA product and that included the need for correspondence to record for reference all that has transpired:

Statement #1 

Corporate governance dictates that whoever the email is directed to should at least receive a copy of the same, especially more so when it reflects on the good standing/reputation of the company/brand and to determine whether a review/audit is necessary on aspects regarding procurement, manufacturing, and delivery of the finished product. It is abnormal for an established brand such as Honda to deliver anything less than is expected of it’s reputation unless such standards are common and within “specifications”. For the record, the Customer is not requesting for a 1 for 1 replacement of the affected vehicle; rather is only requesting for swift action to make good the identified issues to date.

Statement #2

THAT time and time again it was reiterated the need for written communication, and that the simple request was ignored - with the exception of an email received on 22 February 2022 with an attached PDF bearing the acknowledgement letter dated 18 February 2022 from Ms. Madoka Chujo in response to the complaints of fraudulent quality.

Statement #3

THAT HMSB’s Honda Dealer was not included in any of the earlier correspondence as they are not accountable for problems arising from differences to the specifications or standards applied to this vehicle.

Statement #4

THAT the verification exercise carried out by HMSB's Honda Dealer on 25 February 2021 would put an end to the excuse that the issues raised were not attended to earlier as HMSB was informed.

Statement #5

THAT it is unreasonable for the CRD Officer to neither accept a request to speak to his immediate superior, nor handover the complaint file to another CRD Officer for better management. 

Statement #6

THAT a simple “Within Specs” statement response raises further questions to issues raised, e.g. Gaps between the Plastic Side Panels & Fittings to the Floor Carpet are “within specs” which was allegedly based on the Service Manager advice (which the Service Manager has since denied after clarification). Untruthful?

Lastly, quoting the words of Honda’s Founder, Soichiro Honda: “Machines never lie. Success will always come if they’re really good. So let’s show the world what we’ve done. Then they can see the real Honda!”

Unfortunately, the real HONDA experience is bad.

I believe that HMSB is responsible for the design, manufacture,

production, marketing, and delivery of this vehicle, AND THAT HMSB

must comply with the international HONDA standards for quality

and significantly act professionally and ethically to amicably and

speedily rectify the spate of issues that still plagues this vehicle.

I also believe that I may not be the only person in this situation as

there are others who have similarly encountered the same issues that I

have with this vehicle.

However, I have lost all confidence in Honda and hence this article...

Parenting Quick Tips on How to Help Children Be More Functional in Adulthood

Key Point:

What else can we expect when the child is exposed to bad parenting

behavior? Family dysfunction WILL affect kids.

Tip #1

Help them deal with matters that they encounter whenever they ask for

help and guidance. Listen and advise them accordingly and even discuss

with them how best to overcome them.

Tip #2

Encourage them to share their problems and worries with you. Show

concern but never tell them to stop worrying or to stop crying. You

don't want them to think that keeping quiet is the best solution for

worries and concerns.

Tip #3

Pay attention to the process, not just the results. Praise them for

their achievements and also on how they came to do well.

Tip #4

Don't expect your child to be a better version of you. Encourage them

to be the best versions of themselves. Having their own identity,

aspirations, and ideals is so much better than having them be insecure

about themselves.

Tip #5

Help them set attainable goals and that it's ok to fail from time to

time because that's part of learning.

Tip #6

You want your child to grow up believing that decisions are made based

on facts and not fear. Therefore, do not threaten them to submit to

your intentions or to what's right by instilling in them the sense of

fear instead of what's right or wrong. You have to explain to them why

it's right or wrong and how you came to that conclusion.

Tip #7

Parenting is a shared responsibility and you mustn't encourage your

child to practice favoritism of which parent they like. They may just

grow up to be manipulative individuals.

Tip #8

Never use guilt as a weapon to get your child to do things. Don't say

things like "If you love me (more)..." or "Do you know how hard I

work..." etc. They may end up letting people they will meet later in

life use the same tactic on them OR they unto others.

Tip #9

Your child shall always be your child, no matter how old they become.

