For the Love of Pinkness

I really wanted to go independent and pay for my own bills so when given a chance to finally pay for my own phone line, I asked my father if I can transfer ownership of my current Sun postpaid number to my number and availed of the BB plan for the unlimited mobile service that i really need for my very erratic-dynamic work schedule.

I had the worst experience ever. Although Suncellular has always been my primary postpaid number (since I was 17 years old! I was that loyal. BTW.), the incompetence of the staff this time of the year is beyond irritating. I’m putting a CC in my blogs. 

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I’m writing to complain about my unbearably bad experience with Sun Shop Robinsons Metro East Branch. To say that I’m disappointed with the service would be a terrible understatement. I had applied for a postpaid plan 17 days ago (which was initially a transfer of ownership from my father’s name to my name and an upgrade to a BB plan but was then said to me as impossible). 17 days and wasted hours the total of which I would rather not count and still I have nothing to show for it. 17 days (and counting) for something that, according to your own customer support, shouldn’t take more than 24 hours. I know of someone who, just yesterday, went inside a rival company’s business center to apply for a new postpaid plan and went out the door with just that and a new phone; all done in half an hour at most.

Here’s a rundown of the events as they transpired:

Oct. 2: Went to the Sun Shop Rob. Metro East Branch for a downgrade of my father’s postpaid line from a bundle 999 (3 numbers) to just one number (plan 350) with landline and broadband; the second number to applied for a transfer of ownership and an upgrade to a BB plan; and the third number to be terminated. My father submitted his application and was advised to wait 24hours. No feedback after 24 hours.

Oct.6: Submitted my documents for application.  Since my father already went ahead with submitting his files, I only added the needed documents for my transfer of ownership (postpaid number) and my application for a BB plan. Told to wait 24 hours for feedback. Asked if my father’s approval was already ok, the employee, Ann Argarin, told me she saw no ongoing application yet (as seen in her computer). Told her this was impossible since we waited in line last Sunday and he (my father) had to fill up forms that night. She kept on asking who was the person my father transacted with. Told her the person seated beside her was the one. When I asked her who the girl was, she told me it was Ching Hernandez. Advised me that she’ll check it first. No feedback about this matter (my father’s application) the following day.

Oct. 7: Evening of Oct. 7^th, I was advised to look for a recent payslip. Since I had none and it was already too late to ask for one from my office (they texted way past 7pm), I had to ask for it the following Monday, Oct. 10, 2011. Was only able to submit a voucher copy, since there were no payslips whatsoever for my salary.

Oct.11: Went to Sun to bring the other required documents as per previous SMS dated October 7. Told them days back that I had no payslips, so I sent a copy of my recent voucher instead. Was told to wait 24 hours for a feedback.  No feedback the following day.

Oct.14: Made a phone call to Sun. Reported a very lengthy wait for an application when I was advised to wait for only 24 hours.  Reported the following: My father’s downgrade to plan 350, me to use the other number (transfer of ownership) and an upgrade to a BB plan, and a termination of the other number (we then had a plan 999 bundle plan for the family). Advised by the operator to wait for 3 days for another feedback.

Oct.15: Went to the Sun Shop to complain such a tedious wait for my phone and was told that it was already for approval, after nth days of waiting for it.  I was able to talk to Josh, unfortunately she had no idea why my father’s account had no record of a downgrade (from a phone bundle plan 999 to a 350 with broadband and landline) and a transfer of ownership to my name.  I had to call my father for him to settle this since I cannot us my number until he terminates it under his account.  Later that night, he went to the Sun Shop and was told that it was already ok (a sudden decision?), and therefore my number was terminated the following day, October 16. He was also able to get his phone unit, after reprimanding the people though.

Oct.17: An email stating that my plan was approved and the unit was reserved to me till tomorrow… and to quote,

From

Mataac, Ruben B. Ruben.Mataac@digitel.ph

to

cathe nadal <cathedesireenadal@gmail.com>

date

Mon, Oct 17, 2011 at 1:22 PM

subject

RE: Sun Approval

mailed-by

digitel.ph

Important mainly because of the people in the conversation.

Oct 17 (2 days ago)

Hi, We already reserved the Blackberry Bold for you (reservation good until tomorrow).  Please look for Troy Potes for assistance.  Yes, the one-time cash out for the said unit is P7,500.00 under a 30-month holding period.  You need also to pay the standard P999 for the one month deposit. Thanks Ben

With this advise, I went to the Sun Shop that day at around 4pm, hoping to get my line and phone (since my Sun postpaid number under my father’s name was already terminated and I really need to have my postpaid number back with me being unreachable for the past few days).  Unfortunately, THERE WAS NO AVAILABLE UNIT (why advise me to get it if there was actually no available unit??). And I was told that I cannot use my number and a quarantine (?) period of 248 days was to be observed before I can use the old number that my father was able to terminate for my transfer of ownership. Went home empty handed again, with me dumbstruck with the idea that I cannot use my old number and that I am indeed unreachable again for another day. Then why the hell did I let my father terminate my number first if this was not possible??

Oct. 18: Went back as advised that the BB unit arrived and is ready for pick up.  Unfortunately, unit was defective, and I needed to wait another few days (FRIDAY) for me to be able to get it. Without my rage and me insisting for it to be earlier, the employee, Karen Angeles, will not even have the urge to stand up and call ASAP the other offices with available BB units. Such a shame to the company.  And after a short phone call that Karen had via her cellphone (to whoever, I had no idea), it was indeed possible to use my old number given an authorization letter and a 500php payment (why the hell was I told that this wasn’t possible again? Don’t you know your own rules?). But since my father was not there to make me an authorization letter, I had to settle for a new number, CERTAINLY NOT ACCORDING TO MY PREVIOUS PLAN OF USING MY OLD NUMBER.

From what I gathered, the problem does not lie in your company’s operational procedures but with the staff of the Sun Shop in Robinson’s Metro East. Bad service is not exclusive to my own experience as I was able to observe in these past 17 days: waiting in queue always took much longer than it should; the staff seems to work at their own leisurely pace, apparently oblivious of the dissatisfaction of waiting clients seated directly in front of them. Sure, the staff was courteous enough and, in my case, apologetic just as they should be; but that doesn’t excuse their incompetence.

My family and I have been loyal postpaid subscribers to Sun for the past 7-8 years. There have been a few little hitches along the way, but these were merely minor annoyances. To borrow a cliché, the ride has pretty much been smooth sailing. Until now, that is.