My Boss Asked Me To "Entertain" Our Customers. What Should I Do?

Firstly, do you feel comfortable with the idea of "entertaining" your customers? This term basically means to strengthen ties between your company and your customers.

A: Yes, I am up for it.

If you are comfortable with doing the activity or going to a place suggested by your boss or your customers, then by all means, go ahead and have fun.  Get to know your customers more and discuss what needs to be discussed.

B: No, I'm not.

Why don't you feel comfortable? 

B: I do not frequent clubs or pubs and I want to avoid being in a situation that will compromise my safety.

Discuss with your boss and let him know your concerns. If you have an understanding boss, he would  not force you to go. However, if he forces you to make a choice between following his way or taking the high way, then it's time for you to re-evaluate things. Do you want to work with a boss who forces ideas down your throat? The longer you stay, there will only be more clashes in the future. 

 

"Entertainment" doesn't necessarily have to be the dodgy type. It doesn't have to involve sleazy joints, lots of drinking where your safety could be compromised. You can bring your customers to restaurants/cafes/jazz lounges and other "family-friendly" places. 

C: I don't feel comfortable because I get nervous around people. 

In this case, you need to try to climb over the brick wall you built in your head. After more meetings with different people, you'll soon be more relaxed and less nervous. It's all a matter of building your character and learning new things. 

Here's a thought: Bosses and customers are not always right. You're entitled to your own principles and ethics. Make sure the "entertainment" is not something you'll regret after. As my friend quotes, "You're not selling your soul to the company." 

If you have any comments or feedbacks, please leave a comment and I will reply as soon as I can.

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I'm Stranded In A Foreign Country! What Should I Do?

This is very unfortunate news! Try to calm down and don't panic. Below are different scenarios and solutions to get you safely home.

Scenario 1: Did you lose your passport and other important documents?

Like what I shared in an earlier post, it's important to get the contact information of your country's embassy. Call them right away to let them know your situation. Arrange for a meeting with an officer asap. Tell him/her exactly what happened and how the documents were lost or stolen. The embassy will lodge a report of the lost passport and documents. They'll issue you a temporary passport. Yes, you should report to the local police, however, contacting the local police on your own may not be a good idea because you are unsure of the report procedures. It's worse if you don't speak their language and they don't speak yours. So, I suggest that you communicate with the embassy and let the embassy liaise with the local police.

What about money? If you were mugged and everything was taken from you, don't worry. The embassy will be able to help you with lodging and food allowance. Next thing is to call your credit company to block your credit cards. The mugger has your credit cards, so you must cancel the cards before he/she does more harm to your finances. Talk to your credit card company about the options available. Some would not charge you for the expenses made after you report that your card has been stolen.

What about flight? It depends on when the theft happened. It could be at the very beginning of your 2-week trip or the last few days of your trip. The whole procedure with the embassy and local police will have to go on until all necessary things are done. You will probably not be able to fly out from the country as scheduled. Get some advise from the embassy on your flight. You may need to go to your airlines counter at the airport to do a re-booking to a later date. If the sales officer is not able to change it, the embassy may be able to put you through to someone from the airlines company who has a say.

What about insurance? As I'd advised, it's necessary to buy travel insurance when you travel. So you should know what the insurance package covers > I'll post up claim procedures for different claims in another post.

It's important to contact your family and keep them up-to-date on the progress and when you will be coming home. 

Scenario 2: Was your flight cancelled due to bad weather and emergency situations? 

If your flight was cancelled by the airlines due to unforeseen circumstances, you will have to check with your airlines on when is the earliest you can fly out of the country. They'll do a  flight re-booking and re-confirmation. However, if the airlines is not able to re-book any flights in the event that the authorities have closed down the airport and all systems are down, you will have no choice but to wait it out. Make sure you have enough money for this unexpected extended stay.