Solve your own problems on your own, do not engage them in the same

emotional distress that you have. They will grow up to be anxious

adults.

Tip #10

Children who grow up without the emotional support and presence may

struggle in becoming adults who are well balanced emotionally and with

healthy meaningful relationships with others.

N/B Original article is much longer...

Pakatan Harapan: Improving Communication with Public

Why this post?

Well it's because I'm not aware of any other channel besides Twitter and even that risks being ignored or drowned out by other tweets.

The Najib regime taught me a simple fact when having to deal with the Government, it was mostly tedious. Telephone calls unanswered, and if answered - different replies. Emails that are not acknowledged leading to no reply. So the next best thing is to make an e-request that will probably take forever for a reply as well.

We Malaysians are basically a very laidback lot and if we could go to work by staying at home, we would.

Searching the Net for a solution on their official websites will often result in nothing too because the Frequently Asked Questions conveniently does not have the answer you want. Alternatively there will be forums and chat groups that are not "official" but then everything is hearsay, and given the fact that 2 government officers can also give different replies to 1 question!

How vexing!

I hope the Pakatan Harapan Government (at least the Negeri-negeri where they won the state) will find ways to simplify communication between them and the public. Fact: There is much knowledge to be gained from listening to the public, and knowledge is power.

The public is a pillar for the Government. Without its support, PH could be seeing a return of BN. Yikes!

Show us you love us by listening to us. Let us let you know what we like about you. Let us tell you what you are doing well and what could be even better. Make us a part of the Government by engaging us as much as needed.

Start by simplifying communications:

1. Let us be heard, not hurt. Nothing beats human to human communication when it's prompt and clear.
2. Touch base with us from time to time, put us on your newsletter list. Add in an option for us to feedback.
3. Don't call us on the phone, we are busy too! Of course, if it's urgent send us an email first and then call us!
4. Organize community gatherings where we can meet up, no ceramahs please!
5. If we voted for you, make it clear to us the location of your Community Service Centre.
6. Follow through on 1 - 5.

Last but not least, how would you like us to communicate with you too?

Quick tip on How I solved an issue where I had internet access but couldn’t browse

2 steps: Is there Internet Access? Is the Anti Virus program accessible? Since the network icon in my case (the WiFi) when I mouse over it and it shows internet access, this means that something is preventing the browser from accessing the internet. That something turned out to be the AV program which couldn’t be accessed as well. Removing the AV program seemed impossible as it was protected so I disabled it from startup and rebooted . Once it rebooted, I opened the browser and reinstalled the AV program. So far so good. 😅 Life.Work.Play Malaysia Broadband Access Service and Internet Access Issues

What Will You Exchange Time For

Success Tip Numero Uno

Exchanging time for money = Work

Exchanging time for knowledge = Study

Exchanging time for Fitness = Exercise

Exchanging time for Leisure = Not Work, Study or Exercise. #successORfailure

What Every Malaysian Should Know

Know what you are complaining about and the correct authority tasked to enforce and investigate.

This is actually quite useful and I gleaned if off the MCMC website. In case there are those of you who do not know what the MCMC is and represents, do click the link to their website.

For example:

I was driving under the DUKE2 flyover when splatters of concrete mix hit my car from above. I ended up with a scratches and stains on my car's paintwork.

What I should have done immediately was to lodge a police report, instead of attempting to wash off the concrete mix. (threat to life/property)

So far, I've only written to the Public Works Department and DUKE2. Let's hope they reply soon. If they do, I'll post a comment immediately.

Malaysia Broadband Access Services – When and Where to Complain

Foreword

I'm blogging about this subject as I came across several people (and that's bad) who were either having difficulties in approaching their ISP or had failed to get their ISP to act responsibly -- leaving them to unreasonably make do with the poor quality of their Internet connection.

A slow/poor Internet connection can be frustrating and in some instances mean loss of opportunity and also make you spend more time than you intended. 

