Category Archives: Work

Lucky 7th year

Today marks the 7th year of PTF Frankfurt Desk Operations.

Seven years ago today, PTF opened it’s own Tax Refund Counters in Frankfurt Airport with a group of 5 personnel. We started everything from scratch. We worked with two counters; each with a laptop and a printer. All five of us came with an earnest zeal and motivation to work.

None of us had to undergo any training. Brainstorming together and supporting each other was what we did. We each came to work with a bag-full of know-how gathered from the previous company where we gained Tax Refund experience. We adjusted each action as the situation arises. We planned and set up protocols as per hands on basis. And with it, we started the ball rolling!

Like any normal company, in time we had company mergers, management revamps and re-branding. Some members of the original team ventured into other pastures and we also acquired new colleagues that put in the same effort and dedication to our company. Through all this, we survived. Eventually, we grew together as a small team-a family! Moreover, we also got to know other colleagues from all over Germany

PTF, TFW and now Planet…
Whereas before, we only had two options of refunding, now also offer digital refunding. Instant WeChat and Instant Alipay refund options for our bulk customers from Asia is readily available. We also have prepaid MasterCard solution for customers who have outstanding refunds from our company. Furthermore, we now occupy five counters in Frankfurt International Airport. On top of our current City Center outlets, we will soon open the city center cash-point GKK (Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof) in Frankfurt am Main as well as in other strategic cities in Germany. Moreover, Planet merchant partners not only enjoy the luxury of our Tax refund services, but they can also make use of our Payment Systems services.

Suffice it to say, we are growing, we are evolving and after this corona pandemie,… we are ever ready to serve again!

Related Images:

Planet Tax Free

The very much overrated Valentine’s day came and went; and as always, the prices of flowers and chocolates and other gift essentials skyrocketed! Thanks to Tax-Free shopping, for tourists, it is still worth the travel and gift buying.

PLANET, among others, also provides tax free services to European tourist shoppers. Planet is the second largest tax-free service provider in Europe. I am proud to be a part of the Planet family since May 2013 and happy to say that we are continuously working to better improve our services.

Recently, we launched “Instant Alipay” –Yes!!! We jumped into the bandwagon of the Digital wallet era!

February 14 is a special day – because it is St. Valentine’s day or Heart’s day as celebrated globally.

At the Planet Tax refund Desk in Frankfurt Airport, we also had a very meaningful Feb. 14, 2019. We reached another milestone, as we launched in our options of refund payment method … the innovation that most – if not all Chinese consumers prefer – the Instant Alipay.

I have been eagerly waiting for this… looking forward to the time when I could finally offer to the guest the real-time tax back method. Using the very popular (at most to the Chinese) a non-cash/digital Tax refund payment method: INSTANT ALIPAY.

How it works:

After the guest has done Customs declaration and getting the Customs Seal on their Tax-free forms, they can then proceed to the tax refund Operators’ counters.

To process or complete a refund, an ocular inspection of the tax refund voucher must be implemented. The Physical voucher is checked from top to bottom, purchase details are compared with the invoice presented and customer details written on the voucher are compared to the passport presented. If all requirements are met, then we proceed with the processing of the refund transaction. For the payment method, our guests have several options. Depending on their preference, they can choose if they want to have the refund in cash, per credit card money transfer or for the Chinese customers more especially, we have the Alipay refund method.

  1. Scan the Alipay Barcode

The first customer was hesitant saying I was not doing it right. I do not use a QR code scanner at the counter. I use instead of, the Barcode reader.

For the Chinese guests, they think if we use the Barcode, it would mean we are getting money from their account and not paying into their account. I explained, with my very few Chinese vocabularies and with “hand gestures” that it was correct to use the barcode for them to get their money.

  1. Get Notification from the Alipay App

Finally, just after a few seconds, the very much awaited “bling” from the customers’ ALIPAY phone App was heard. To this, the reward came… I got a very bright and happy smile from the customer. The best part was that, after he got his money thru Instant Alipay, he turned to the next customers in the queue, a young couple and proudly suggested to them to do the same. Right at that very moment—Instant Alipay payment method started rolling. Best marketing strategy: Positive words of mouth passed on from customer to fellow customers.

  1. Hand out the token/gift from Alipay and the printed customer receipt

Of course, the small gift that was distributed after a successful Instant Alipay transaction went through, also made it exciting for the customers. This filled my heart with more joy, as one can truly see the appreciation of the customers.

We at the Planet Refund Desk Frankfurt Airport always go the extra mile to help the customers. So, we are very happy and proud to see our customers leaving the counter with a satisfied look. They leave our counter with a very good impression of doing a Tax refund business with us. I am quite positive that each and every person leaving us with a smile will definitely pass on their positive experience doing tax refunding to their family members, relatives, friends and colleagues who will eventually be our future Tax refund customers as well.

It seems that we will have a promising turnover of IA payment.

Thanks to our IT experts and the people who worked hard to make this successful change happen.

I am proud and happy to be a part of the Planet Family!!!

 

Related Images:

Bagong simula…. ulit!

Galing lang ako sa isang job interview kanina. Nakita ko sa internet ang job opening na ito at dahil sa mukhang maganda naman ang alok nila, nag desisyon akong magpadala ng aking resume. Isa pa, isang malaking kumpanya ito dito sa Frankfurt am Main, kaya sa palagay ko ay malabong mag sara ito. Nitong mga huling dalawang taon kasi, maraming maliliit na kumpanya ang nagsara o di naman kaya ay nabili ng mas malalaking kumpanya. Oo, mahalaga na din sa akin ang laki at katayuan ng isang kumpanya ngayon. Dati kasi, okay lang kahit anong kumpanya, basta gusto ko ang trabaho ko at ang mga ka-trabaho.

Kaso, karamihan sa mga kumpanya ay hindi na nag re regularize ng employees. Puro extensions lang ang binibigay nila. Yun namang na-tiyempohan ko na nag re regularize eh sobrang dadaan ka naman sa butas ng karayom… este, talagang masahol pa sa pang aalila ang ginagawa nila sa iyo. Talagang inaabuso nila ang employees since iniisip nila na takot mawalan ng trabaho ang mga ito.

Bakit kaya di naman sila maging fair sa empleyado?

Habang pina pa-kinggan ko ang  interviewer ko kanina sa kanyang pag e-eksplika paukol sa benepisyo na matatanggap ng isang empleyado, iniisip ko na rin ang mga kailangan kong ipaalam sa kanila at mga opinyon ko. Nagkasundo naman kami.

Sabi ko interesado ako sa isang alok nila. Kaya lang sa katapusan pa akong ng taon pwedeng mag simula. Okay tatawag o susulatan daw nila ako kung kelan mag sisimula ang training for the job. 3-4 weeks training daw ang kailangan kong gawin. Tapos dapat, maipasa ko ang exam pagtapos ng training. Kung pasado naman daw ako ay saka pa ako pipirma ng kontrata sa kanila. Habang nag te-training may suweldo na rin daw akong matatanggap. Not bad. Kaya pumayag na ako.

Sana, maipasa ko ang lahat ng pagsubok nila. Sana maging masaya ako sa kumpanyang ito. Sana, okay rin ang mga maka ka-trabaho ko. Kung hindi man, basta, sana maka tagpo ako doon ng mga matitinong ka trabaho. Sana din, magustuhan nila ang performance ko. At ang pinaka malaking sana, pareho SANA kaming (ako at ang aking magiging amo) maging masaya sa isa’t-isa.

Ang daming “sana”. Pero ganito talaga. Kasi, bagong simula na naman ito para sa akin.

Sana….

Related Images: