Mr Feedback

Address: 238 Lygon St, Carlton, (03) 9663 6102

I had dinner last night at La Spaghettata, the food was great (a bit pricey though) but restaurant was quite cramped. Here is what I thought:

Dinner for two: entree (2), main course (2), non-alcoholic drink (1) = $94

Food
I started with the Bruschetta for the entree, and it tasted very nice overall. I thought the tomatoes which were dressed onto the toasted bread were a bit raw, and perhaps needed a bit more grilling. The sauce was quite nice. For the mains, I had the Ravioli with spinach and ricotta. The serve size was smallish for the price (about $19), but it was cooked well, and the sauce amount was just right.

Service
What do you call those guys outside the restaurant ushering you into the restaurant? Anyway, that guy made a good case of the menu and wooed us into the restaurant. Once in, the first table we had was slanted - so we moved to another place. The service was excellent, and very prompt. We had our meals, and paid the meal within 75 minutes, which is excellent considering how busy it was last night. The waiter explained the menu options well, and it was as described. So bravo on the service!!

The ambience
Don’t go expecting to have a quiet dinner. We were sitting next to a group of birthday revelers, and it was quite noisy. The restaurant itself is quite small, and the tables are small. This is where we lose some points. The area is very cramped. We sat next to the fireplace, and my head was almost against the wall. There was absolutely no room to move. This was quite obvious when we tried to leave after payment - we literally had inches to squeeze ourselves through. So perhaps a bit more space won’t hurt, and that means - reducing the number of tables for a more free experience. In fact, the menu was so big it would not fit on the table opened up!

Value
We had a full meal (entrees, drinks, and mains) but thought the price tag was a bit on the high side. I was expecting about $75-85, but this is compensated by the excellent food.

Suggestions
* The cramped space is a major issue. I would be interested to hear anyone else’s thoughts who have been to this restaurant. Reduce the number of tables, and give us some more space to breathe.
* Keep the service going, and the promptness of food delivery is really your plus point
* I asked for a menu to take away with me, and there was none there. So perhaps a few on hand would be useful - I know you guys have 50 million choices on the menu!!

Inside tips
* If you are into sharing, try the Mixed Pasta For Two (you get 3 pastas for the price of 2)

Rating - 7/10 (your cramped space really hurt you)
I had a good time there, but the cramped space made it really annoying. This is something that needs to improve. I would recommend people to go there for the food, however.

I wrote to Optus through their online contact form on 27th Feb 2008 and 2nd March 2008 regarding a couple of questions about my wireless broadband. I got a reply from them on 11th March 2008 and 12th March 2008, respectively.

This is what the Support Acknowledgement email stated:

Thank you for your E-mail titled ‘Optus Wireless Broadband customer enquiry’,
your enquiry has been passed to our Email Support Team.

At Optus, we are committed to giving you better customer service than you
can get from any of our competitors. Optus Wireless Broadband Support commits
to providing 24 hour* turnarounds to customer queries.

Email Support cannot process account enquiries, cancellations, changes to
billing details (credit card/address), or enquiries related to passwords.
In these cases the account holder should call Optus Customer Support on
1300 553 937 (7am - 11pm, 7 days).

This is an automatically generated E-mail.

* 24-hour turnaround may not be achieved during major network outages due
to circumstances beyond Optus’s control. There may also be a small
number of cases where it is not possible to resolve a customer query within
24 hours.

Optus Wireless Broadband Customer Support Group.

** I guess, I fall in the category of the *. Too bad, one of the queries was in relation to traveling abroad using their roaming broadband service. A bit late for me. Classic!

On the plus side, I did get a letter from Optus acknowledging their mistake, and that I would be credited with $10 in my next bill for overcharging me.

I was involved in an interesting Connex train ticket situation today. I bought a Zone 1 two hour ticket, and my plans changed at short notice requiring me to step foot into Zone 2 territory.

So I plodded along to Melbourne Central Station, and asked if I could buy an isolated Zone 2 ticket. This way, I could “combine” the tickets in case the vicious inspectors come along on the train. The answer was “No”. So my only (economical) option was to get off at the margins of Zone 1, purchase an isolated Zone 2 ticket and continue my travel. Yes, I would have to wait for another train. Or the more expensive option was to buy a Zone 1 + 2 ticket again.

I am a bit bewildered by this experience. Essentially if your situation changes after buying your ticket, Connex (or MetLink) doesn’t make it easy for you.

Here is my question: Why can’t the ticket counter at stations issue isolated tickets for people in my situation? The counter guy didn’t really explain why he couldn’t issue me a Zone 2 ticket. My hypothesis is that the machines do not allow this to be done.

I just thought it would have been so much easier if he just issued me with a Zone 2 ticket. My rant over!

Just a follow up about my Pizza Hut experience. For those that have not read it - here it is again! I got a reply to my email re delivery policy (dated: 17 March) 2 days ago. I didn’t know that Pizza Hut’s customer relations team are called “Yum Customer Relations”.

