Disappointing Bliss Spa, Sephora ION Orchard

I have heard lots about Bliss Spa and its products long before before it made its way into Singapore. The scent is always clean, fresh and refreshing, with none of the cloying sweetness or alcoholic sting which seemed to be common in many other body/skincare products.

I was thrilled to see Bliss products when Sephora opened in Singapore, and even more excited when I learnt that Bliss Spa would be opening its door on our shores. I finally tried a "quickie" service last week when I happened to be at Bliss Spa inside Sephora at ION Orchard.

I was blown away by the service and place and the little touches (lemonade and brownie, anyone?) they did. The therapist was good and knew her products well. So I decided to make an appointment for a facial for today then.

Since it is the New Year Eve long weekend, I have scheduled various appointments and activities for the 4-day. Imagine my utmost disappointment when I turned up for my appointment today and was told it was not in the system.

To say I was upset would be an understatement. It was a 2:45pm appointment and we arrived there 5 minutes early. The front desk person checked the system and discovered my appointment was for 1 January 2010 at 2:45pm and appeared to doubt my word.

It was a good thing I kept the text message with the appointment time/date for today, and only after I showed it to her, then she checked further and saw that my appointment was for today originally and someone moved it to tomorrow on 1 January.

The best she could do was for my requested therapist to give up her lunch break (at 3pm), and even then she could only fit in one person. My appointment was for 2 persons. And then she said she would give a further discount for my treatment if I come in tomorrow.

Is that the best one can do in such circumstances? How do you keep your customers happy?

I was super upset as I already had my day and the next few days all planned out and tomorrow would not work at all. I was psyched to try their facial which they boast so much about, and it was such a let down when I was told, "sorry we cannot fit you in now because there are no therapists available".

My question would be, what happened to the original 2:45pm slots which were given to us? If you took in new customers at that timing, I would jolly well expect you to call those people up and apologize to them for the mix-up since I had the original appointment time, and not to me who turned up at the spa in good faith that I was even early for my facial appointment.

So the 50% discount she offered for my next service with them just did not cut it, nor did it go far in easing the disappointment. What was 50% discount when you factor in the fact that I was already at the spa, and I was even early, and the computer showed that yes, my appointment was (originally) for today.

Bliss Spa staff did not factor in the time and transport cost I took to travel to town, plus the mental preparation and other things I could be doing. Since it was NYE, I did not really want to kick up a big fuss and insist on having my treatment and make both parties have a lousy day for the rest (or whatever is left) of the year.

What would other people have done? What would you do?

Thinking of what would help in dealing with the disappointment and frustration in such situation, maybe they could have done these:

1. Apologize and ask the customer to sit at the lounge while they try to find out what happened exactly. You DO NOT keep them standing at the counter and have an impasse.
(This happened to me as I was so unwilling to just leave based on what she said, and she just kept repeating sorry but no slots and will give a bigger discount for next appointment ~ I told her who cares about the discount when I just want my appointment for today - it IS NYE after all.)

2. Offer a glass of champagne or bubbly or wine and chocolates to the customer.
Whether they drink or eat it is another issue, you have to show you are sincerely apologetic and want to do little things to help ease the problem.

3. If really you cannot fit the customer in, then offer alternative treatment or give priority to their next booking, and it should be complimentary.
50% discount is usually a good deal, but when your spa has made a mistake, it should be a free treatment as why would the affected customer come back again? 50% off a $185 service is still quite a lot of money.

Your main purpose is to try to retain the customer, not to alienate them that they will tell everyone they know about the bad service they had. (Kinda like what I am doing now, but I am still seriously pissed about it that I don't know if I will want to go back again and give them another chance).

Like I said, either way they will have to piss off the customers (the one who booked first or the subsequent ones who took the appointments).

So instead of a glowing report on Bliss Spa as I did like the 15mins quickie experience, I now have a bad taste of Bliss Spa.

I still have a free 15 mins treatment with them (voucher given since I bought the products last week) which will expire on 2 Jan 2010 and I seriously doubt I want to go back again so soon.

All I can say about Bliss Spa for now is that they do not really try to resolve the problem. I was not happy and they did not try to make me feel better at all. I left as I did not want to make a scene but it really should not be the way at all.

Edited to add:
Why I think it should be a complimentary treatment instead of 50% is because they required a credit card to secure the booking. In the event you did not turn up for the appointment, the full amount is charged.

