So here I am, in charge of advertising and marketing at The Little Apprentice Preschool. I co-own this with 4 other terrific teachers! Our branch in Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari, Almanza Dos, Las Pinas, came 10 years after we put the main one up at Aspen Tower, Parkway Ave., corner Corporate Ave., Filinvest Corporate City, Muntinlupa City.I got the "job" or assignment because of all 5 of us, I seem to be handy with laying out stuff (I would've joked "STUFFS", but some of you might think I really talk/think/write this way), and designing and doing free hand crafts, lettering, etc.
I wish I could have more free reign over the design at Evia, managed by Vista Malls. Anything we do must have their logo on it, as in, 1/5 the size of whatever we churn out. Do you see the sign?! ---->
It's like you headed out to Evia, parked at their hooooot Evia (open) lot, entered their mall and DID NOT KNOW YOU WERE IN EVIA!
Everything has their logo! WHY? WHY?!
They even tried to sneak in a clause in the lease contract that goes something like, anything you print, display, etc. in your premises must be approved by us. REALLY?!
If only you did things quickly and with benefit to our side too, this little marketing rule of yours would've been more palatable. But you guys wait too long, long enough for us to make frustrated movements, before you react to the situation. Is it that you have a skeletal workforce? Is it that you just don't care? I'm actually asking since I don't know why you operate the way you do....
As a preschool teacher and preschool principal, it is taboo to swear and be an ass, in front of the kids AND the parents. I've had to resort to opening another Facebook account just so I can be FREE-ER to do what I can't (just because I'm friends with the parents on the other account). I really feel like a hypocrite having these separate accounts but it pleases my one Christian-minded business partner and it keeps my stress levels down when I'm able to vent properly, like right now. Haha!
So, let me share a letter I sent Evia's Events and Marketing Manager just yesterday.
Hi, Lemuel!
Just so you can understand my impatience, please bear with me as I mention a few key points:
Your side (EVIA - Amie, Vhernie, Cheska, Ryan) mentioned to me that your side will be fabricating an acrylic standee for our benefit. Out of deep respect and knowledge that your side is here for us to succeed, DESPITE CBTL and Brasas already having placed their own signages, we did not make one in all this time BECAUSE your side promised a wrought iron standee was in the works. Ive repeatedly shown my interest through text and personal meetings with Amie and Vhernie and they've always said that they've passed the ball to Marketing. No word from your side aside from the fact that it will cost P15,000.
WHERE IS THIS STANDEE?!
People have been using the emergency staircase ignorant of the fact that the elevator only has one destination upwards, which is us. Who parent would want to enroll their child in a school with a long staircase as its entrance?! We've asked Vhernie if we could put a sticker cover on your elevator doors but no commitment was given. We were given a go signal to put a short bond acrylic sign holder within the elevator and this was ok for a while until it was maliciously torn off by someone we dont know and then kept by your maintenance crew, possibly after finding it broken on the elevator floor.
We could be having more traffic if we did not follow your rules, it seems. I hope this next statement will not overly offend you but I must remind you that Evia took a while to get things started and so we opened later than we wanted (August, last year) very late for school year standards. It is our desire to get more students in, this summer and coming school year. I know you know that when we make money, you do too, otherwise you wouldnt have gotten your position in this company. Please help us make said money!
My text history, texting all 7 people: Amie, Joj, Boyet, Brian, Cheska, Ryan and Vhernie, will show that Ive been following up this standee since March 2014. Ive been bumped off and redirected by your side. Now you come forward, sir, a stranger and yet another entity from the EVIA side.
CAN YOU FINALLY BE THE ONE TO UPDATE ME REGARDING THE DATE OF DELIVERY OF YOUR STANDEE? WHEN CAN I PAY YOUR SIDE? WHO DO WE PAY EXACTLY? APPARENTLY, HAVING OUR OWN STANDEE GETS YOUR SIDE MOVING. Regrettably, I will be bringing said standee this week. Your side, just like CBTL and BRASAS will have had no control over its design and dimensions.
I am sorry for ranting. Ive become more disappointed as the weeks and months have gone by, when they couldve been used to better market our school. We teachers try hard to be patient with little ones but cannot find the same for adults when the subject is a simple one and the other side is not paying attention. We are just frustrated and hope you can be more transparent about this standee. If its not ready for mass production, THEN JUST SAY SO. Being left hanging, hopeful and feeling helpless is not some place anyone would like to be.
My numbers are 022167688 and 09178111655. Please update me soonest.
Thank you for reading this far!
So, it didn't take too long. In fact, this letter of complaint got a reaction in 2 hours and 2 minutes. Apologies plus a design of their standee (I didn't ask for a design, if you'll notice). Ugh...the ginormous EVIA logo, they're imposing on us. And I have to pay P15,000 for this.... They should pay 1/5 of the amount! It had better be a one time payment and that's that!
Come to think of it, why should I now have to pay for TWO standees?!