Email from Pizza Hut:

“Thank you for taking the time to contact us. Pizza Hut do not have a policy on delivery times, if however the order is late we do hope that our customers call up the order line to inform them of this and we then inform the store and find out where the order is. On some occasions we do transfer our customers through to store managers so hey can discuss this with them. If the pizza is heaps longer than expected it is then up to each store manager as to if they are going to discount this, this is why we like our customers to let us know so they store can resolve the situation.”

So in short: There is no delivery time guarantee, and it is up to customers to sort out an agreement with the store manager. I think this is a bit poor. When you deliver something, you expect some sort of a guarantee that it turns up on time. It doesn’t have to be given for free if delivered late, but perhaps a Pizza coupon (similar to the Hot 2 You guarantee they have) would suffice.

P.S.: Good on Ray (see comments from earlier post) for getting a refund from Domino’s Pizza. At least I got my pizza, he paid for it and it never came.

I must say, VicRoads does it pretty well. I converted my TAS license to VIC license, and apart from trying to get an appointment - everything else went quite smoothly.

The phone call
Fortunately, calling VicRoads and arranging a time took less than 10 minutes. The call centre staff was very helpful, and tried very hard to get me an appointment time ASAP. Eventually, I got one at the Burwood Office. She clearly explained what I needed to bring with me, and summarized the whole process. You can also find what you need here.

The day
I arrived at 10.29am for my 10.30am appointment (watch out, parking at Burwood Office is not available readily). I presented to the appointments area, and was asked to fill out the VIC License application form. After that, I paid the fee and my drivers license was handed to me shortly there after. I was out of there by 11am.

Inside tips
* I was surprised by how difficult it was to get an appointment. So, be early and do not wait until your license expires.
* You can fill out the Vic License permit application here (the one you need to fill out on the day)

Suggestions
* The VicRoads website is very detailed, and informative. For information on changing your state licenses, go here.

Rating - 9/10 (what about online appointments system)
VicRoads has an online change of address system, so I cannot see why an online appointments system for various services cannot be implemented. Overall, it’s a great service and significantly better than some private corporations I have encountered recently.

I emailed Virgin’s Got a Gripe service about my bill of $85. Read my previous post here. I have not received a reply. I am not surprised considering it’s Easter Long Weekend. I called them today, and after 40mins (at 10am in the morning) I was able to speak to “Alex” about my bill. Alex put me on hold, and presumably spoke to his supervisor. Eventually, he was able to report that Virgin will cancel my bill out of good will, but in the future if this happens again - I will be required to pay the bill.

I asked Alex why this has happened. His explanation was sketchy, but he told me something to the effect of this:
“Normally calling cards are compatible with fixed land lines (i.e.: Optus and Telstra) therefore you will only be charged for the initial local call. With Virgin, because it is not a fixed line and uses mobile networks to route calls it will automatically switch to international rates despite using calling cards. Virgin is not compatible with calling cards.”

I explained to him that there are a lot of things on Virgin’s website which are very unclear, and if people are going to be hit with massive bills for using calling cards then they should make it very clear. He agreed with me that the website is very vague, and improving it is Virgin’s priority. So, let’s keep a tab on the site to see if improvements are made.

So Virgin’s advertising campaign which emphasis free local/national calls is flawed, and in its terms and conditions it does not specify about using calling cards for international phone calls. So beware! If you signed up with Virgin thinking you can use it for calling cards, then unfortunately you are wrong. Virgin might make some calling cards compatible in the future, but it not available now.

I would certainly research their broadband plans, and ask as many questions before signing up. If you are within the 30 day period, then seriously consider canceling if have been using it with calling cards for international calls (thinking its a free local call initially), and make contact with them immediately.

Moral of the story: Ask as many questions, and document all your questions for your record. Here is a good overview article on wireless broadband, and the main players.

If you had a similar issue with Virgin’s Broadband at Home service, then add it to the comments section of this post or email me about it.

P.S.: Total call duration today: 53 mins.

I am yet to buy a car, so I trialled the Safeway (or Woolworths) delivery service the other day. Safeway is located a good walking distance from my home, but I am the type of person who likes shopping once a fortnight, rather than doing it more regularly. Keeps my budget in check, and also allows me to plan my shopping. Which means buying loads of stuff, therefore transport is a problem.

I bought 16 bags worth of shopping yesterday, and tested out the delivery service. Here is what I thought.

The shopping itself
Woolworths has a great website, where you can shop online. I am a huge fan of shopping online, and I regularly make purchases online (e.g.: eBay). However, shopping for groceries online is a bit of a hassle. Surprisingly, I found using the website difficult - not because of its design characteristics, but rather I find it much easier seeing my food before buying. I have not fully tested out the site, but I hope there is a functionality which allows for keeping tabs of your favorite products thereby reducing your searching time (or remembering your previous shopping list). The site does not provide photos of all the products at a glance unless you click on individual items, which can get annoying. Overall, a novel site, but not for me at this stage.

