Just two days after I wrote about SMART BRO (see Goodbye, SMART BRO), I received a letter from the Social Media Services of SMART. Here’s the full text:

Thank you for notifying us of your concern.

We strive to provide you with the best possible service, and when you feel that it fails to meet your expectations, we appreciate your feedback.

We are sorry that you received service that prompted you to contact us with a complaint, and we regret any inconvenience or frustration that the experience has caused you.

Nevertheless, your concerns are already being attended to and we are already working to improve our internal process.

We shall be more than delighted to be of service of you again, in the future.

Sincerely,

Social Media Services
Smart Communiactions

The letter is obviously a template letter and this is probably an auto-generated reply. Nevertheless, I’m glad to see that SMART is monitoring the Internet to see what its customers are saying about their products and services. I just hope that this letter is not just for show and that SMART is truly doing something about the quality of its products and services.

Courier 2Go has announced its flat rate shipping fee for document shipments.

P70 is charged for any document shipped anywhere in the Philippines. This also applies to whatever size, be it the extra-large pouch. The caveat is that the location should be a serviceable area and the rate applies for next-day delivery.

For Metro Manila shipment of documents, 2Go will only charge P45 for any size.

It’s goodbye to SMART BRO.

After two years filled with irritation, incompetent customer service reps, and thousands of payment, we have ended our contract with SMART BRO and decided not to renew it anymore.

I’ve posted an entry about our dilemma with SMART BRO (see story) and it hasn’t changed since then. A few months ago, my husband got a SUN Broadband and we find that SUN offers more value for our money with its plan.

At P800 monthly, the plan provides us unlimited access to the Internet. Sure, there are days that its connection is down but at  least, I don’t fear that when I receive the billing statement, I would be charged with thousands in connection I have never used.

And because of SUN, we have stopped using our SMART BRO in the last three months. We just waited for the contract to expire so we can finally have it disconnected.

Here’s a side note to this. I posted my SMART Bro dilemma in one of the Yahoogroups I belong to. One of the members, a SMART employee, was kind enough to ask permission if she can forward my concerns to their Interactive Social Media Services Group.

A few days after, I received an email from Ashley John Villaroman. In a nutshell, he wanted to find a resolution to our dilemma and, in the process, convince us not to end the contract.

But I was hell-bent on ending the contract. My husband and I feel that we didn’t get our money’s worth with the plan. I thanked Ashley John for his email and told him that we’re not changing our minds. But because I want SMART BRO’s service to improve, I emailed him all my concerns.

We have four major issues with SMART BRO: incompetent CSRs, SMART Connect being not updated, absurd charging and intermittent connection, and its brand manager Ava Espanola, who simply doesn’t care.

The funny thing is that after I sent my email, I never heard from him again. Hahaha! He probably didn’t expect a mouthful from me. But I guess I’ve made my case why SMART BRO is not worth renewing.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t hate SMART. I have been a loyal SMART Gold postpaid user for the last eight years. And because of SMART, I have never bought a cell phone in the last eight years. I just keep renewing my SMART Gold contract every two years and I receive a new cell phone every time.

But SMART Bro is a different matter altogether. So, goodbye to SMART BRO and good riddance!

This holiday, BPI gives you more reasons to shop with your BPI Cards.

Shop at the following supermarkets and get FREE Mang Inasal BBQ Meal:

Landmark Supermarket
Metro Gaisano Supermarket
Robinson Supermarket
South Supermarket
Walter Mart Supermarket
LCC Supermarket (Bicol)
LCC Express Mart (Bicol)
Fooda Saversmart (Cebu)
Gaisano Brothers (Cebu)
Gaisano Capital (Cebu)
Gaisano Grand (Cebu)
Lopues Supermarket (Bacolod)
Iloilo Supermart (Iloilo)
Gaisano Mall (Davao)
NCCC Supermarket (Davao)
KCC Supermarket (Gensan & Marbel)

1. The promo is open exclusively to the following existing cardholders:
     • BPI Express Credit (Classic, Blue MasterCard, Gold MasterCard, WorldPerks MasterCard, Petron-BPI MasterCard, Edge MasterCard, Corporate Classic and Corporate MasterCard) of good credit standing
    • BPI Express Cash (Retail Cards, Corporate Cards, Gift Cards)
    • BPI, BPI Family Savings Bank, BPI Direct (Express Teller, Jumpstart, BPInoy)
2. The promo period is from November 20, 2009 to January 15, 2010.
3. Cardholder should use his BPI Express Credit card, BPI Express Cash or BPI Express Teller via Express Payment System (EPS) within the promo period for a minimum single receipt of P1,000 or P2,000 at any participating supermarket branch to qualify for redemption of the free Mang Inasal’s BBQ Meal.
4. Cardholder can choose to redeem any one (1) of the featured Mang Inasal’s BBQ Meal at any Mang Inasal’s branch nationwide for every qualified transaction.  The redemption is valid for dine-in only. 
5. The free Mang Inasal BBQ meals are the following:

Bulilit Meal 1, 2 or 3 for a minimum single transaction of P1,000.