Unluckily for me, I was in Copenhagen when the volcano in Iceland erupted. My colleagues and I had to extend our stay by a few nights. Our airlines, KLM could only re-book our flight to 7 days  later from  the date of our scheduled flight as they had to cater to hundreds of other passengers waiting in line to get home. We were exhausting our cash and credit card limit because things were really expensive in Copenhagen. We looked for other alternatives because staying back for another 7 days means extra expenses for the company. So, we contacted our embassy in Copenhagen. The gentleman met us and we explained to him our situation. He immediately put us through to the sales manager of another airlines company. We met with the sales manager in his office and hoped for good news. We jumped for joy when we were told that there were available seats for the next morning's flight! However, the return flight with this airlines company was twice the rate we paid for KLM. After comparing the estimated expenses for the two available options, we opted to fly out the next morning. We cancelled our KLM return flight tickets with the confirmation that they gave us the full refund. 

I have never felt as happy and relieved upon landing on my mother soil.

Tip: Always contact your embassy when you're faced with travel/customs/theft/legal complications.

In the case of low cash funds and low credit card limit, you would have to call back home and ask your family to transfer in some money to your bank account or directly into your credit card account. Remember, it's very important to have sufficient money with you when you travel!

As for compensation for the extended stay, check with your airlines. For my case, under the European Union Law, KLM must compensate for my extra expenses incurred: accommodation and meals. My travel agent is still "fighting" for that so, will know the outcome soon.

Travel insurance states very clearly that we're not eligible to claim in the event of force majeure. However, if it is not the case of force majeure, your travel insurance policy should cover it.

Scenario 3: You don't have any money left to pay for your return flight. (Unlikely but can happen)

When you plan your trips, business related or non-business related, it's safer to book  a return flight instead of a one-way flight. Return flights are more cost effective too. Perhaps, you're unsure of how long the trip would be or if you would be making short detours to other places before going home. But, It's best to plan your trip out from A to B to avoid complications.

The only thing you can do in this situation is call back home and ask your family or close friends to transfer money to your bank account or directly into your credit card account.

It's really risky to be caught in this situation, so do your best to avoid from being in such scenarios.


I hope what I have shared could help you if you ever run into the above situations. Well, let's just hope we will not encounter these situations because they can be really unpleasant. 


If you have any comments or feedbacks, please leave a comment and I will reply as soon as I can.

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My First Overseas Business Trip. What Should I Do?

First overseas trip? How exciting! Where do I begin? There are many mental notes to make when you prepare for an overseas trip. But, why make mental notes when we can write them down?

I have run into a few unpleasant business trips in my career. Believe me, it is scary! Running low on cash is one of the most unpleasant things that can happen when you're in a foreign country! Always carry enough cash AND a "swipe-able" credit card. Best if you have more than one credit card. (Just In Case) 

Here are some things that I learned from my travels that may be helpful to you:

1. Find out more about the country you're visiting 

What's the weather like? What's the current season? What is the country famous for? Where is it located on the world map? Don't make guesses or assumptions. Just look the country up in Wikipedia. Wikipedia is pretty informative and tells you almost everything that you need to know about the country.

2. Pick a good and reasonable accommodation (hotel/apartment)

What is the purpose of your business trip? If you're participating in an international trade fair, then pick a hotel that is situated nearby to the exhibition centre. I find Google map extremely useful when I'm making travel plans. Type in the name of the exhibition centre and zoom in. You'll be able to see the locations of nearby hotels, restaurants, malls, mode of transportation, etc.

Next would be choosing a suitable hotel which is within your company's budget and one that has business facilities such as Wi-Fi. I normally go to this website to book hotels when I travel. The rate is one of the lowest that I can find. You can browse through all the hotels in the city of visit. Another thing I like about this website is that it lists down places such as tourist spots, airport, exhibition centre and even states the distance each place is from the selected hotel. Try it! 

Request for your hotel to give free shuttle service from the airport to the hotel and vice versa. Saves on taxi charges. The taxi meter rate could be unbelievably high in some countries.  

