Email, Hotline, Facebook or In Person
By hereandthere
@hereandthere (45628)
Philippines
December 13, 2016 5:16am CST
I got a new loyalty card from my bank, but when I read the letter that came with it, I wanted to clarify several things, so I went online to find their hotline number.
As expected, you had to listen closely to the recorded message to know which numbers to press... then press... then press... until you finally reach a live operator to talk to. Whew!
Even though I can read the letter written in English, talking to a customer representative in casual everyday Taglish, with examples and hypothetical situations, helps me understand it better.
If I only have one question and it's not that urgent, I search for their email address, send a message, and wait for a reply. If there is no reply after several days, I will call their hotline.
For example, I emailed a local soap manufacturer to ask about the grainy soap I bought and they promptly replied that it was oatmeal.
On the other hand, my email to another bank asking if they will be offline on Christmas and New Year was still unanswered, so I called the hotline next.
Sometimes I check their website or Facebook account if there are advisories, such as the water company if there are upcoming service interruptions.
Sometimes I drop by their branch or office to talk to employees in person.
8 people like this
10 responses
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
13 Dec 16
in the past, contact details were limited to the company trunkline and extension, direct line and a fax number. then email was added. then mobile number. then website. then social media.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
13 Dec 16
@hereandthere I hate the automated answer systems that they use. You spend 15 to 20 minutes on the telephone before even speaking to anyone.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
13 Dec 16
@Asylum i hate listening to the offers and promos while waiting for an agent to be available.
1 person likes this
I've emailed them, called them.. after, of course, maximizing their website. I've never tried reaching them via social sites, oh gosh i hope not haha..@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
23 Dec 16
when our internet is slow and i call the hotline and it takes forever for a rep to be available, i know there's a problem, so i don't bother calling again and just wait it out.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
15 Dec 16
I prefer to call or visit in person =) I don't like to email back and forth if it deals with the bank.
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
22 Dec 16
When i have a concern , i call their hotline . That' way i get an immediate response and solution to my concern . And after that they would give me a survey of how the customer representative is . I answer honestly . 
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
22 Dec 16
@hereandthere With the survey which was through phone , they made me say why i rated her that much . I have to tell them the truth .
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
22 Dec 16
@SIMPLYD i like surveys that are 1 to 5 so i can choose 3 and explain what i like and don't like
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
22 Dec 16
sometimes the survey is limited to just thumb's up and thumb's down, which i don't like, so i'm forced to skip it.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
13 Dec 16
that's why i have a pen and paper on hand to write all possible options. otherwise, i have to wait until the end when they say, to repeat everything, press x.
1 person likes this
@funkeyguhl (1743)
• Philippines
13 Dec 16
I do that too but I think here in the Philippines, people/ companies still have to get used to responding to emails. I am not sure if they have KPIs for unanswered emails but I feel that we are not as responsive on emails as we should be. I mean, responding to email is a perfect solution to cut down costs related to calls, especially for customer-based services .
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
13 Dec 16
yeah, our internet provider keeps calling us about their offers