Paborito Meal 1, 2 or 3 for a minimum single transaction of P2,000.

6. Cardholder must present for verification the original charge slip or transaction receipt from the participating supermarket (minimum single receipt of P1,000 or P2,000) and the BPI card used for the transaction to any authorized Mang Inasal personnel to redeem the free meal of her choice. Transaction date on the charge slip should be within the promo period.
7. Charge slip will be stamped CLAIMED by Mang Inasal’s personnel upon release of the free meal. No dine-in purchase is required to redeem the free meal.
8. Only one (1) free meal can be redeemed per valid charge slip. A cardholder is allowed up to three (3) redemptions per day per store only.
9. The free meal cannot be exchanged for cash, other products, or discounts.
10. Redemption period is until March 16, 2010.

This is a very timely Christmas TVC from Unilab. The TVC talks about how life for all Filipinos would still move forward despite the tragedies that we experienced this year.

Umulan man ng pagsubok,
mananatili pa ring matibay ang samahan.
Umalon man ng hamon,
mangingibabaw pa rin ang lakas ng katawan.
Basta lahat tayo’y sama-sama
at nagkakaisa,
‘Di matitinag ang Pilipino.
Tuloy pa din ang Pasko

Just a little side topic. This is more of a reminder for myself but please feel free to be inspired by this Bible quote.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13

As of Nov. 10, 2009, here are the time deposit rates of Chinabank.

Families now have more reasons to continue making memorable moments together, even with their older folks. With the new partnership between Enervon Prime and Jollibee, food-loving Pinoys don’t just reinforce past memories, but they get the chance to make new ones as well.

Enervon Prime, the nutritional drink for older adults, and Jollibee team up for a promo that aims to further strengthen the bond of today’s Filipino families.

The “Jolly Memories” promo rewards customers with free Jollibee meals for every purchase of Enervon Prime. The effort is driven by the shared commitment of Enervon Prime and Jollibee in championing the importance of having a sharp mind and a healthy body in making more memories with the family.

Unilab Nutritionals Marketing and Operations Director Brenda Miranda stressed the importance of staying healthy and strengthening the family unit. “This is a perfect partnership since Jollibee and Enervon Prime share the same ideals,” she said. “And what’s great is that the promo helps families keep their minds sharp and make more memories as they spend more time together when they visit Jollibee.”

From Oct. 15 to Dec. 15, 2009, one can get free Jollibee treats simply by purchasing Enervon Prime in any SM Supermarket, SM Hypermart, Savemore, Robinsons Supermarket and Mercury Drugstore. Just present the proof of purchase to any Jollibee store nationwide and you can instantly avail of the following treats: Peach Mango Pie for every Enervon Prime 200g, one-piece Burger Steak with rice for every Enervon Prime 400g pack, and a one-piece Chickenjoy meal for every Enervon Prime 1kg. Consumers can claim their free Jollibee meals until Feb. 15, 2010.

Last August, BPI kicked off its Real Thrills Promo in partnership with Chowking (see story). Real Thrills is back, this time, in partnership with Jollibee.

The idea is still the same. You earn one point for every payment you make via Express Online or Express Phone. With just a minimum of seven points, you can redeem one Jollibee Spaghetti. For 14 points, you get a two-piece Jollibee Burger Steak. For 21 points, you get a two-piece Jollibee Chicken Joy.

If you have registered before in the Real Thrills Page, there’s no need to register again. Just log in and read the mechanics and FAQs.

The promo period runs from Nov. 3, 2009 to Feb. 3, 2010. Redemption period is from Nov. 3, 2009 to April 4, 2010.

I just have one concern, though. I still have a few points left from the Real Thrills-Chowking promo. Is it possible to use those points in the Jollibee promo?

I’ve always been an advocate of having an emergency fund. In my previous blog entries, I recommend that you should have at least eight months’ to one-year worth of emergency fund (see story).

But what if you have already completed your emergency fund? What if you have managed to amass one-year worth of EF? What now?

First of all, congratulations! This is a great way to start your pursuit of financial independence.

Now that you have your emergency fund, make sure you keep this safe and sound. Place it in a time deposit that gives you a pretty good interest rate.

Any money that comes in now can be placed in other investment instruments or earmarked for other goals. If you’re planning to buy a new house, then you can start saving up for the 20% down payment. You can also start investing in mutual funds or bonds. You can also get additional insurance for you if you have dependents. Basically, the coast is clear for any investment you may want to take.