Broadband combines connection capacity (bandwidth) and speed. Recommendation I.113 of the ITU Standardization Sector defines broadband as a “transmission capacity that is faster than primary rate Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) at 1.5 or 2.0 Megabits per second (Mbits)”. https://www.itu.int/osg/spu/publications/birthofbroadband/faq.html

Let's Get Started

There is an authority in each country that acts as the regulator for Broadband Access Services, as like the MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) does in Malaysia.

Whether you a residential or business customer subscribing to broadband access services from an ISP (Internet Service Provider), your rights are the same – that is, you are entitled to complain to your ISP when the quality of the service falls below your expectations.

Quality of Service is rated on connection availability, bandwidth availability, latency, jitter and packet loss.

The MCMC does not regulate jitter (the variation in latency as measured in the variability over time of the packet latency across a network). A network with constant latency has no variation or jitter.

It does however set the minimum requirements for the rest as follows,

Network Availability 99.9% of the time, excluding scheduled ISP maintenance works
Bandwidth Availability > 70% of your subscribed speed, 95% during busy hours
Latency < 85ms
Packet Loss < 1%

Note: Bandwidth is a measurement of how much data can be transferred at a time while speed is a measurement of how fast things are done.

According to “protocol”, you are expected to lodge a complaint with your ISP prior to any contact with the regulatory agencies. Why agencies as in plural?

Yup, there is another party to contact –

Communications & Multimedia Consumer Forum of Malaysia (CFM),
Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC),
Off Persiaran Multimedia,
63000, Cyberjaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan.

Hotline : 1800 18 2222
Fax : 03 8320 9083
Email : aduan@cfm.org.my

Working Days : Mon - Fri, 9:00am to 6:00pm


The former acts to mediate between you and the ISP to resolve your complaint, while the latter is supposed to protect your rights as a consumer.


CONSUMER PROTECTION & COMPLAINTS BUREAU
Malaysia Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC)
MCMC Tower 1, Jalan Impact, Cyber 6, 63000 Cyberjaya Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Hotline : 1800 – 188 – 030
Fax : 03 8688 1880
Email: aduanskmm@cmc.gov.my
Website: http://www.skmm.gov.my

Working Days: Mon – Fri, 8:30am to 5:30pm


WHY go through all the trouble to complain when most of the time all I need to do is to restart my connection?

Simple,

• To make sure you're getting what you pay for. A speed test is useful if you feel a slow connection or want to see how your Internet is performing.
• Avoid the inconvenience from too frequent and too many restarts.
• Avoid allocating time for attending to the ISP’s service technician, who will come and find nothing wrong with your line signal quality and speed at the time of his visit.

Do the right thing today. When you don’t, nothing will improve.

Secret Recipe Complaint

http://www.secretrecipe.com.my/

The following "feedback" was sent to Secret Recipe for a very bad experience at their outlet in Desa Parkcity Kuala Lumpur on July 28, 2017.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Your reference,

Desa Parkcity KL Outlet

Table # 6

Invoice # P1090502

The time it took to end our ordeal is equivalent to,

1. Placing our order for 2 lunch sets.

2. Watching an African couple walk in, sit next to our table, and place their order.

3. Being served the 2 Ice Lemon Tea for our order.

4. Asking the one local staff if we could move away from the African couple as we were sensitive to the strong perfume smell from them.

5. Noticing something was wrong when the African couple were served their order, finished and leave after paying.

6. Informing the one local staff at the Cashier that we will only pay for the drinks as the food never arrived.

7. Watching her question and scold the foreign staff who could only answered that the Kitchen was "lambat".

FYI, the lack of sincerity is apparent while the quality of service is appalling. 

Why?  

Not a single word of apology!

Send your complaints to feedback@secretrecipe.com.my

#poorservice #badservice #denial #unapologetic

Saga BLM Steering Wheel Removal (How To)

The title translated to Bahasa Malaysia: Cara Buka Stering Saga BLM.


As with again, there is so little online information when it comes to Malaysian matters. Hence, this post...


Firstly, a great thank you to the good people at Proton.

For the longest time, I've had an annoying rattling emanating from the steering wheel of my Proton Saga BLM.

Warning: Do not attempt to pull out the steering wheel cover!

