Rant ahead……

The last time I went to the US, we could afford staying a whole month because not only did my blog money support our shopping spree, we got really good rates for accommodation there. Fabulous.

So last week, I suddenly remembered that I could get some discounts on accommodation when I was asked to call someone’s PA/secretary to get it arranged. So I did. The lady was as ditzy as ditzy can be. Incredible. She has worked in this company for a long time. She earns 5k (that’s the salary of a fully qualified relationship manager at a foreign bank who’s graduated from the UK, mind you!) for doing not much. Not much at all and so when I asked if she could work on the discounts for me, she said OK and was ready to hang up.

You are a PA/secretary. You have been doing this for years. Wouldn’t it come automatically to you that when and if you want to make a hotel booking, that you would need some details at minimum? No? Hello? Anybody there?

So I asked her if she wanted my details, you know, like arrival dates and departure dates, number of rooms, budgets etc.

“Oh, ya…” Did I hear an irritated voice?

Later, I called to ask when she could revert. And since then I’ve had to always call to follow up. Why can’t a secretary be professional enough to get back to me without me having to chase her? It’s not like she’s very busy….because her boss has a few secretaries and being the ditzy one…….I rest my case.

She managed to get the discounts and I thanked her accordingly with the intention of buying her a gift when we got back from our travels but then, she added….

“…..saya penat-penat kena berlakon jadi staff XXX tahu?……..”

I thanked her again although felt it an unnecessary comment because hey kid, is it not your job to make hotel bookings? The reason she said she had to act as a staff of company XXX is not true at all. She works for a hotel chain. That hotel chain is affiliated to some other hotel chains which entitles some of its staff members to enjoy accommodation discounts at the hotels discretion. When we were in the US, we got the discounts from the very same hotel chain so I knew that we could get it again. And that is why we got it. Not because of her acting skills. God, no!

Then she had to add, “……the rate I dapat sooooo cheap, kan!!!!”

Yes, I agree that she got us a good rate but did she have to keep rubbing it into my face??? What exactly was she getting at?

I took it as a hint to me that I should be buying her something as a thank you and this is SO TYPICAL of a certain culture. The last PA who got sacked also outrightly ASKED me to buy her some Hard Rock Cafe souvenirs from Orlando which came up to more than RM300. I thought she’d pay me back but she didn’t! It was expected that since she made some emails on my behalf, that I should pay her back with souvenirs!!! That is just so below the line. That is how many Malaysian white collars operate unfortunately. Every single fucking task needs a kickback. How are we ever going to get there?

There is another type of PA, of course, who is ever willing to help. She even goes beyond the call of duty unnecessarily and is totally professional and respectful and does not expect a damn thing back in return. She works to keep her job, not surf the internet all day or better still, go shopping with fellow secretaries especially when boss is out of town. And it is these kind of people who really deserve the rewards. In future, I shall be dealing with only these pro-active Type 2 PAs. You know, they also come from a particular upbringing.

Can you believe it?! I am so embarrassed for that mother of four that I keep wondering if I should call her up and give her a lesson on self-respect and company ethics? How about just some common courtesy and etiquette?

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Who is Mamapumpkin?
Mamapumpkin spent 7 years in London committing crimes to gain her Bartlett degree in Architecture. She then spent 7 years as a Stay At Home Mom raising her children as documented in this blog of over 15 years thereafter returning to the Corporate World stronger than ever as the Country Director of a British Multinational. She sets out to prove to all, that you can have anything and everything that you want; if you have that fire of desire burning within and the drive to work hard. Even better with much love.

Mamapumpkin has not only grown corporate businesses successfully in the past but has grown not one but TWO network marketing businesses in the notorious MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) industry, achieving success in under 2 years. She believes in the MLM business model but realises the DRASTIC PITFALLS and great stigma attached to it, understanding EXACTLY WHY the majority would shy away (or RUN for their lives) from ANY MLM business. But open your eyes and take time to understand it intellectually, remove your hang-ups, confirm your research, and you may just want to seize an opportunity. She did. And no, she never went about chasing people for sales. She had a sophisticated system work for her through technology and a smartphone.

She now impacts lives authentically with proven strategies amassed through the last decade of her own transformation offering online coaching programmes and always supports the underprivileged. She believes that we can all have a life of our own desires to enable real contribution into the world. But first, one needs to understand what this all means.

A beautiful life without limits.

If you wish to learn some tools to propel your life forward guaranteed, be brave enough to make contact as her life's purpose is to build people. She operates through a discovery call after which she will commit to helping you. Or not.

Most lose out on an opportunity because they are afraid they would be sold to, conned or whatever fear resides in their brain without even trying. And that's on them.

Mamapumpkin is a living testimony that women really can have a lot. Being financially and time free has enabled her to travel the world anytime, anywhere, doing anything, and she spends most of her days with her children, having fun, and supporting others wherever she can. Also having fun.