Living in the Philippines - SERVICE = SNAFU !
A Discussion about the joys of Internet/telephone services in the Philippines
On reading John’s latest post, I simply could not stop LOL about his situation with BAYANTEL, John is a fellow Brit living in Phils, no doubt he will empathise with my own experiences of late, since he is having so much fun dealing with Bayantel, or is it Bayanhell John ?
Since building the house, we wanted to enjoy the privilidge of NDD Calls, if that is what they call it ? I mean back home, here we go again ! yes back home, we have a line installed, well not actually since all new buildings have a phone line already installed, you simply ask for it to be activated, and take over the line.
However, on having my house built, I discover, that there are no telephone trunk cables to the sub division, has no one thought of having telephone services, or is no one on the internet ? surely someone has thought of it, nope is the answer.
“No sir they do not have it as yet” “When can I expect a telephone service?” errrrrr not sure about that sir, at present there is no plans for it?
On further enquiries, it appears that Globe Lines, have a connection point some 750 metres from my house, and for a small fee, I can have a number of telegraph poles installed which would bring an overhead line to my house, hmmm I wonder, how would this be ?
On registering my interest with Globe Lines, the Globe Lines surveyor calls and tells me we need approximately 10 telepraph poles, to be installed and lining equipment etc to be brought out to site, the cost I am told is P10,000 - well not bad you all might be thinking, I am trying to wonder what would be the bill if British Telecom were to install 10 telepgraph poles with overhead cabling, probably more like £10,000 or P1 Million.
So you guessed it, we agreed to have the telegraph poles installed, (well if thats what they called them), what they didnt tell us, was that later on, a number of other residents all of a sudden expressed interest in having a telephone service, the good news is, their houses are very close to a new set of telegraph poles, suprise suprise, it wont cost them much to be connected, why ? well because there is a foreigner living on site, who has paid for them to be there, how generous, you might think ?
So its onwards and upwards to the joys of NDD, and local calls, I cant wait to see this great new service, and of course for P2000.00 a month, we are in great anticipation of our new broadband internet service of 2MB, not 1MB yes 2MB, as we are on about 8MB here in London, I was quite tickled that we can get 2MB, I thought things are definately going in the right direction.
The first day my wife tried to call a neighbouring island, from Bacolod to Roxas, she could not get a call out, the operator kept saying “your account is restricted, you may not make NDD Calls, please change your price plan and activate your subscription”
This was rather strange, since we had paid all fees, and we were on a special NDD Calling package, we were told that all local calls are of course free, and NDD would be charged at standard rate, but if we called any other Globe Lines subscriber anywhere in Philippines, that call would be free.
So we tried calling my wife’s freind yet again, the voice comes on again ” your account is restricted, this subscriber is not in your calling package”
So after a further 5 attempts, we have to call customer services, several attempts at explaining the problem to young ladies at the GLOBE LINES call centre, resulted in exactly zero help, in the end we spoke to a supervisor, who told us this:
:Maam/Sir, we are sorry the software on the system is faulty and is not working correctly, at present, we cannot dial NDD only local calls.”
“My wife then said ‘ Ah yes but I have only 6 weeks in the Philippines this year, I cannot call my freinds, I cannot call my relatives, I cannot even speak to my brother, when can I make a call”
“Maam we will report it to the technical department, and they are working on it’
Some 3 weeks later, the situation still has not be resolved, and we wonder if it ever will, back to the internet, as John has commented, services being offered and paid for are not neccessarily given in practice, I switched on the internet service, it took several attempts to connect, for most days it hardly worked, in 3 weeks I managed to get online twice, when I did get online, it disconnected and went down.
When I complained to customer services, we were told “Sorry Sir, we are not able to achieve 2mb at present, the best we can offer is 284 KB”
“But we are paying P2000.00 for 2MB, and NDD Calls, we dont get the NDD Calls, and we dont get the 2MB download speeds”
“Yes sir” was the reply, but we hope to have the service running in next few months, sorr about this sir”
Hmmmmm my thoughts are this ?
Shall I stop paying our P2000. a month, for a while as we cannot guarantee it at present, maybe in a few months we will get round to paying it, what do you think folks ??
Hi Pete - Honestly, if you don’t pay, they will probably cut off your service, and they won’t hook it up again in the future. I know, I know…. it’s not right. But, what I have described is the most likely outcome.
Exactly my point Bob, of course we are still paying, how else can we enjoy the joys of 284 KB, and no NDD local calls are fine, but NDD is not there, a British guy had similar troubles with BACIWA and CINECO, water carrier and electricity carrier, he has this rather funny sense of humour, he goes to their offices and deducts portions of the bill for brown outs, and for days when the water service is iterrupted, I said to him, does it work ? no he says, they just stand their expressionless.