So isn't it fair that the customer gets a free treatment as the customer showed up, but the spa is a "no-show" by not having enough therapist/room to accommodate the confirmed booking? (even though the screw-up happened because of their incompetent staff/system).

10 at Claymore Penang Food Promotion

10 at Claymore at Pan Pacific Orchard had a Penang food promotion a few weeks ago and I managed to catch it before it ended. This was my second time going to a hotel for a Penang food spread and I was pleasantly surprised. The first I went to was at York Hotel where it just served Penang hawker food, and so I was expecting that too.

Instead I discovered that 10 at Claymore had its usual buffet spread plus the Penang dishes of which about 6 are available via the a la carte buffet. That was very nice indeed as it could get a bit too much just feasting on Penang hawker food.

Fresh plump juicy cold oysters were always nice to start off the meal. The cold prawns were very sweet and I loved the variety of cheese and crackers and smoked salmon.
We shared the penang popiah. I did not really like it as the filling tasted different and there was a very strong prawn paste (hae kor) taste to it.
The Penang laksa was a winner. Rich tangy gravy over al dente noodles and it was not too spicy. This was really good.
The prawns in wine/wolfberries were not too bad, a bit overcooked by the time I got to them. I liked the Penang char kway teow too. That was so yummy. Fragrant and very tasty.
It was back to the usual spread after trying the penang food. I remembered I liked the roast beef from the previous visit and I tried it again. It was still good. Tender moist meat with the full beefy robust flavor which went very well with the baby potatoes. A little bit of salad and steamed veggies to feel healthy.
Despite the full stomach, I just had to try one more Penang dish ~ the prawn noodles. This was amazing. Very different from Singapore as the stock was a bit spicy (no chili added) and sweet and prawny.

I did not try the other dishes such as the roast lamb, bak kut teh, fruit rojak and french onion soup.
Dessert - it was still average to me. Maybe their focus was still on their chocolate fountain as they certainly had a wide variety of fruits and items for dipping.

Based on my two visits to 10 at Claymore, I find that I like it for a simple selection of buffet with good food. It is usually quite quiet and that is great when you want to get away from the crowd and you do not need to battle your way to the food station at all.

Chili's at Tanglin Mall

This was my 2nd visit to Chili's at Tanglin Mall and it was as crowded as ever. They did not take reservations so it is advisable to either go early or just be prepared to wait. It usually took about 15mins to half an hour to get a table for 3-4 persons.

We ordered the buffalo wings and they were fantastic. I loved the tangy hot sauce which was the way it was served in North America. Finally! A place which got it right. And the blue cheese dressing with celery sticks just completed the dish.
We also shared the chicken fajita quesadillas which were toasty soft and tender. Loved the rice, black beans and sour cream. We also added guacamole to give more oomph to it.
We finished the meal with the molten chocolate cake. Warm chocolate cake with chocolate fudge oozing out and topped with vanilla ice cream. Perfection.

All the portions were huge, similar to those served in North America, so it was definitely good to share with friends. What I liked about Chili's was also the bottomless beverage where they would refill your drink. Service was hit and miss. It was great on my first visit but less than desirable on the 2nd visit.

Marc By Marc Jacobs Pave Ring Set

Happy Christmas to me :) I popped into the Marc By Marc Jacobs store over at Ngee Ann City on Christmas Eve just to say hi to my regular SA when I saw this.

I tried it and it fit perfectly. Quite an amazing feat, especially since it was the last piece and there was only one size available. Is that a sign or what? And so I went home a very happy girl.
It is a 3-bands set in silver with crystal pave on the heart and dove (SS'10 motif) charms.
I love how the ring sits easily on the finger and you can decide on which charm to go first (on the left or right to each other). It is sparkling without being too ostentatious and just dresses up a plain outfit.

Top pic courtesy of zappos couture.

Happy Holidays

Blessed Christmas

and happy holidays to everyone!

May it be filled with good cheer,
fabulous food and awesome company.

Tea & Cakes from Cold Storage Specialty

The Cold Storage Specialty store is my new-found favorite place for lunch. It is usually quiet and it serves food such as sandwiches, wraps and soup. You can also order items like wings, calamari, pizza, quiches and sausages where the staff will heat them up for you.

It also has muffins, bread and cakes like the one I saw at 360 supermarket in ION Orchard. I decided to try the carrot cake and something hazelnut. They were not as good as they look, so it was quite disappointing.