The delivery
After the purchase, I advised the “check out chick” that I preferred delivery. It was quite easy, all bags are tagged and bar coded. My contact details are given, and the lady explained that delivery will occur “before 5pm today” (and I get a card with delivery information). This gave me ample time to get back home, before the goods arrived. I live in an apartment, so would have preferred the groceries to be dropped off at my level. Instead, I was told to get them from downstairs. Fair enough I guess. My expectations are high, I know. The delivery time was 4.30pm - so punctuality was maintained.

The cost of delivery was less than $5. Now doing the sums:
* Cost of a tram ticket for 2 hours (Zone 1): $3.50
* There was no way I could have brought 16 bags by myself, which meant a taxi was required.

So delivery is an economical option for those without private transport. A big tick for Safeway for keeping things affordable.

Inside tips
* When using the site, watch for the “specials” link at the top - which details all your savings. This is a great feature of the site.
* It gives you running totals, so you know how much you are spending. This is something you do not get while doing shopping physically.
*Delivery is a great option if you have loads to carry
* Watch out, delivery for purchases made online can be more expensive!

Suggestions
* I can see a major market for busy couples who would like their shopping delivered, particularly those living in inner city apartments. So make delivery to the door, rather than to the building.
* The delivery card does not have information on whom to contact if you do not get your goods, so this would be a good idea. You do not want customers left out in the cold when deliveries don’t come on time.

Rating - 8/10 (delivery was a great deal!)
I suspect delivery is subcontracted, and thank you for making it affordable. If you can deliver to people’s doors (incl. apartments) then it will really attract a lot of inner city dwellers. As for your website, things look good here - but consider incorporating pictures that are easily accessible instead of making us click on each product link.

I almost forgot about this great story. On my arrival into Melbourne, I could not find my long term car park ticket. After extensively searching my wallet, suitcase, and the car - it was no where to be found.

I went to the lady at the exit point, and explained my situation. No problems, she trusted my initial parking date (apparently I look trust worthy!), and re-issued the ticket and charged for the parking time.

Great customer service. So thank you car park lady!

This is a follow up from my earlier post about my Optus nightmare. In Summary, Optus never transferred me from a pre-paid to post-paid mobile service. In fact, had I not written my letter - they would not have done it ever! So I received a call from someone at Optus on March 18th (which was good because I told them to contact me after March 15th as I would be overseas), but I was driving so told him to call me 10-15 minutes later. A few hours later, I got another call. Surprise, surprise!

This is what has happened. I wrote an “frustrated” letter to Optus customer relation team (March 3rd) -> they have told one of their members to call me back. Basically, the guy had minimal idea of my problem, so I had to explain it to him all over again. Did I also mention that Optus sent me a bill for my wireless broadband? Yep, they did. The bill was for $75.13.

Anyhow after 52 minutes on the phone, my pre-paid service was transferred to post-paid service. He told me it will happen in the next 4 days, but luckily for Optus it occurred within 30 minutes. Now the process will be:

* The guy sends an email stating the transfer has been completed
* In that email he mentions”my problem”, and asking them bundle the service
* In that email he mentions I have been overcharged for my broadband, therefore a credit is due

He told me to pay this bill, and a credit will be issued for the next bill. Hmmm, I do not like this idea but it’s their policy it seems. Anyway, I am happy that someone called me to sort his out rather than me waiting on the phone for ages.

The interesting thing was, the guy who called me was an Indian living in Melbourne. Even he agreed that telecommunications services in Australia was pretty bad. In contrast, during my Indian stay recently - I was connected to Airtel within minutes, and pre-paid recharges were done within seconds. That’s right, within seconds!!! This is despite me being a foreigner. No fuss, no calling anyone! Furthermore, Airtel has a system where an sms is sent after each phone call/sms highlighting exactly how much money is left, and when the expiry is. Compare this to my experience, and you see my point!

So for now, my pre-paid transfer story has ended, but my bundle story is still ongoing. I will keep you all updated about this, so stay tuned!

Maybe 7.5/10 was a bit generous considering I recently received a bill from Virgin Broadband for $85.90. My service was between 11 - 18 Feb (that’s right - 7 days!).

I arrived home from holiday to find a bill from Virgin for the above amount. After nearly suffering a coronary, I examined the bill in detail.

* Local calls: 12 calls: $0.00
* National calls: 6 calls: $0.00
* 1800 calls: 1 call: $0.00
* Message charges: $0.00
* Downloads: 661.89: $0.00
* International calls: 1 call: 47.06 duration: $85.90

Hang on, but I used a calling card to make the international call. As per Virgin broadband note to self, all local/national calls are free. The calling card had a local number, which I dialed first before connecting to the international number. When I do the same using any other land line, I get billed for a local call (plus whatever I use on the calling card). So, why doesn’t Virgin do the same.

It seems the more you dig into Virgin’s broadband scheme, there are surprises everywhere. I hope this is a billing mishap. As usual, I will not be paying this bill until I receive a valid explanation from Virgin. To my defence, I called them straight away and waited for 65 minutes before the guy who answered cut me off (he must have pressed the wrong button or something)! So I have emailed them at support@virginbroadband.com.au. I will keep you updated!

Have you been affected by this anomaly?Comment about it below, or send your experience to me.