After failing to find any useful information on this subject, I decided to try my luck at removing the steering wheel cover to find and hopefully fix the cause of the annoying rattle.

Here's why you shouldn't pull out the cover, as is: The steering wheel cover is firmly attached to a backplate by plastic push in self locking pins. If you attempt to pull it out by force, it'll only result in broken pins and a costly replacement of the whole steering wheel!

A hex key, Allen key or Allen wrench is a tool used to drive bolts and screws with hexagonal sockets in their heads - the only tool you'll need for this job.



1. Remove the Horn Fuse, 4th one down on the left from the fuse box. When you open the driver side door, you'll see the fuse box at the side of the dashboard. Gently pull it open to access the fuse box. I actually used the fuse clip from the fuse box in the engine bay as it simplifies the work.

2. Using the hex key, break open the 2 screws local on the steering wheel. Do not fully unscrew! Unscrew only until you can take out the cover.

3. Gently remove the wire connector.

4. Adjust the screws at the 3 spokes of the cover. For some reason these screws are not secured with any lock thread and will loosen over time and the cover will rattle!

After adjusting the screws to NO free play, I didn't have any lock thread and used auto silicone sealant over each protruding screw to hopefully "lock" them in.

Reinstall the cover in reverse manner of steps explained above.

Enjoy and don't forget to thank Proton!

P/S: I also noticed a missing screw (see if you can spot it) where the steering wheel connects to the column...OMG!

What To Do When DBKL Makes A "Fine" Error, DBKL Salah Saman

Foreword: A Compound, Fine, Saman, or whatever you wish to call it must always be paid promptly - DO NOT ACCUMULATE! It'll only gather "interest" that's not in your favor.

Not many people love to be wrong but will still pretend as if they are right. That said, not many people want to be wrong and do nothing about it...

So what happens when you are wrongly accused of something that you didn't do? Do you keep mum and make amends, or do you attempt to undo the wrongful?

Here's my lesson from DBKL's Jabatan Penguatkuasaan:

Last week, I received a registered mail from the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL). In it was a DBKL Compound Notice for a traffic offense. I noted the date, time and "location" of the traffic offense. While it was 100% impossible for me to be there at that time, I still paid the minimum RM100 Compound at Pos Malaysia the same day.

My reasoning (only later to be told as wrong?): Never owe others and make good what you do.

Of course, I did try to call the 03-40267200 contact number stated on the Compound Notice (before making my way to Pos Malaysia) but it went unanswered.

Since Pos Malaysia could only accept payment and nothing else, they suggested for me to check with the nearest DBKL office - which I did by calling them and was given another number for the Jabatan Penguatkuasaan DBKL (JPK).

[Trust me, it's not easy finding out on the Internet things you need to know especially if it's Malaysian. For some blessed reason, whether it's something about the national cars or in this case bila terima saman DBKL salah there's a fog in the Internet cloud]

In short, what I was told:

1. Do not pay the Compound
2. Email your dispute to jpk@dbkl.gov.my
3. It's faster if you come directly to see the officer

So the next day, I went to the JPK. No parking lots at the front as told; possibly a sign of what's coming. Parked at the adjacent shop lots area for RM2. Was directed to the door next to the Kaunter Aduan. Met with the officer there (a soft spoken chap but apparently with a suspicious nature because he started with examples of how people lie to avoid the fines and etc!), to him the Compound is probably correct. Phew! Completed a Borang Rayuan and was told that if I wanted I could also make a police report but it was not necessary to give him a copy!?!

At the Balai Polis, the officer at the counter took down the details of my case and printed a copy of the Police Report. Her 2 colleagues sitting next to her advised me that since DBKL mentioned the police, a copy of the report should be given to them.

On my 2nd trip (the same day) to the JPK, I ended up paying RM2 for a RM1 parking ticket as the Parking Terminal was faulty. I truly wonder what happens to the excess money collected since it's not registered by the machine. Submitted a copy of the Police Report and requested a signed acknowledgement.

