SM: Sus Maryosep!

SM Baguio, well, the grocery area, always gets to me. And for me it is always the grocery.

The first few times I got pissed, my irritation waned after a couple of weeks without my writing about it. That’s how it is with Aries, easy to anger, and after a while, easy to forget. But today I was with my daughter, and I'm not about to let it pass this time.

The first incident was my typical grocery day at SM. Anticipating a change in the weather, I bagged my sweater in my girlie knapsack, which is bigger than the usual handbag. I picked up a couple of things here and there inside the mall, and put it inside the bag. The last stop was the grocery.

They already checked my bag when I first entered the mall. Now just a few feet away is the entrance of the grocery store, which you still have to submit your bag for inspection. As I did, and seeing that my bag a bit full after consuming the goods I bought right there at the mall, the guard seemed to be considering an imaginary catalogue of bags. Then something clicked and she classified my bag a “backpack”! They told me to deposit it at the counter. I refused. It was the same bag I used just the other day when I went to get some groceries! That meant I would have to carry my large wallet, my celphone etc while I do my groceries because they will not allow the valuables to be left at the deposit section.

The same thing happened to my sister when they asked her to deposit her bag because it has a camera. Maybe for fear that she will take pictures of the illegal prices of vegetables there. That was Panagbenga, for heaven’s sake and she was with a friend who watched the Flower Festival! Of course they have a camera!

There are times when I go to SM to pick up things after a meeting. Lugging the office laptop with me, I never leave it at the deposit section feeling that I can protect it more than any guard could. They refuse to let the laptop in, but they will not be held liable for valuables left at the deposit counter. So what precisely do they propose? Well, they said to check it in at the customer service counter. For goodness’ sake, my sister was only going to pick up some ingredients for dinner! As for me and my laptop, I went to Sunshine where they let me bring my laptop while shopping.

Just a while ago I was there again with my 4-year old to pay some bills that only SM would accept (ie credit cards). So we did our errands, bought some groceries and when we got outside, there was a downpour. Looking at the three heavy bags, and my heavy daughter whom I calculated would be tired and sleepy by the time we got home, I knew I cannot take her home yet. So she and I decided to go around the mall a bit, eat a bit.

I went to the deposit counter (same floor) to leave the three heavy bags. They said to take it to the car/t park which is one floor down, without an escalator. I told them I will be going back to the department store again in which case this deposit counter was nearer. They said, well, I still have to leave it at the car/t park. That is the policy. I sighed. They know I am with my child because my daughter was talking nonstop. Yet, I have to bring the three heavy bags to the car/t park. So I said, “You mean, I go down to the car/t park, go back up to the department store, go down again to get our things, all with my daughter in tow?” Apparently that or leave and get drenched in the rain. They said someone will assist me. Assist me push the cart which I can very well do. It is my daughter getting tired that I need assistance about!

Even if I did leave my baby at the play center, I imagine the route I would have to take.
1. deposit kid at play center (first floor right outside the main entrance),
2. bags checked at the main entrance,
3. go down to the next level for the groceries,
4. bring the groceries down at the car/t park (basement level),
5. have bags checked again.
6. Get your kid,
7. go back inside and have your bag checked again.
8. Then go down again to get the groceries at the basement level,
9. then go one floor up again where you exit to get a cab.

And this is amazing. Every time you pass by a security entrance, your bags have to be checked. I usually fix my wallet and my celfone properly to avoid being blamed for carelessness in cases of pickpockets, and they ask you to open your bag every time, making you vulnerable of the very thing you try to avoid.

Behind me was a girl with three humungous packages, yet as she was escorted by one of the guys at the package counter at the department store, she was allowed to leave her packages there. Ok. So what are the criteria for leaving packages at the deposit counter of the grocery of SM? I have no idea. But it definitely is not if you have kids in tow, or if you bought and made them rich and contributed to the salaries of the inflexible staff who regard policies not as guidelines but the law of the land. It is not even space consumption or how big or small your package/s are to allow more space for packages of other customers, as was proven by the girl behind me. This is crazy. You patronize them. They give you hell.

In fairness, they do sometimes have better staff, helpful and attentive and would even bring you to the taxi stand. But maybe that’s because of the tip. It shows you what kind of management they have at SM. I believe that staff is a reflection of management, most of the time. Now this is not to generalize but organizational management and even the customer care trainings I use to give clearly draws a bold connecting line from a happy staff to a good work attitude. Apparently the staff at SM are more scared to break the rules than do their jobs right, working for the heck of it, fearing policies more than wanting to help. Practicality and convenience of the customers are not considered.

My daughter was chanting as we went down the car/t park: “The basement, the basement. Why are we going to the basement?” I answered her with the first thing that came to my head. “Because they are not considerate of kids and mothers, sweetheart.”

As I wheeled the cart outside to the taxi area I rolled my eyes at the poster that read: SM Mall of the Year 2005.

Yeah. And I’m the Queen of Narnia.