Hi Pete, you should follow what the British guy was doing. I myself would do that and would insist on talking to the manager himself even if nothing comes of it. At least this would make them notice that you’re really dissatisfied with their service.
Hi Pete,
Gosh, I feel bad for you and John with all this bad services you guys get. I am not surprised by it though. I’ve seen traits of that at home. We all have stories of ineptitude in the customer service field.
I won’t even try to give you guys any tips on what to do since I’m sure you’ve tried as many avenues as possible. I just hope that a customer service craze catches on in the Philippines. I can see that happening.
Either that or a forward thinking exec (maybe with oversees experience) picks up on this and turns things around. If you think about it, it can be a goldmine for one company if they master this side of the business.
Hope you don’t mind me saying. But the story is bordering on comedy. Inadvertently supplying your neighbors with free phone poles and wiring, that’s just classic.
Macky - Many thanks for your concern, I absolutely agree with you, it does border on a comedy in fact I call it the comedy of errors, and yes it did occur to me that I got bamboozled into supplying neighbours with a phone service, it certainly is a classic of all time, Filipinos are the masters of comical deception.
Rey - thanks as Bob pointed out, if i were to deduct monies on bills, they would simply disconnect my already peeee poor swervice, that would make it worse, I am afraid, one has to carry on paying, scoring political points with them simply has no cause and effect, they simply shrug their shoulders and look expresionless, they do not posses the sense of humour in that regard that one would hope, it is simply
SNAFU !!!
Customer service is one of the areas that Phils. needs to improved, Pete, unfortunately.
My question though is - Did you sign a contract? and what’s the agreement? Because if you don’t have a contract, then, you may want to inquire from the upper management about temporarily disconnecting it. Then, reconnect it when it’s running. Rank-and-file employees can’t really make decision for this.
Other than that, not much you can do really. Just be patient and hope it’s going to work very soon.
No Lea, from what I can gather, we did not sign a contract, however, I am mindful that the minute we dont pay, they will treat us as a delinquent account and disconnect the already less than satisfactory service we have, at least we can make local calls around Bacolod City, hmmmm let us all be thankful for that.
They told us, there is nothing wrong with the service, its that the software is playing up, Globe in Manila is aware of it, and they are working on it, they said we should be able to make that call to Roxas City very soon, we have since explained to them, that my wife has since returned to the United Kingdom, where we placed the call to Roxas City from our London number, but hopefully next March when my wife is back at the house, we are in anticipation that the problem will not be present, thanks for the advices Lea.
Hi Pete
At least with my problems I did not have to buy the phone poles, and yes even though I am frustrated too, I can see the funny side. I just wish it was not costing money all the time.
hi pete better get use to it as it will be your new way of life when you reside there.as bob says it is not kansas.it is anew leaning curve it our live adjusting to a different county.
Hi Frank, thanks for that, not sure what you mean by it not being Kansas, can you explain a bit further on that one my freind, I have to tell you I am fairly used to the SNAFU in the Philippines, I am merely trying to convey an experience in support of John Grants experience with Bayantel, showing that his experience is not isolated.
Hi John - yes I can see the funny side of it also, in fact I think the Filipinos in Globe Lines are quite innovative, getting me to buy the telepgraph poles myself, I will give them 10 out of 10 for innovativeness in extracting the cost of installing them by telling me that the only way I can get connected is if I have a line routed over 2 acres of fields, very innovative you may say.
Its interesting though, how much interest was apparent Globe must have been so happy with all those newly interested subscribers once telegraph poles suddenly appeared like a mirage out of nowhere, and just to think they will be laughing when told dont worry, a foreigner has already paid for the lines to be put in.
I can see it now !! hahahahahahahahaha
hi pete its not kanas is astatement from the movie thewizard of ozz.its aslang term used in my home town liverpoolto mean you are not athome bot in adifferent environmemt .the right honourable lordbob martin uses the saying quite a biit.maybe he has got scouse blood in his vains.i understand .i have been going to phil since1990so known exactlywhat you are refering to.whle it can be frustrating it also has the funny side to it
Hi Pete,
I told your story to my wife. I mentioned the comical deception involved and thought it was a hoot. She had an interesting take on your neighbors’ taking advantage of your poles purchase.