3. Book Your Flight 

Does your company already have its own travel agent that plans your flight itineraries? If there's an  existing agent whom you're working with, request for quotations for different airlines. Compare the rates. Most importantly, compare the time schedules. Pick the one that has a fairly good rate and the most suitable flight time.  Get travel insurance! Check with your agent on the available insurance package. Avoid travelling at odd hours. It's good to touch down one or two days before your meeting appointment to rest so you'll feel fresh during the meeting.

Tip: Flight booking and hotel booking should be made at least 2 months from the desired travelling dates. Doing things at the last minute cause stress and panic, so plan everything ahead of time.

For your benefit, subscribe to a loyalty program of the airlines you'll be flying with. Membership is free and it earns free miles every time you fly with the airlines. It is okay if you have a few loyalty cards from different airlines. Gives you more options!

4. Packing

Here comes the tricky part: packing. Based on the information you found on the country. Take note of the current season (climate & temperature) so you'll know what type of clothing to pack. Check your baggage allowance with the airlines. Standard baggage allowance for economy flights is 20kg. Make sure the weight of your luggage does not exceed 20kg or you would have to pay a penalty. Penalty charges differ from airline to airline and country to country.

I remember when I was in Stockholm, the weight of my luggage exceeded by around 10kg or so. I had to pay an amount in Swedish Krona which was equivalent to USD800.00 as penalty! Thank God that I carried enough cash or I would have missed my flight. I did not have a credit card at that time. Moral of the story? Stick to the baggage weight allowance and carry a credit card.

Know what items are prohibited to be brought into the country. Again, you can look up Customs in Wikipedia.

Recently, a friend was detained in Hong Kong for carrying pepper-spray in her handbag! She has carried it as a self-defense weapon for a number of years and did not have problems going through customs in other countries. Now, Hong Kong customs has her record and she will be charged if she is found carrying pepper-spray into the country again. So, remember, no pepper-spray in Hong Kong.


When I first travelled abroad, being the inexperienced traveller that I was, I had a 250ml of body lotion that I loved in my hand-carry. At the security check point, I had no choice but to transfer some of it into a 50ml empty bottle and threw away the rest, along with the nice glass bottle. It was definitely a pinch that I did not find out about all this information earlier. Said goodbye to my favourite lotion, and spent money getting a new one. Avoid unnecessary spending!


Tip: You can pack all your lotions, cleansers, shampoo and what not in your luggage which you will be checking in. (Regardless of the liquid measurement) The liquid measurement only applies to items in your hand-carry.

5. Request for cash in advanced or daily allowance

You need to do a little research on the living standards of the country you're visiting. Do a little calculation and take note of the current exchange rate of your country's currency and the country of visit.

You need to consider the average cost per meal and transportation costs (taxi/rail/metro,etc).

Tip: It is better to request for more cash than the estimated calculations to cover unforeseen expenses.

On the case of currency exchange rate, here's a scenario:  You're from Singapore and you're  travelling to Sydney, Australia for a duration of 7 days. Your basic expenses which include meals and accommodation would probably work out to be approximately AUD3,000.00. As reference, the exchange rate today is around SGD1.00/AUD0.86. So, depending on the buying rate in Singapore, you can choose to either convert SGD to AUD or SGD to USD/EURO. USD and EURO are the two most widely used currencies around the world. You can always sell it in exchange for AUD in Sydney later. The rate could be better. Then again, there's administration fees to Forex. All in all, try to get the best available rate before you buy or sell currency so you don't lose as much.

If your company's giving you daily allowance, make sure that it is enough to cover at the very minimum your cost of meals per day. If not, well, work out the costing and propose for a higher allowance!

As I mentioned, make sure that your credit card has enough credit limit as you need it to pay for your accommodation.  If you don't, call your credit card company to increase it temporarily. Check if you're able to withdraw cash in Sydney using your ATM card. Some local banks/ international banks do offer these services in foreign countries. Good to know in case of emergency situations.

