Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Friends are Da Bomb!

Guess what people! This is a story of gross negligence! I am trying to get to KLIA this Thursday, trying to either reserve a taxi/limo. So of course, I turn to the Internet the best way to speedily dig out information. Not accurate information, mind you but at least information!

So I went to How To Get To Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) which sounds so simple and accurate. I get very happy when I find out that I can take a bus from Hentian Duta to KLIA and back (return journey) for only RM34!!!! I am ecstatic seeing as I will be paying NTD1000 for 1 airport transfer in Taiwan.

But smart Errolyn thought, hmmm, I wonder if they still do this – so smart Errolyn decides to call the numbers that are so efficiently displayed in the page. I call Hentian Duta Head Office TWICE and the nice woman on the other end told me “Nombor ini tidak dalam perkhidmatan. The number you have called is not in service.” Well duh!!!!! Of course it’s not in service, it’s only the listed number for the Hentian Duta Head Office! What could I have been expecting??

So, one down, another one to go – Errolyn calls the KLIA Bus Branch and this time a genuine woman answered and told me they have stopped the Hentian Duta bus service and the only way I could get to KLIA was to take the KLIA Express from KL Sentral.

The website above seems to be a non-governmental website which offers travel packages and information about Malaysia as a premier tourist destination for 2007. It’s endorsed by Tourism Malaysia.

I love my country, and I want my country and fellow countrymen in the service industry to improve. If you have a website that proclaims to offer information and services, please ensure that updated information and services are available! The next step is for Tourism Malaysia to add to their To Do List to check the sites that they do indeed endorse, because there is nothing as embarrassing as having old or worse! wrong information being touted by irresponsible service providers who then emblazon a giant sign that says ‘Endorsed by Tourism Malaysia’.

Lessons learnt : (you know you’ve been a ‘Corporate’ too long when you use phrases like ‘Lessons Learnt’ without falling over and laughing)

*Never trust everything you read until you check it out
*You can get to KLIA via KLIA Express (37 mins), KLIA Transit (much longer cos the train’s like the metro/subway/underground/LRT/MRT that stops everywhere), family/friend, normal taxi (which probably costs a bomb), KLIA Limo (very reliable, seems to be honest unscary men)
*You need to spend a lot of money to get to KLIA
*When you have friends like Liz - who'll give you a lift to the airport, it's great!

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