That they just would not never be able to raise enough for the poles. Your purchase was an unintentional blessing for them. A proper reaction would have been a thank you gesture but we all know how reserved people get over there. Maybe they did not mean to take advantage of you after all. Sadly, there is a clearly defined line of haves and have-nots in the country, Many feel resigned to their fate. But this is all a guess and it may not be the case after all. It’s an interesting case of trying to see it another way,
In my hometown, I would hear stories of prominent rich people paying for paved roads to their houses or guest houses (a lot of these homes were built in vacation areas in the mountains). In some cases, electricity hookups or phone lines are involved. The local folk revelled in the progress and development in their area. They knew that if it weren’t for this rich person’s move to their area (who is most likely corrupt–city budget acrobatics are likely involved) , they would still still be walking in muddy roads with no electricity in their homes.
Of course, this is all guesswork in my part and I do not really know the makeup of your town. I thought it would just be interesting to share. Of course, your version is a lot more entertaining fro me to tell (unfortunately at your expense).
“Toto. looks like we’re not in Kansas anymore”. Dorothy said when seeing the mysterious mystical place she landed on. Man, I grew up on that movie (along with Elvis films and Spaghetti westerns — Thanks Dad!). Maybe I should put that on my netflix queue. It’s been a while.
Hi Frank excuse my ignorance, I have not seen that movie, point taken.
Macky, I understand about people sometimes not being able to raise the funds required, quite frankly, I really am not too bothered about paying the 10,000 for the line to be installed, if someone gets theres for less well then good luck to them.
Word gets around I guess, if it does some good for others, I am happy about that, I just find the whole matter hilarious from start to finish, you couldnt have made this story up could you. hehehehehehehehehehe
Hi Pete,
Another example of “growing pains” perhaps? Did you ask Globe to reduce your fees to reflect the level of service you are getting? Don’t they have a rate structure for different types of service, i.e., different calling plans, internet speeds?
Did you ask Globe a hypothetical question: If you decide to move, can you take the phone poles, cables, etc. with you, meaning: will they install them at the new location for a much reduced “installation charge”? I know this may sound ridiculous but surely you won’t want to pay Php10K again if your new location has no telephone poles yet, right? I just wonder what their response would be to this question… Let me know, I’m really curious!
Hi Tina, hmmm I have to say i did not really get into asking Globe to reduce our fees, if we did that, we would probably find that we have no local call service either, nor did I enquire about taking the telegraph poles to the new location, however the surveyor did tell me that the poles belong to Globe Lines infrastructure and that i was paying for the labour and engineering works only.
I agree we wouldnt want to pay P10k again if we moved, do you think I could take my poles with me and have them transferred to a new location ? hmmmmm this sounds like when I was booked on Mabuhay class on Philippine Airlines, when I arrived i found myself with a coach seat assignment, when I complained that I had been booked and ticketed in Mabuhay class some 5 months previously, the flight attendant said
Sir you have a coach seat assignment, but I have a business class ticket, ah sir, but your seat is in coach, save your boarding pass and we will give you a refund on the difference.
When I later checked again with Philippine Airlines customer service, I was told that my seat was reassigned to a rather large foreigner who could not sit in coach, so they popped him in Mabuhay class, when i explained that the reason I had booked a seat in Mabuhay class, was for that very reason, that I have the same problems, I was candid about the matter, I said look Maam, I am fat and need a bigger seat.
She replied ” No sir, you are not that big, he is much bigger” I said “Wow, you mean I am not fat, oh my goodness hey everyone I am not big, I am not fat, yipppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeee”
It must be all those work outs I have been doing and keeping in shape. My diet plan must be working, no more Champ from Jollibees’ with extra large fries and super size coke’s onion rings, and chicken bites.
From Telegraph poles to someone nicking my seat I had booked 5 months before, and a partridge in a pear tree….its the PHILIPPINES !
Pete keep up the humour it will stand you in good stead when you live in phil.if you can not change something in life laugh and go with the flow .
Yup, it ain’t Kansas alright!
Re flight stewardess, I would have gone to Mabuhay class and picked out a slim person and have her ask this person to move to the coach seat as he/she is not as fat/big as I am… Let’s see what she has to say to that!
Tina - I was so tickled by being told I was not big, I ate humble pie and sat in coach, my overtures of trying to regain my Mabuhay class seat was met with multitudes of young Filipinas cackling with laughter and tittering in the background, with lots of them saying oh no sir, you are not big…you know Tina if enough young ladies in short mini skirts, and fluttering eye lashes, with cheeky smiles decide to stroke my wobbly male ego and keep telling me I am not that big, I might just start believing it…..
But then again ……the reality always takes hold…just avoid looking in the mirror, you always feel much slimmer then.
Lol lol lol, Pete’s story made my day, LOL LOL!
Hi Pete,
I guess they found your weakness!
I suspect this has become their SOP, they’ve probably done it numerous times before and realized they could always get away with it. Oh well… I guess it made it worthwhile sitting in coach, huh? 
