Loyalty

If there's a reason to, I try to have some sense of loyalty on a company that produces a product or renders a service. As in the case of my kwento, on a bank. About 7 years ago, my favored bank was iBank. I loved that bank so much, I even had my BPI accounts closed (transacting with the Ayala Alabang branch was just way too much of a hassle for me, plus the tellers weren't exactly friendly, especially the fat lady on counter 1... sige hanapin ninyo siya kung nandoon pa!). This may be a bit shallow, but I loved the iBank Ayala Alabang branch kasi meron silang piano player and a grand piano inside the branch. It was so bongga. And they serve coffee while you wait in the sofa until it's your turn to be served, instead of standing up in line for several minutes like in most banks. And when you get to talk to the accounts personnel, they make you feel that you're important. Yung hindi ba parang tinatamad silang magsalita tulad sa Metrobank na mas gusto pa nilang kausapin yung katabi nila. Probably this was part of their training. Hindi katulad dito sa East West Bank sa Westgate Filinvest Alabang (o, specific yan ha, sige, SHET kayo), tinangihan ang initial deposit ko 5 years ago dahil lang sa wala akong ID picture na dala.

"Balik na lang kayo bukas with the complete requirements."

So di ko na lang tinuloy. Tangina ang susuplada pa, ang papangit naman. As in! Parang kung saang pinagpulutang college lang na nagtapos ng Commerce at nag-graduate sa bottom 25%. Oo na, mukha akong hampas lupa pero at least mukha lang. Eh ikaw putang ina ka, bumili ka lang ng iPhone naghirap ka na. Pre-Paid sim card pa ang sinaksak mo. HELLER???

* inhale... exhale...

Tongino long. Na-high blood ako nang bonggang-bongga dahil sa imagination kong kakaloka.

Heniwey, as I was saying, I was a depositor at the iBank Alabang branch but because work was mostly in the Parañaque area, I opened another checking account at their BF Homes branch and that's where I met these 2 bank personnel who I always do my transactions with when I am there. NGUNIT SUBALIT DADAPWAT, iBank was later on bought by Union bank and because of this, nagpalit na din ang mga tao sa BF Homes branch. The 2 people I know from that branch resigned and the service I was getting from the new management was REALLY lousy. Para kang nasa palengke kasi parating nagbubungisngisan ang mga tao sa counter. Tapos imagine, ilang months sila hindi nagdeliver sa akin ng bank statements during the migration period and when I tried to ask for copies of these bank statements, ako pa ang gusto nilang singilin for reprinting. Sobrang na turn-off talaga ako. I reopened an account with BPI pero yung sa may South Supermarket, para lang magkaroon ulit ako ng ATM account na madaling ma-access.

A few months later, I received a phone call from the 2 lady personel na kilala ko sa iBank telling me that they did resign and they're inviting me to deposit to their new bank which is also located in BF Homes. So mabilis pa sa natataeng baboy, I closed my iBank account, kumembot ng 1,000 steps 4 blocks away and opened a new account to this new bank on their inauguration day. I was surprised to know na 10 kaming new accounts na lumipat from Union Bank. I am fairly ok naman with the services and how I have been transacting with this bank. Nothing complicatied naman. For 3 or 4 years I've kept an active account with this bank.

Last month I learned that the 2 ladies resigned again, after 3 years, and moved to another relatively new bank with higher positions and presumably a better pay. My office received a brochure of their new bank's services. And this afternoon, as expected, I got a call from one of the ladies again inviting me to open a new account with them. With the kind of job that I have, my personal security is a consideration as to which bank I can open an account with. At dahil ang branch location nila ay hindi maabot kahit ng bituing walang ningning, I gently declined the invite. Di rin naman pwedeng dahil lang sa lumipat sila ng ibang bangko, susunod naman ako. i don't think that's right. I have developed some sort of loyalty to my second bank mainly because I'm satisfied with it. As for the 2 ladies' case, I believe they wouldn't be able to establish a devotion to a company if they keep on jumping jobs. Siguro hindi sila satisfied with their previous company, they're nice ladies pero I don't think it's proper for them to drag their old clients to their new bank like an act of pirating. Walang pilitan. If I'm satisfied with my current bank, why should I make a switch kung ako pa ang mahihirapan because of distance.

And my point is... Punyeta ang dami kong na-type, nakalimutan ko ang punto ko.

We just had dinner at Cafe D'Asie at Bellevue Manila. The food is alright pero my gulay ang bagaaaaaaal ng service.