J.Co Donuts and Coffee

The very first time I tried J.Co was nearly three years ago, on a trip to Singapore with Hubby.  I've heard lots of raves online, and was only too happy when I saw a J.Co shop on one of the shopping malls there. My favorite doughnut will always be Krispy Kreme's original glaze, but the possibility that there's a better doughnut out there made me ecstatic.  Well, we tried it alright.  And the verdict?  It was a far, far cry from Krispy Kreme.  Truth be told, our local doughnuts were even better than what we had in J.Co.  

Fast forward to two years ago, J.Co finally reached our shores. Everyone went into a frenzy; lines were formed till outsides the stores, and people raided their stocks like there was no tomorrow.  This got me wondering, is it really THAT good?  Maybe we just got unlucky in Singapore and tasted a bad batch?  So off I went again.  Stood in line for half an hour just to get my hands on what was left on the display.  I even tried it in store just to be sure that I got it fresh.  And then, again... disappointment.  It had none of the chewiness I liked from Krispy Kreme.  And the worst part?  I took some home to eat the next day, and the next morning, it was hard as a rock and dry as the desert.  That was the end of J.Co doughnuts for me.

Late last year, J.Co opened a new branch in Greenhills.  This was near our place, so sometimes we'd just hang out there, because even though I don't like their doughnuts, I actually liked their coffee.  But then, the service sucked.  Big time.  I wrote them a message in their Facebook page, and this was what I said:

Surprise, surprise, they did not even bother replying.  Guess the apple does not fall far from the tree.  This only goes to show that their management simply do not care.  At all.  And even after all that, I remained loyal.  To their coffee, that is.  But the service is still bad.  Sometimes I'd order a cup of iced coffee and request for it to be less ice, only to be served with a half a cup full of ice. Happened a couple of times too.  Sheesh. 

And fast forward to today, I asked my brother to buy me an Iced Jcoccino.  When he came back, my senses were jolted with just one sip.  It was like drinking coffee flavored sugar!  I had to put in half a liter of water just to make the sugar level acceptable.  So now it seems that even the old favorite is no longer reliable.  I've given up on them.  Now I ask, what powerful spell does J.Co have over their customers?  A spell that makes them loyal to a ho-hum doughnut joint with bad service?  I just want to know what I'm missing here because two years after, lines are still long.  And frankly, I don't see the hype.

Why I Would Never Order from 'www.chowkingdelivery.com' Again. Ever.

Last Saturday night, I ordered from Chowking's delivery website for the first time.  The order went smoothly, and by 8:26PM, I received the order confirmation through email.  (see below)

After more than 30 minutes, Chowking's customer service agent called me up, only to tell me that my orders were NOT processed. When I reprimanded her about why she called only after 30 minutes, she even countered that it was barely 30 minutes since I ordered.  I am very sure of the time because I took note of it when the order was placed.  It was already past 9PM when she called.  Even said that the reason why they weren't able to call was because of the bulk of orders.  Is that supposed to be MY problem?  Furthermore, she tells me that the reason why my orders were not processed was because the minimum amount for delivery was Php500, since the order will come from the Mandaluyong branch. She says the order minimum was really Php200, but since it will be all the way from Mandaluyong, the minimum has increased to Php500.  Huh??  I asked her how come the order will come all the way from Mandaluyong, when in fact the delivery address I provided was in San Juan?  She claims that the nearest branch would be Mandaluyong.  What?  Is there no Chowking store in the entire San Juan area?!  I even gave out a couple of branches in San Juan, since she, as customer service, seem to not know where the existing branches are.  She put me on hold, then came back to tell me that the branch was closed because it was already 9PM. I placed my order 30 mins ago.  If the order was processed by that time, then the stores wouldn't have been closed, would it?  Also remember that she claims that I ordered barely 30 minutes ago? So why were the stores closed then if I received my order confirmation at 8:26PM and it was barely 30 minutes?  In the end, all they customer service agent can say is "pasensya na".  How on earth will I make pasensya if everything was their fault, and I, the customer, is on the losing end due to their negligence?  After the conversation was over, I went to check my email and there was a delivery confirmation saying that my order was already on the way (see screenshot below).  This was sent at 8:49PM, more than 10 minutes before the agent called.  The order never arrived. 

So this is my question: Is this how a reputable fast food giant is supposed to treat their customers?  Simply put, if they cannot fulfill an order, then I suggest that they NEVER make a delivery website in the very first place. Such a disappointment.  And yes, I stand my ground when I say I will never order from their website again.

An Open Letter To Jubilee (A Repost)

Interrupting my travel post with this one, sorry!  Will get back to regular programming in a few days.

The following is a screenshot of an already removed post about Jubilee Christian Academy in Quezon City.  My alma mater.  While I do not support the use of countless swear words, I can somehow empathize with the author.  This post was put up by a certain chipsahoy on February 10, but was immediately removed a day after.  Maybe the higher ups in the school had something to do with it.  Lucky for you, and unlucky for the school, I was able to save it.  So... enjoy :)

Shocked?  While I may not vouch for every single thing written on the post, I do know for a fact that some of them are true.  I posted the link on my Facebook wall yesterday, and other batchmates chimed in.  Here are some of their comments:

And here's my own two cents:

Do I still have plans to enroll my future children in Jubilee?  No.  Though I know that each school has their own flaws, this is just too much.  I reposted this not because I have some wicked way of planning to take down the school.  Heck no, I'm too busy for that.  What I want  is awareness.  And I want change.  It seems that the school has had their wayward ways for far too long.  And this is not how a Christian school, or any school for that matter, should go about.  So... you be the judge :)