June 2006
SMART BRO: Broken Promises
Filed Under Technology
It’s my fourth day today with no SMART BRO connection. Sad for some, but I’m furious! I’m paying for this unreliable service for nothing but I can’t terminate it because I’m bound with the one year contract. Else, I’ll have to pay the termination fee. So what’s choice left with me? File a complaint with NTC and that’s just what I did. Now, I’m praying that the NTC and DTI will act on this. It’s a long shot but there’s no harm if I try.
If you happen to be a Smart Bro subscriber, here’s what the standard CSR response you’ll gonna get. There maybe some variations but basically, that’s it.
1. What’s your IP address? To check if valid.
2. Can you ping your antenna? (IP addr is 10.0.0.1)
3. Can you ping your gateway? (check your network connection)
4. Can you ping Smart Bro’s DNS Server? (Most likely, this is where you gonna fail)
5. Please Repair Connection. If first time with Step 5 (upon restart or boot-up), go back to Step 1 else, proceed to Step 6.
6. Restart your computer
7. Go back to Step1 if you are still not fed up. Else, go to Step 8.
8. No choice but get mad with the CSR who knows nothing but these steps (can’t even help me with linux!!!)
9. CSR will apologize for the inconvenience caused. Will tell you that you can file for a rebate but not for the lost business, unanswered client query and potential clients. There goes your money!!!!
What I can’t understand is that I’ve been telling the CSR that I can’t ping their DNS server numerous times. I’ve been talking on the same CSR for 1 hour, and then another 15 to another CSR and then another 30 minutes in yet another CSR but all they can offer is to do the steps I’ve taken since their technical people from the base station insists that there’s no problem with their setup! It took them 3 damn days in order to admit that there really is a problem!
The other day, Jun 21, I waited the whole day for that ‘higher technical support’ that the CSR told me the night before to call me for additional support and/or updates. Nobody called, of course! And when I called CSR again last night, it was then that I found out that the there’s a base station upgrade. Maybe, those ‘higher technical support’ realized that there really is something wrong with their damn system!
So, for those thinking of signing up with SMART BRO, I beg you… please DON’T!!!! It’s for your own good and our good, too. If you sign-up, you will be added to yet another client that will clog their already overloaded network. If only they use the money they spend for those multi-million peso tri-media ads into upgrading/stabilizing their service, then we’ll be happy. But they have other EVIL idea and that’s get more and more subscribers just as Satan tries to get more and more soul to Hell.
Do you still remember who I shall curse? I’m cursing him already… CURSE HIM!!!! CURSE HIM!!!!
CURSE HIM!!!!
Wasted with Bosses
Filed Under Uncategorized
Our company has celebrated its 10th year anniversary the other day, Thursday. Well, it’s not particulary exciting as one may expect. For one, there’s no suspension of work even for just a day…hahaha. Basically, there’s not much activity for it except for the mass and later that day, a cocktail party. Hmnn… I hate cocktail parties but I gave it a shot. There will be free food and drinks and they say that the best things in life are FREE.
Well, as any other cocktail parties, what you got there are finger foods, wines and beer. And since I’m hungry coming directly from work, I took a lot of those finger foods and then a glass of red wine and then…. San Mig Light!!!! I happened to be with a PM who drinks beer like a fish and a little conversation and bragging here and there led to more discussions and more beer, of course. And then came some more people and then more and more talking here and there until we were told that it’s closing time. The next thing I knew, we were at another restaurant on a long table and free-flowing San Miguel Pale Pilsen.
But more than the drinks and conversations, it’s not very common for a multinational company that you get to drink with your the top honchos of the company, right? What’s more with the general manager? But we just did. We, the foot soldiers, happened to drink and got wasted with them. And what’s more? The conversations are as if we are at the same level. It is as if everybody has been friends for a long, long time already.
I just drink occasionally and I rarely get wasted because I stop when I get tipsy. But this time, I just let myself simply because it’s a rare opportunity to be able to openly talk with the bosses. Yes, they may forget all about what we’ve discussed that night but it leaves a lighter feeling when you know you have told your management what you really wanted to say. Your views in your job and the company and at the same time, giving you their stand and they feel about those things. More importantly, it shows that they are also people like us… humans with feelings and not the usual monster that we view our management. And most importantly, they also get wasted! hahaha!
At the end, it was fun. It made some people closer… in my case, with my other officemates who I never went out with before. I got new connections within the office. That event may never happen again but for me, I’m very happy that it did happen even just for once. I’m not looking for another drink-until-wasted sessions like that but I’m hoping that the friendship and professional relationship that we shared there continue after that night.
Oh, my wife was really angry because I forgot to tell her that I’ll be late that night. But I know she’ll understand…. and she did! But I’m ‘outside-de-kulambo’ that night. hahahaa…