6. Travelling

It's really easy to get dehydrated when you're in the plane, especially during long flights. We know that bottled water is not allowed through the custom check point and it's difficult satisfying our thirst when we're offered small cups of distilled water. It's worse if you order other beverages such as juices, coffee, wine, beer, etc.

So, here's a tip: Before you board, get a bottle of water from the duty-free shop. All you need to do is finish the water and empty out the bottle. When the stewardess is attending to you, ask her to fill up your bottle with water. Voila, simple. Saves the stewardess the time and energy from walking up-and-down the aisle bringing you cups of distilled water. Just ask for a re-fill when needed. This way, you won't get dehydrated so easily.

Here's something I learned: Keep your boarding pass even after you're back from the trip. You'll never know when you would need it again. It's useful when you need to claim missing miles from the airlines or as a document proof > I'll share more about this in another post.

7. Communication


You have to be reacheable when you're travelling; by email or phone. International roaming is necessary even though the bill's a killer. Sure, it may be cheaper getting a local SIM card  but it's easy for people to contact you on your current mobile number than asking them to call your new number. Better yet, if you have two mobile phones, I suggest that you keep one for international roaming and one for local number. The international roaming's for people to call you, while the latter's for you to make outgoing calls (local or international).

Even though you may be on a business trip, but you're still working. So, check and reply to urgent emails!

8. In case of emergency, who should you contact?

Scary thought, but this is important information that you need to know!  Do you have any friends or relatives in the country you're visiting? If you do, make sure you have a few of their contact numbers. Remember to get the contact information of your country's embassy as well. It gives you a peace of mind to know someone from your country who speaks your language that will be able to help you in times of emergency.


Alright, this post is longer than it should be and hope this has been helpful and it  isn't too much information to digest.

Have fun going on this trip! Take lots of photos and learn a little of the lingo. Experiences like this are golden opportunities that broaden your perspective and mindset. ;)

 
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I'm Late For Work! What Should I Do?

Oops, so you're late for work. Just a point to note, if you know you would be running late, it's good practice to text or call your superior to inform him/her that you would be reaching the office later than usual. The reason could be due to traffic jam, emergency situation, etc.

Whatever the reason may be, let your superior know you'll be arriving late instead of showing up late. By informing your superior, he/she already expects you to be late and won't turn sour seeing your vacant desk.

Okay, so you did not inform your superior that you'll be late and now, he/she finds you gasping for breath at your desk. Firstly, apologize for being late. Secondly, tell him/her the truth why you were late. We hope the reason is not, "I woke up late." It is always better to be truthful than to tell a lie. Well, a lie is a lie. Once you're found out, there will be a breach of trust and it will be hard for you to gain back the trust.

So always be truthful and don't try to conjure cover-ups. The truth causes less hurt than a spiral of lies gone out of control.

If you have any comments or feedbacks, please leave a comment and I will reply as soon as I can.

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My First Day Of Work. What Should I Do?

Okay, breathe... Your superior had just given you a short orientation tour and introduced you to your new colleagues. You're taking in the new faces, new environment and, your new work desk. What's next? Probably, you're getting bored sitting at your desk, staring at the new set of stationery that you're dying to put to some good use.

Basically, there's nothing much to do since it's your first day of work. If your company has already provided you with a computer or laptop, great! If not, then flip through the notes that your superior had given you earlier.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask around! Ask your superior if there's anything you can do. Probably, it will be a few simple tasks to begin with. Don't worry that it'll be as boring as today, the work and responsibility will eventually get more and more. Trust me.

For now, just soak in whatever you can and try to adapt to the new environment and new workplace! Mingle with your colleagues, join them for lunch, tea break, etc to get to know them better.


Happy working! ;)

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My First Interview. What Should I Do?

Yes, interviews can be nerve-wrecking, especially when it's your first. Nonetheless, congratulations on getting called up! That's a big step to landing your first job.

