General

General

This Should Brighten Everyone’s Day

By on Wednesday, September 4, 2013

iphone_sep10_event_invite

Apple has sent out invites to their much anticipated September 10 event. This should brighten everyone’s day. Well it, did make my day more colorful. And I expect September 10 to be colorful, too. The new iPhone 5S, the iPhone 5C as well as iOS 7, of course, is expected to be revealed. Based on rumors, I thinks the two will bring in many colors. The iPhone 5S will come in Black/Slate, White/Silver, and White/Gold. The iPhone 5C will come in even more colors: Black, White, Purple, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Pink, and Red. I guess C in 5C stands not only for China or Cheap but also Colorful!

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General

Microsoft <3 Nokia

By on Wednesday, September 4, 2013

So Microsoft has acquired Nokia. There are even talks of Elop being chairman once Ballmer bows out. The case has come full circle: Elop has gone from Microsoft to Nokia to Microsoft. And bringing along Nokia to boot.

Now Microsoft will find itself in the same position as Google when the latter acquired Motorola. Now that Microsoft will own Nokia, will it be giving preferential treatment? Even more than their previous “special” relationship? Will it be able to avoid doing that? This is probably something all of Microsoft’s Windows Phone partners are thinking. But then, how many are there? So maybe that doesn’t really matter.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has a rather poor performance with hardware. Yes there’s the XBox and… XBox. And there are dismal failures like the MSX, Tablet PC, Zune, Kin, Slate, Surface… Will Elop and Nokia be bringing in something new? But then their track record for the past 3 years wasn’t great either.

Maybe they were just sticking to a scripted plan. Microsoft. Nokia. Microsoft.

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General

Chat Apps Are Not The Competition

By on Sunday, September 1, 2013

Saw this article at E27. Basically, Globe, or at least its consumer services, is saying that messaging systems based on data (such as LINE, WhatsApp, Viber, etc) is not the competitor of carriers. And that would be correct. Mobile carriers traditionally offer voice, SMS, and data. On top of these basic services is a whole world of additional services. Globe is stating that they are competing on these services via price innovation (if you can call it that) and not on additional services such as messaging systems. Not on technology innovation. Clearly Globe is stating that it is a mere mobile carrier period. Not a communication company, not a technology company. No wonder GLO, although relatively high, is so unexciting.

 

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General

A Terrible Globe Experience

By on Saturday, August 31, 2013

I have a Globe Tattoo Superstick plan (plan 1299). It came with amortization for device (Huawei E-5) factored in. The device was the difference between plan 1299 and the cheaper plan 999. I inquired back then if I could change from plan 1299 to plan 999 once the 24-month lock-in period is done. The answer was affirmative. So I signed up.

That lock-in period was finally done a few months back. A few days ago, I called Globe to request the change to plan 999 or whatever is equivalent now. Here’s what happened:

  1. I called the Globe call center and talked to a CSR regarding my request. There were a lot of times I was being put on hold after I ask something. I could almost picture the CSR talking to a colleague and/or frantically paging through a reference. Eventually, I got forwarded to another group.
  2. The new CSR said they don’t handle my account and got forwarded back to the first group. Didn’t the first CSR know who handles my account?
  3. The new CSR said such requests are handled by Globe centers. Nice.
  4. Today, I walk into a Globe center. I asked around and was told to call since such requests are handled by the call center!
  5. I called using the in-house phone. After more of the talk-and-hold routine, I was told such requested are handled by Globe centers. Not again!
  6. I talked to the person who seems to be in charge at the Globe center. After some discussion, I was told such request are really handled by Globe centers. She said something to the effect that CSRs may not be fully knowledgeable and when that happens, I am to get the name and give to her.
  7. I called again using the in-house phone. After more talk-and-hold and being put on hold for the nth time, I put down the phone and stormed off to get lunch.
  8. After lunch and when I got back home, I called the Globe center again. After the more of the usual talk-and-hold routine, I finally simplified my request to “just switch me to plan 999”. That did it pretty quick.

Total time wasted: 2-3 hours. Globe definitely needs to improve their call center CSR training. And what’s with not handling customer requests in person at the Globe center? Is that part of cost-cutting? Not good.

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