Still, I love the fresh fruit juices and the wraps/sandwiches are not so bad either. I wish they will offer hot food like the grilled chicken and meat which are available in the other supermarkets.

Longhorn Tex-Mex, Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade

I don't remember the exact name of this place which serves tex-mex food but it kinda reminds me of the States. It is quite a hole in the wall place and if you imagine hard enough, you can almost think you are not in Singapore. The location is totally wrong, being in the basement of Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade where Subway is too.

But the decor with its wooden saloon swing-door, pool table, scarred bar top with televisions on the sports stations, and basic tex-mex food, is quite commonly found in the States.

We shared the nachos and this was one of the best nachos I have ever tasted. I was never a big fan of nachos as I felt most places just dumped the toppings over the tortilla chips. This did not look great but the taste was better than expected. The tortilla chips were toasted, and I suspected the combination of the minced beef and black beans made the difference in the taste.

We ordered the fajita for two and it included beef, chicken, prawns and rice on the sizzling hot plate.

The tortilla wrap was huge. I would much prefer the size in Cafe Iguana. I felt the fajita was average. Maybe it was the presentation, it just did not make the whole dining experience to be "wow".

This is really a no-frills, take it as it is place which serves basic good/average food to be washed down by a bottle of beer.

Patara Thai Lunch Set, Tanglin Mall

Sometimes it is nice to work in the downtown area as there are several restaurants offering set lunches, making it pretty affordable. If only our lunch hour is longer than the usual 1 hour, life would be even better.

I decided to try the lunch set at Patara Thai over at Tanglin Mall. It was still a bit pricey (when compared to other places) at over $20 (after taxes and what not) for a choice of main and appetizer with rice.
I chose the seafood tomyam soup and basil chicken. It came with a bowl of rice. The place was deliciously quiet at around 2pm and had a quiet elegance to the ambience.

The tomyam soup was perfectly balanced, not too spicy nor was it too sour. The seafood was fresh and it sure did tease the tastebuds and prep it for a delightful culinary experience.

I usually did not bother with taking pictures of bowls of rice but this was too pretty not to take a pic of. The round mound of rice in the bowl with seasame seeds sprinkled over it evoked a zen-like feeling.

The basil chicken was gently spiced (though it did get a bit too spicy after a while) and stirfried to tenderness. The chilies and basil were enough not to overpower the meat.

It was a lovely lunch with very good food and place.

Weekly Chiropractic Treatment

I have "graduated" again and am now on the "once a week" chiropractic treatment plan. This is considered the maintenance stage.

Frankly I no longer feel like I need to be adjusted to feel good like when I was on the 3x a week plan. That is good as that means I don't feel any achy-ness or tension. I also don't feel like I am in pain constantly.

I don't think I am addicted to the treatment either as I can live without it for a week and still feel good. I think having regular chiropractic treatment makes me more in tune with my body now. I am much more aware of my posture when I am sitting or when I am working. I take great care not to overstrain myself.

Of course sometimes I still get a bit of ache or soreness, but nothing like what it used to be. That is progression indeed. Plus the chiropractor can also make me feel better when I had the cold. Somehow he was able to "pop" my blocked ears or reduce the pressure on the ENT.

Some things I have also discovered. I tend to get a bit of soreness if I wear high heels now, especially in the hips or lower back area.

My last major pain was when my upper left shoulder was frozen due to sms-ing too much for work-related matters. I actually had an osteopath take a look at it since my chiropractor was not available.

Finally, I can tell the difference of what the osteopath and chiropractor do. Maybe I am bias....but I think the chiropractor can treat it much faster than the osteopath :p I don't think one is necessarily better than the other, but I think it probably depends on your condition before seeking either one.

So for the moment, I try not to wear high heels that often, and to watch my posture when at work.

I am so looking forward to the day when I only need to go in for treatment once a month or even once every quarter.

Yotei Lunch Set

I was in the mood for Japanese food and decided on Yotei. Not that I have many choices anyway. There were a few lunch sets and I decided on the Ebi Curry with rice. You also get miso soup, salad, dessert and california roll. Not too shabby for about $15.

The prawn cutlet was not too bad though it tasted like those processed shrimp meat. But the curry more than made up for it. The sushi and soup and salad were pretty standard fare. Yotei was not a place for good Japanese food, but in a pinch it would have to do.