A week later, I received a call from the JPK's Proses Saman. The lady officer informed me that DBKL will refund the payment I made, but I would have to provide them with my bank account number and proof that the account is under my name vide a bank statement!?!
The next day, I went to the JPK's Proses Saman and filled up a Borang Pengesahan Maklumat and submitted it together with the original payment receipt and copy of bank statement. According to the lady officer, she cannot disclose more information on the investigation done as her role in the entire process is only to forward applications. All-in-all the entire ordeal should end within 3 months once the DBKL Bendahari transfers the RM100 into my bank account.

* no indication of any compensation from DBKL for causing the pain and suffering arising from this whole affair.

Quick Summary:

1. Decide first whether to proceed with the below by weighing if the heartache, your time and travel costs, and patience is worth more than the sum of the Compound;
2. Do not make any payment in trust/faith;
3. Do not email DBKL, especially the Pengarah who has yet to reply any of the several emails I sent;
4. Go direct to see/meet them;
5. Make a Police Report before your trip to the JPK;
6. At the JPK, proceed to the Kaunter Aduan located on the Ground Floor;
7. You will be given a Borang Rayuan Kompaun. Complete it and submit together with any other substantial proof to support your claim besides the Police Report;
8. You should receive a call from them within 7 days. If not, another visit to the JPK is necessary.
9. In the event, you are unable to resolve the problem with DBKL -- your options are to pursue it at a higher level with the Federal Territory Minister. And if that fails, to seek legal counsel and action.

WARNING: This advice is only intended for those who are 100% sure that they have been wrongfully issued with a DBKL Compound. IF guilty of the offense, pay up!

Why You Should Not Buy A Samsung Mobile Product, FINDING Samsung A Bad Choice

For a brand awarded a Malaysian award for excellence (Putra Brand Awards 2015), surely that has to bear some weight in the manner of how Samsung operates as a reputable brand. Anything less and it belittles the Malaysia standard for excellence.

Reputable brands firmly believe in and deliver on their brand promise. They guarantee the quality of each sold product and personally warrant it against defects.

For your information, Finding Nemo (both the fictional Captain and Clownfish) would have been easier! Samsung is simply not consumer complaint friendly. [Add: Master of deception and Evasion]

I wasn't prepared and did not know how much future stress plus the accompanying heartache would follow when I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 early this year in March 2016 from The Hello Station (M) S/B, a Samsung retailer located in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

Not even my past bad experiences with 3 Samsung smartphones and 1 Samsung Air conditioner stopped me. Prior to my current predicament, I had a Samsung Galaxy SIII which automatically kept on rebooting until the battery died or when it was removed. Even at that time, the process of returning it to Sen Heng Electric and getting it back took so long and the staff there were not happy to deal with product issues (the motherboard was replaced and that fortunately fixed the problem).

Now back to present...

I have been to SEMS Services S/B a few times already. Since it takes one visit to send the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 in for "repair" and another to collect it back, it is cumbersome when it continued to be problematic. Apparently, SEMS is an authorized Samsung Service Partner which would would explain why they are more keen to replace parts.

Unfortunately for me, this Samsung model has to be pried open for access to any failed parts and that causes scratches to it. So far, the charging port part has been replaced twice, once in April 2016 and once in August 2016. That's already one time more than acceptable. 

And now, just barely a week after collecting it from it's 2nd "repair", the device remained stuck in Safe Mode (and nope, multiple restarts did not solve the problem) and the volume was stuck down as well.

