I get several emails from masqueraders asking which band to play with (I do not give recommendations) and how to go about choosing a costume. My advice is to go with recommendation from friends or family who have experience with playing with certain bands, so you can gauge if a band is the right fit for you. Take into consideration the demographics of the band as well as what their package includes and of course choose a costume that you really like. Despite all this, however, you may end up choosing the wrong band or even the wrong section in the band (private section that is) and end up with a costume that falls apart or worse yet, never collect a costume at all!
So, what recourse do you have if you are left jumping up in your underwear as the beads on your costume belt disintegrate or, God forbid, you turn up at the mas camp on collection day only to be told they do not have your costume? Well the answer is NONE. Sad to say masqueraders have no recourse in these matters. The Government consumer body, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, does not step in to ensure you get some sort of compensation or refund. Hence choosing a band with good customer service in the event of these situations is also key; most reputable bands will issue a partial or even full refund if you have issues with your costume upon collection. Other bands will only issue you a partial refund, if anything at all, when you open your mouth and let some choice words fly! Worse yet are the bands that not only give you crappy customer service when things go wrong, but they do not give you any type of compensation at all; for Carnival 2008 there were a few bands that fell in the latter category!
Here is the Ministry of Consumer Affairs tips on choosing your costume:
So, what recourse do you have if you are left jumping up in your underwear as the beads on your costume belt disintegrate or, God forbid, you turn up at the mas camp on collection day only to be told they do not have your costume? Well the answer is NONE. Sad to say masqueraders have no recourse in these matters. The Government consumer body, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, does not step in to ensure you get some sort of compensation or refund. Hence choosing a band with good customer service in the event of these situations is also key; most reputable bands will issue a partial or even full refund if you have issues with your costume upon collection. Other bands will only issue you a partial refund, if anything at all, when you open your mouth and let some choice words fly! Worse yet are the bands that not only give you crappy customer service when things go wrong, but they do not give you any type of compensation at all; for Carnival 2008 there were a few bands that fell in the latter category!
Here is the Ministry of Consumer Affairs tips on choosing your costume:
Your Carnival Costume
It's the Carnival season again, and for many of us "playing mas" is an annual activity. Every year we spend thousands of dollars on carnival costumes, but do we really do all that we can to ensure that we get our monies worth. Do we really want to spend our hard-earned savings on a forty-eight hour costume? Consumers it is your responsibility to ask questions and obtain as much information as necessary before making a purchase.
Masqueraders, here are some helpful tips to ensure that this year's Carnival experience is much more enjoyable.
* Choose a Carnival costume within your budget, it is better to save through out the year rather than take a loan to buy costumes.
* Before collecting your costumes make sure that you do a final fitting, and make adjustments if required.
* When collecting your costumes, ensure that you receive all the pieces in the package including: headpieces, ankle bands, hand bands, top and bottom pieces.
* Ensure that your costumes are properly stitched, and examine the fabric for any holes, rips or shearing. Avoid choosing costumes that are made of flimsy materials.
* Enquire from the "mas camp" if they provide emergency repairs on costumes that may become damaged during masquerading.
* It is important to keep all your receipts in the event you have a complaint or plan to seek redress after the Carnival season is over.
Consumers it is your right to be given truthful and honest information on the goods and services you acquire as well as the right to safe goods and services. Remember the power is yours!
I fully agree that at the end of the day, masqueraders,the power is yours. Heed the advice and reviews about bands and their service. Some of you all are willing to give those errant bands a second and third try to "get it right", while your money is jumping up in their pockets, and again THAT power is yours. When you make a decision to play with a band try and have as much information as possible to make an informed decision; I know this might be difficult in choosing a new band when there is no history to go on. However you can take into consideration several factors such as who is involved with the band, the history of those individuals, the standard of customer service you receive from the new band and you can go as far as to judge them by their band launch, their mas camp, website and the quality and construction of their costumes.
To be honest with you the bands that I had misgiving about for 2008 were the very same ones that had issues come Carnival collection; and I based my judgment on one particular band by the mas camp and the service I received there... it was foretelling of the issues that arose for their masqueraders come Carnival Monday and Tuesday.
Of course none of this is foolproof and you may end up choosing a band that is a lemon, despite all your best efforts to choose a "good band" and the best tip I can give to someone in that situation is to take the lemon and make lemonade! Try to enjoy yourself, as best you can (after demanding a refund for your troubles that is) and chalk it up as a lesson learned and an experience you have to share with others; remember the best recourse you have is the power of your voice.
And on that note, feel free to share your stories (leave a comment) of both good and bad customer service, positive and negative on the road issues and overall experiences with ALL Carnival bands; do your part in helping someone else make as informed a choice as they possibly can when choosing a band for Carnival 2009.
To be honest with you the bands that I had misgiving about for 2008 were the very same ones that had issues come Carnival collection; and I based my judgment on one particular band by the mas camp and the service I received there... it was foretelling of the issues that arose for their masqueraders come Carnival Monday and Tuesday.
Of course none of this is foolproof and you may end up choosing a band that is a lemon, despite all your best efforts to choose a "good band" and the best tip I can give to someone in that situation is to take the lemon and make lemonade! Try to enjoy yourself, as best you can (after demanding a refund for your troubles that is) and chalk it up as a lesson learned and an experience you have to share with others; remember the best recourse you have is the power of your voice.
And on that note, feel free to share your stories (leave a comment) of both good and bad customer service, positive and negative on the road issues and overall experiences with ALL Carnival bands; do your part in helping someone else make as informed a choice as they possibly can when choosing a band for Carnival 2009.
SOURCE: www.consumer.gov.tt
8 comments:
TRIBE gets a A+ in my opinion, in terms of quality product, customer service, road experience and consistent high standards overall. Unfortunately for people still deciding, the band is sold out.
hey hey! Good post.
I've had "decent" experiences for the most part. My only one problem was when once I paid for a Frontline costume with a particular band and there was a fire in the mas camp causing them to cancel the FL option. I was never told the FL was canceled, nor offered a refund when I went to pay my balance!!! Imagine that!?! It was only after I had left and got a hold of my girlfriend playing in the same section was I told. I had to make a second trip up to POS from Sando (imagine all that gas and waste of time) to go get my refund! Hrmpf!
Oh and in this electronic day and age, I was a weee bit disappointed that the clerks had a paper-based processing system which took forever because they had to handwrite everything, make handwritten alterations and it just seemed to take forever. Certainly, with all the money folks pay, you'd think that they could automate some of the processing which would make everything more efficient and also make it easier to track various aspects of the process.
I imagine, it would be nice if there was some sort of independent regulatory oversight committee or board where folks could levy complaints, or if masqueraders had a sort of "bill of rights" of mas playing at least there would be some sort of standards, policy, procedures or at the minimum guidelines for customer service. That way, masqueraders would know what to expect and the bands too would know their obligations regarding things like refunds, alterations, discounts for faulty construction.
We have the Federal Trade Commission here in the States that regulates Trade generally. And most industries have regulatory and/or volunteer trade guidelines and principles that they abide by for fear of reprimand, forfeitures etc. Some are member organizations which confer some independent benefit from membership and/or require certain standards to be admitted. There are also those groups that certify businesses with a "seal" such as the Better Business Bureau, though those are self supporting member supported organizations with no oversight and no authority to levy fines or reprimand.
I imagine that any permeation of these groups/boards would go a long way towards enhancing the mas playing experience.
Anywhoo. My two cents for the day.
OOooooo! JJ, I LOVE the idea of an independent regulatory oversight committee! Only if!
I now play with Tribe which I love and recommend most highly. Even when I had issues with my costume, I was listened to and taken care of by the band, their level of customer service is truly a step above most other bands.
I have many friends who play with IP, and while occassionally they have customer service hiccups, none of my friends have ever complained about their experience on the road with them, and they always love their costumes. I know last year, they finished up rather early on carnival Tuesday, those of my peeps that attended the party that was held afterwards really enjoyed themselves though, so it seemed to have worked out.
I have also played with Pulse 8 and I ahd no complaints. Customer service was excellent and I had a terrific experience on the road.
My 2 pennies..IP has done a great job as far as costume collection and customer service, road experience etc. We all know the sizing issues and fittings are difficult for overseas masqueraders, but every year I've played with them they have accomodated me during collection time to ensure that my costume fits. This year they set up a special alterations station in the mas camp for people to get size adjustments on costumes. This year my waistband was way too large and they were able to resize and adjust it for me in a fair amount of time. Costume quality has been good, seeing as I still have all my costumes and they are all still in tip top shape even after my slack behaviour on the road! Food & drinks have definitely improved over the years with easy access and good variety. And last but def not least, great vibes on the road..08 we did end early on Tues. but in general the experience has been great!
I'd say don't play mas at all (for at least one year)!
Shocked?
Well, for many who play with only one band year after year, they have no clue (imho) what the other bands are like on the road. I'd say be a roaming spectator (with a lil posse for sure). Check all the bands as they pass. Sitting in one place is the pits to me (I don't like to wait). And do give the bands the courtesy by walking/observing on the sidewalk as they pass (the government must do something about those vendor stalls that are built right ON the sidewalk.. that is NOT right.) From this visual immersion, you will be able to feel a band which you HAVE to play next time! :)
As first time mas players who decided to go with IP, and specifically Sonia Mack section and basically waited to register, all our phone calls (some made from overseas) and emails were answered.
Ms. Mack and her staff have been easily accessible to us, and have been very responsive to our needs
We feel very comfortable playing with this band as first timers
One of our good friends even switched bands just to play with us!!
The very first year I played mas, I played with Legends. All inclusive was still a twinkle in someone's eye but Big Mike was still a twat! Customer service wasn't really an issue in those days either. I mean, you went to the mas camp, they measured you and what not, you signed up for your costume and then you collected it. It only came in to play if you wanted to transfer names, which they blatantly refused to do. But whatevs.
Lately though, I've been playing with TRIBE and am more than happy with the service. I'm sorry but I don't agree with the poster who said you should shop around for a band. My theory is, if it aint broke, don't fix it.
I'm a very difficult customer, but am also very loyal. So far, TRIBE have not let me down. Yes, we had grief with costumes last year, but they proved to me why their reputation is what it is. Why in world would I want to leave that to chance it in another band?
I totally accept that people may have had great experiences with other bands, which is brilliant. But I'm sticking with what I know and who I love.
TRIBER for life...or until I get knocked up and stop playing mas!;)
Post a Comment