Hi Tina,
Yes and the other added benefit of being in coach, gave me and several other goggle eyed passengers a chance to see the flight attendants in their regulation mini skirts as above, I think you know the rest.
Hhehehehe
Pete let me know when your going to buy a new car … i need to use it well if the neighbors can use your telephone poles i just figured …
So, Pete, just curious, have you settled for coach nowadays? Did you get your refund back?
I remember one time a fellow passenger on a domestic flight, here in the States, was asked to give up his seat for a mother with an infant. The flight stewardess was so apologetic and handed him a bottle of champagne. This was just switching seats within coach, not giving up a first/business class seat for coach… (Of course, this is totally unheard of here!) The guy didn’t look too happy, though (maybe that’s why he ended up getting a bottle of champagne). Could you imagine what he would have done in your case?
I was sort of glad because I would have had to sit next to the mother with a crying infant on a 5-hour flight! 
Hey, do any of you use SKYPE or some other method for phone calls?
Do wireless cards for laptops work out that way?
Hi Tina, actually I got a return flight in Mabuhay class from Manila to Bacolod, and a splendid apology from customer services, they told me the foreigner was a very large guy, in fact, I saw him when getting off, I could understand why he had to have a business class seat, yes you are right, it wouldnt happen elsewhere, the fact they just took my seat was incredible, but there you have it.
Hello to all,
Really enjoy reading the blogs. OK I live right smack in the middle of Kansas about 5 miles outside of a small town. To say your not in Kansas any more is really kind of misleading. The service I can get is 26K on dial-up, no DSL, no Cable, no Wire-less. Satelite service would be my only option and is just cost prohibitive and not dependable do to our weather patterns we are currently experiencing. Not to mention the record floods and Killer tornados, entire city of greensburg was wiped off the map a few months ago. So thank God that you really aren’t in Kansas anymore. AT&T said they would have DSL out my way two years ago and I’m still waiting. How’s that for customer service here in the states. I will be making a trip to Ozamiz if November. If it wasn’t for stagger monthly childsupport and alimony payment I would be selling out and heading to PI for that blazing 284K internet service tomorrow. Kansas, when they were settling the west the people that spent a year here decide it just wasn’t worth the hassle and moved on west. The Amish and Mennonites settled here because there 100’s of sections of land nobody really wanted to live on. Ten below in the winter and 105 in the summer, with a couple of weeks of spring and fall thrown in. The town I live by doesn’t even sell a beer or a pack of smokes. I have to drive to the big city of Hutch to get a can of Copenhagn, if the roads aren’t washed out. Roads so muddy in the winter the school buses can’t get down them, four wheel drive vehicles get stuck in the middle of the road. Once this last summer I had to park my car a mile from the farm and have a neighbor take me to the house on his tractor everynight for a week while they were putting the dirt back on the road from one of those Kansas thunderstorms. Yes I would have to agree it doesn’t sound like your in Kansas anymore. Love your posts, just though you might enjoy a update from the praire.:wink:
Murry
Murry - I’ve never been to Kansas… and with what you just mentioned, I wouldn’t be planning to go to Kansas anytime soon.
Pete - I just remembered, when I was still in Gensan in the 90’s, my father (may his soul rest in peace), if I’m not mistaken, paid for couple of pipes just to have a city water. Gensan didn’t have a water system then, and when we finally had it, there were only selected “main” outlets. So, if you wanted water, you buy your own pipes to connect to the main outlet. Just like you, we didn’t really have a choice back then.
Hi Murry,
Yeah, but how about them jayhawks!
Gives you more reason to enjoy and appreciate your trip to Ozamis. I just moved out of a small town notorious for the blazing heat. I tip my hat to anyone who plants their flag in extreme weather places. Davao spoiled me.
=))
Sorry, I just tried the symbols. It’s supposed to be a “rolling on the floor laughing” emoticon, my reaction to Bob’s post.
OMG, my son kept asking me question.. That was supposed to be a reply to Bob’s post. Ignore me, Pete!
Hi PJ,
I used Yahoo to call the States when I was in Manila. My brother has DSL and a wireless router so I made my calls in my room (with my laptop and headphones). It worked really well…
It cost me 1 cent/minute to call a US number.
Hi PJ, Yes you can use SKYPE or any VOIP software with your wifi enabled laptop.
Suppose Pete must be painting his telegraph poles
You can’t buck the system in the philippines ..it is “as is “
Hi All,
What is wrong when each post above has it’s author described as #1, #2, #3, etc, in ascending order? An exception is right above me here, “# 37 Phil R said:” All the others are, e.g., “# 36 said:”. I didn’t observe this in other threads here.
Hi James - There was a glitch when the site was transferred to a different software package. The comments are as posted, but the author names did not make it through the transfer.