I have,

1. Informed SEMS prior to it's 2nd "repair" that, if they did indeed check and confirmed  the same part as faulty -- to kindly not repair it, but to send it back to Samsung Malaysia Electronics in exchange for a brand new problem-free unit.
2. Listened to SEMS's explanation that they only do repairs and not replacements. Hence, they "repaired" the device instead of following my request to return it to Samsung Malaysia Electronics.
3. Attempted to escalate the defective product complaint to the dear Samsung people in Korea. A 100% impossible task as they practice a global customer feedback system that is strictly online thru their website www.samsung.com and the only replies by email from them cannot be replied AND the same details in the online feedback filled in again before subsequent "feedback" can be submitted. Note: Other channels mentioned on the website such as Twitter is equally disappointing.
4. Failed to contact Dr. Oh-Hyun Kwon the Samsung CEO, obviously.
5. Listened to a Mr. Seow from Samsung Careline Malaysia (+603 77137477) telling me today that he will try to help but no promises that I will get what I want, but "will at least get something". What that is, I really don't know.
6. Been informed by the same Mr. Seow that although Samsung Careline is under it's parent company Samsung Malaysia Electronics, he is unaware where the company is located or of it's contact details, and also that it is company policy not to share such information with customers. What's with the cloak and dagger routine? Certainly very dubious and lacking in sincerity for a branded company!

For the record,

• The quality of the product is questionable and not acceptable as the same problem occurred twice, while another just right after it's 2nd service.
• It is also unfair practice on part of Samsung to sell a defective product and allow the warranty period to "run" while attempts to repair are made; instead of replacing it when the same problem recurs.
• It cannot be expected of the consumer to return on a continuous basis to a Samsung Service Partner. Problems with the product must neither be repetitive nor excessive. When they are, the product is defective. Defective products should be exchanged immediately without delay.
• It is also unlikely that scratches will occur when reasonable care and skill is applied during repair. There are already visible scratches on this device.

Summary:

As far as the NCCC (National Consumer Complaints Centre) and TCCM (Tribunal for Consumer Claims Malaysia) are concerned, it's hard for them to act when the very people behind the brand are not open with their contact details -- in Samsung's case there's only a Careline number and a one-sided online feedback form...

So why is Samsung making it hard for even the genuine product complaints to be addressed?

IF Samsung is even a little bit concerned about it's product quality, it should proactively resolve valid negative product feedback immediately. Giving the consumer the runaround is not what a reputable brand will do.

Factual: People buy branded products to avoid poor quality issues that encourage visits from repairmen and to service centers.

IT is highly probable that Samsung constructively weaves a process that makes it hard for bad product feedback -- to minimize poor publicity -- in order to maintain it's product popularity -- by letting consumers think a Samsung product must be of good quality since complaints are few.

I'm giving Samsung Electronics Malaysia time to own up and do the right thing by and before the end of August 2016 with a replacement new unit (with full warranty). Failing which, it's straight to the TCCM!  

Might Be The Only 2 Quick Tips You Need to Answer 'Why Should I Hire/Keep You?'

Come back to this whenever you need to be interviewed or are being appraised.

1. Work out what they want - Your first step, as always is to do your
research. Start by reading your job description. If that doesn't help,
google for a list of examples on what a person in your job is expected
to offer (and do). This should give you a clearer understanding of the
job's expectations and allow you to either verbally or write them out.
Next, provide examples of how you have/can perform and deliver.

2. It's all about quality, not just quantity - The key things you
want them to know are your experience/training (what you've done),
education/skills (what you know to get things done), accomplishments
(what you have successfully done), and culture fit (what you are that
is similar or in line to the company's direction and a team player).
Be concise, this means not going overboard with more than 3-4
examples; otherwise you risk boring them. You can keep the extra for
later discussion (just in case).

Footnote: Understanding comes from thought. A complete understanding will let you know what's expected of you, it's either you perform to those expectations OR bye-bye. When you know what you are qualified to offer, you perform better - naturally.

Might Be The Only 2 Quick Tips You Need to Answer 'Why Should I Hire/Keep You?'

Come back to this whenever you need to be interviewed or are being appraised.

1. Work out what they want - Your first step, as always is to do your
research. Start by reading your job description. If that doesn't help,
google for a list of examples on what a person in your job is expected
to offer (and do). This should give you a clearer understanding of the
job's expectations and allow you to either verbally or write them out.
Next, provide examples of how you have/can perform and deliver.

2. It's all about quality, not just quantity - The key things you
want them to know are your experience/training (what you've done),
education/skills (what you know to get things done), accomplishments
(what you have successfully done), and culture fit (what you are that
is similar or in line to the company's direction and a team player).
Be concise, this means not going overboard with more than 3-4
examples; otherwise you risk boring them. You can keep the extra for
later discussion (just in case).