Well, you won't really know what to expect until you go through it. Your friends and family would have given you lots of input and even, a complete list of what-to-do and what-not-to-do during an interview.

Before you go for the interview, please do your research and find out more about the company. Visit the company's website (if there is one) or look it up in the internet to try to understand the basic services or products that the company is offering.

Can't seem to find any solid information about the company on the internet? Tells you that it's either the company is just starting up / does not believe in the wonders of internet marketing / has no use for a website / hoax? / part of a fast making-money scheme which is another hoax, etc. So, please find out more before you attend the interview to verify that the company does exist.

Once you've verified that it's an existing company which is doing fairly / very well / very successful, then you're off to the interview.

The following points are what I have learned from my working experience and from the many interviews that I have been to:

1.Dress to Fit Your Job (Advertised Position)

Okay, how you dress and what you wear is VERY dependent on the job position. If it's a position in sales & marketing, public relations, accounts, clerical, etc., then it's best to go with the Smart Corporate look.

Note: Absolutely no slippers, sandals, sports shoes, mini skirt, jeans, casual shirts and the likes.

Girls: You can opt for a blouse and skirt/slacks with covered heels. Just a dash of blusher and lip-gloss to look fresh will do!

Guys: Nothing out of the ordinary. Just keep it simple with collared shirt, belt and slacks. Best if you could match the color of your socks with the color of your shoes > something that not all guys pay attention to.

If it's a job with the advertising agency, design company, etc., then feel free to be bold and loud, with a hint of fun.

For me, I learned that it's better to feel comfortable during an interview. Uncomfortable clothing makes you fidget and sweat, and that is a no-no. Go for clothing or style that's comfortable. You don't have to wrap yourself in pvc or leather just to prove a point, alright?

2.Introduce Yourself

Politeness. That's really important. So, always introduce yourself to the interviewers. Give them a good and firm handshake. Be clear when you tell them your name. After introduction, proceed to sit down.

3.Good Sitting Posture

Sit upright and don't hunch. Your posture tells a lot about your attitude.

4. Q & A Session

Here comes the part that you've been playing over and over again in your head. Q & A.

Your interviewers are trying their best to make you feel comfortable and less nervous. After all, they need a new employee and you need of a job. So, start getting comfortable.

The best thing to do is to just be yourself and be truthful. By being yourself doesn't guarantee that you'll get the job, but it allows the interviewers to evaluate you better and if you're the right fit. Don't try to play the role of Mr Perfect/Ms Perfect. Interviewers can see right through you, in fact, they've seen lots of them. Pretense can only get you so far, but it's your true capability that gets you further.

Put your research on the company to some good use. It'll be great if you can throw in some thoughts or ideas based on the research you've done. Well, you may not be correct, but the management loves employees who are able to contribute. And depicting that you do want to contribute to the company is a plus.

You're not the only one on the pedal stool. Evaluate your interviewers, the job offer and what it entails. To some extent, you will be able to know if the company is ethical, responsible, fair, generous, etc. Ask questions related to the advertised job. You need to know what you're getting into. You can even ask them about possible opportunities in the future that they're not already offering. For example, you can ask if there's an opportunity to travel? Ask them about employee welfare and benefits. Always work with a company that treats its employees well.

When you're faced with a question that you don't have an answer to, it is perfectly alright to say "I don't know at this point of time, but I am willing to learn."

The whole idea of the Q & A session is for you to know more about the company, and for the company to know more about you.

After getting all the information you need about the job, it is okay to re-think if the job is indeed suitable for you. Despite it being your first, there's nothing wrong if you are picky. At the end of the day, you're the one getting the job, so why not find one that interests you?

5. Goodbye, Thank You and Handshake

Remember, politeness. After everything is said and done, thank your interviewers for the time taken to meet you. Give them another firm handshake and bid them goodbye! If you're really interested with the job scope and offer, just be cheeky and say "Hope to see you again soon!"

So here's my experience summed up in 5 points. I wish you all the best at your interview! ;)

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