Banking in the Philippines.

Working in the call center can help you appreciate good customer service. You will know when a person is going the extra mile to serve you better. Spending years on a thankless job like mine can make you value excellent customer service and criticize those that fell short of your service standard.

About two weeks ago, I went to three different commercial banks in Metro Manila for a couple of banking transactions. I needed to open a checking account from PNB (Philippine National Bank) for my housing loan. I also applied for a replacement ATM card from BDO (Banco De Oro). Not so long ago I posted here that my ATM card was stolen with Donna’s wallet and cellphone inside a bank. I also lost my EON card from Unionbank a couple of days after that incident so I also applied for a replacement card. Whew, these streaks of unfortunate events made me realize how lucky I have become, lol.

The trips to these three banks made me compare the services of these institutions. I first went to BDO, I was instantly assisted by a smiling staff, she made me fill out forms and she asked for two valid identification cards. I was told that I needed to secure an affidavit of loss but since I don’t have that piece of document, she immediately offered to take care of it. I was told that I can just sign an affidavit and for a minimal fee, they can just have it notarized. It was a win-win deal for me so I obliged. Everything has been done in just a matter of minutes, about 10 minutes. I didn’t even need to go to the teller to make an over-the-counter withdrawal. I only needed to deal with one of their staff who was very accommodating. It was a great service!

On the other hand, I just had a different experience when I went to PNB. The facilities at PNB pale in comparison to what I saw in BDO. The computer monitors that the staffs are using were bulky just like mine at home, hehehe. And the staff's demeanor doesn’t help brighten the gloomy aura of the bank. Are these people underpaid? I don’t know, but that was my impression. They don’t seem to enjoy what they are doing. It took me over an hour to wait for the checks. It’s really disappointing, to think that they were attending to only two other customers. I also needed to go out of the bank premises to have my ID’s photocopied.

My visit to Unionbank was not that good either. I’ve waited for a couple of minutes waiting for somebody to attend to my concern. And when I finally got to speak with a staff, I was told that I needed to call the EON customer service to have the EON card blocked. The lady was nice, though. But I cannot see the logic of having to call a customer service hotline to have my card blocked and replaced when I was already on the branch where I applied and opened the account.

Anyway, these experiences are limited to the branches that I visited. These may not hold true to other branches of these commercial banks. I just hope that they can focus more on providing excellent service to their customers.