Footnote: Understanding comes from thought. A complete understanding
will let you know what's expected of you, it's either you perform to those expectations OR bye-bye. When you know what you are qualified to offer, you perform better - naturally.

Might Be The Only 2 Quick Tips You Need to Answer 'Why Should I Hire/Keep You?'

Come back to this whenever you need to be interviewed or are being appraised.

1. Work out what they want - Your first step, as always is to do your
research. Start by reading your job description. If that doesn't help,
google for a list of examples on what a person in your job is expected
to offer (and do). This should give you a clearer understanding of the
job's expectations and allow you to either verbally or write them out.
Next, provide examples of how you have/can perform and deliver.

2. It's all about quality, not just quantity - The key things you
want them to know are your experience/training (what you've done),
education/skills (what you know to get things done), accomplishments
(what you have successfully done), and culture fit (what you are that
is similar or in line to the company's direction and a team player).
Be concise, this means not going overboard with more than 3-4
examples; otherwise you risk boring them. You can keep the extra for
later discussion (just in case).

Footnote: Understanding comes from thought. A complete understanding
will let you know what's expected of you, it's either you perform to
those expectations OR bye-bye. When you know what you are qualified to
offer, you perform better - naturally.

Think Your Marriage is Happy, make it happier with these tips!

Many people have happy marriages. Overstatement or Understatement?

FACT: Happy Marriages are the exact OPPOSITE of a Hurtful Marriage.

If a hurtful marriage is one that causes you discomfort, pain, tears,
stress and depression; then a happy marriage is one that gives you
ease, pleasure, laughter, relaxation and joy!

Did you know there's a lack of silly arguments in a happy marriage?
All it takes is just one stupid argument (and it takes two hands to
clap - so please don't collaborate, just listen) to undo a happy
marriage.

Instead of finding excuses to show off your "superiority" (fyi:
marriage is an equal partnership), be reasonable and look for reasons
to make your spouse happy.

Work together to make your marriage a happier one:

1. Take some space

It is more difficult to accept feedback from your spouse when you are
in a negative emotional state than when you are calm and happy.

Being angry makes it hard to see the issues clearly, and not only will
you most likely fail to accept your spouse's opinion, you probably
won't be able to discuss it calmly too.

So take some space. Put off your "argument" and focus on something
else – but do it politely.

2. Focus on the big-picture goal
There is a reason why you married your spouse. If love was not the
reason, what is?

3. Remember they’re on your side

Your spouse is generally the one you sleep and wake with, right? No
one's going to get closer than that!

Sometimes, getting constructive feedback hurts. The key thing to
remember is that, the person giving that kind of feedback is on your
side and wants you to succeed.

4. Be solution-oriented

Rather than getting stuck in the argument, think about the solution.

5. Take it with a grain of salt

With the exception of your job, in most personal situations you are in charge. You don’t have to agree with all of the changes or suggestions your spouse makes. BUT you need to give your feedback so your spouse makes an educated decision about it.

C'mon it ain't so hard as long as you are human and capable of love. :) :)

VALUE is the Number 1 Marketing Hack

To many people, marketing is all about making their product and/or services sell. Some may even think that it's just a way to reach out to new and current* customers.

* FACT : The majority of customers are not often loyal to the one brand, product or service.

For "marketing" to be effective, it's not all about doing more. It's about what you do. 

Take as much time as you need to review your VALUE, and it goes like this:

1. Vision

Is your brand, product and service exactly how you envisioned it to be? You have to get your offerings in shape before you even contemplate to share it with the world.

2. Appraise

Rate your most recent marketing strategies, plans and actions. Were they in line with your vision and how well did they work? You need to focus on the necessary amendments to your game plan when marketing is failing to bring in the business you need**.

* Need as in the business volume required for you to be profitable. Want comes in later and in the form of the business you think you deserve because you have a great brand, product and service!

3. Love

You don't just love the business your customers give you. You have to love your customers for keeping you in business! Find ways to show your customers that you love them.

4. Understanding

You need to know just exactly how your customers feel about YOU. Only then will you know how your brand, product and service can help them. Marketing gives you the platform to gain valuable feedback and broadcast your understanding of what they -- the customers want.

5. Emotion

Ultimately, how strongly you feel about your brand, product and service will determine your marketing strategies. Getting clear about your passion enables your vision to become clearer. 

And just how exactly does one do this? It's all about your VALUE.

Tips For Soon To Wed And Those Married

For Your Marriage to Succeed, It Needs to Be Balanced AND Happy

This is about the importance of starting a marriage with a person who will effectively share in the responsibilities and decision-making of a life together -- this person is your spouse.

With that said, there are certainly a handful of important points that lie within both the marriage (partnership) that you must address and, most important, address them before they happen so that you don’t find yourself in a situation where your happiness is at risk.

The best marriages come when you’ve found another person that doesn’t share the same capabilities and/or thought processes. To be specific, someone that’s not like you. Like the saying goes Opposites Attract!

So in order to get the benefits of a successful marriage, you need to have some opposing ideas and differing but complimentary skill sets and although you both need to know and understand what is going on throughout the marriage (no deliberate hiding of information allowed), it’s really important to remember as well that you DO NOT share every decision.

Part of an effective marriage is knowing that you can trust your "better half" to do what’s best and make the right decisions in their day-to-day responsibilities.

Of course you need to work together on the larger decisions that affect the direction of your marriage, but if you’re both overseeing the same things, it’s going to quickly feel like one person is looking over the other’s shoulder. Also, this is completely inefficient and needless to say irritating!

How do you communicate?

You must remember you’re not going to be able to talk about every single decision -- as covered in the previous point -- but you do need to understand what’s going on throughout the marriage and that, comes with communication.

Make sure that you set up a regular specific time to talk -- and use the opportunity to discuss the greater decisions that were or need to be made so you can both add in from your differing view points or areas of expertise to come to the best decisions for your marriage.

You ABSOLUTELY must set expectations!

This point is really one that needs to be established well before you marry -- although sometimes it’s just not that simple (love can be overwhelming).

You and your spouse need to have an understanding, as to who is responsible for what and what the expectations are for your time and responsibilities, as well as any financial commitments.

It’s really easy to just believe that you’re married and you’ll work anything out and it may be uncomfortable to sit and discuss expectations, but when things get really difficult, everyone’s true colors show and you need to be able to recall what those expectations are.

Summary:

1. Share responsibilities and decision-making;
2. Address issues before they blow out of hand;
3. Be grateful and acknowledge your spouse is your OPPOSITE;
4. While you share EVERY information, you DON'T share every decision.
5. Trust your "better half" to do what’s best and make the right decisions in their day-to-day responsibilities.
6. Set up a regular specific time to talk.
7. Set expectations early and don't forget them -- time, responsibilities and financial commitments.

A Silly Argument, The 3Cs of A Great Marriage

Wife: Why didn't you call?
Husband: I was busy.
Wife: What? Didn't you say you needed me every second of your life?
Husband: Yes I did but that was before we got married and not in my
working life!

~ Moral ~

Women LOVE seeking the attention of their other half. Men on the other
hand treats life as a checklist and compartmentalize it into several
or more parts, doing and focusing on one part at a time.   If men and
women saw things the same way EITHER they wouldn't be married in the
first place OR find the slightest opportunity to argue with one
another.

Written after great thought by a man who is still working on the 3Cs
of a Great Marriage. By the way the 3Cs do not stand Cash, Condo and
Car BUT Compromise, Compliment, and Complement!

The 3Cs are in no particular order and applies to BOTH Men and Women.

P/S: Men will always be JUST MEN while Women have an incorporated
meaning, "W"ives "O"f MEN. In short, there is more to women than just
men.

PP/S: Compromise (give & take, win-win situation), Compliment
(praise), and Complement (provide the parts to make whole)...