The SUN Experience

Let me tell you how I got upset over nothing. And yes, I only write when I'm upset.

I had planned to get a postpaid phone line since last year to make my life easier. Of course, this is because I am too lazy to get phone cards. When I run out of phone credit, it usually takes 2 to 3 days for me to diligently remember to buy a card. And when I buy, I buy 2 to 4 cards to make my trip to the convenience store (at the ground floor of the building where I work) worth it. And when I still have cards to use but the phone runs out of credit, I find it too much of an effort to scratch the card and key in the numbers.

Yes, I am lazy. This is the reason that I have come to my senses to get a postpaid line. This way, I don't have to worry about getting phone credits every once in a while and I can pay when I go the mall. Pretty convenient... or so I thought.

So I visited the Sun Cellular Shop in SM Marikina. The girl I asked told me that I need a proof of income which can be a month's worth of payslip, and a bill. So that week, I got he requirements ready and the guy who serviced me said that I lack my Certificate of Employment or an ITR. I guess customer service girl just forgot about it. The next week, I had my COE ready and visited the branch again to submit my requirements. The person who assisted me had me fill out the application form and another form which asked for 3 contact persons. He specifically said that the contact numbers should either be landline numbers or Sun numbers. I told him I only have 2 people I can think of and he said that 2 people are enough. He gave me the expectation that it will be processed within 2 to 3 days.

That was a Sunday. The next day, I received a text message from the branch saying that they are processing it. So I expected that I should be getting word from them on Wednesday that week. While I waited, I was too excited to get their service knowing that it would have all that I need including unlimited Internet Service. I urged my colleagues to get the same service since we use Yahoo messenger in the office. It would be fun and convenient for us. I got three people interested and they wanted to see the phone and the service when I get it.

Wednesday came and I never heard from them. I kept calling the number they used to text me and no one answers. That night I received a text message asking for "sufficient proof of income and secondary contact person". I replied saying that I gave all of those things to them. Nobody replied so I went to their branch that Thursday to clear it up and get answers. The Sun guy said that they had a mistake on the POI and that it was sufficient enough. What they just need was another contact person with a "Sun postpaid line" or a "Sun landline" and that their head office must have a hard time contacting one person I've provided. I told him that I don't know such person. The people I know just have Globe or Smart subscriptions. So he asked me to give other contact numbers for the contact persons I provided. He also promised that I will hear from them within 24 hours on the result.

Somebody called me while having lunch last Saturday who asked me if I can provide another name with a Sun Postpaid Line or landline under his or her name. Of course, I do not know such person. Being in the BPO industry, most people I work with do not have landline and some of them just have Globe or Smart phone lines. This "Yuri" or "Yani" guy said that it's the only way he can help me. I was pissed. They didn't even bother to tell me this important bit of information when I filled out forms. It has been six days and they didn't make a progress on anything. I can't magically produce a friend with a Sun Postpaid line.

Then another person from their "head office" called and said that they will just deal with what they have and that she will have me contacted by the branch to either update me on the progress or let me know if the phone was ready to be picked up. She promised me that this should happen before 4pm on that same day. But I gave them until 7pm so that they would have enough time. I told her that if there's no change, I will pull out my application and retrieve my documents. I even suggested that they deal with the quality of customer service. (How nice of me!) I could not understand how they can offer such service to college student just by asking for their IDs and they ask for an impossiblity from me. Maybe they think that half of the population in the Philippines have Sun Postpaid.

A guy from Sun Shop SM Marikina indeed called before 4pm. Guess what, there was still no progress. He told me the same thing, "They are still processing my application." I told him that it's okay since he still has until 7pm to tell me something I don't know. Nobody contacted me after that.

So today, I marched to the Sun Shop of SM Marikina. The Sun asked me what "Yuri/Yani" told me over the phone the other day. Can he not contact the "Yuri/Yani" guy? How the hell can I answer that question? Do they not have means of communication in that company? He then escalated my concern to a woman who seemed to have a higher position. The woman asked me again if I know a person with Sun Postpaid line. I am certainly fed up with that question. I asked if she can just call their head office and ask her questions to them. She came back to me and told me the same thing. "They are processing it."

I am through getting frustrated and pissed off. I asked for my documents to pull out my application and got out of that place.

If they cannot approve my application because I do not know a person who's a Sun subscriber, then they should have done so in 3 days. I would have been more appreciative. I did not need the frustration and certainly, I do not want to train them on customer service.

This is the worst that I have experienced and nobody deserves such hassle. I do hope that they clean up their act before every Sun subscriber realizes what they're paying for.

As for me, I am getting a Globe or Smart sim to replace my prepaid Sun sim. Or maybe, I'll get a postpaid line but certainly not from Sun. I can't believe I yearned to get their service and even planned to replace my Bayan Broadband with Sun Broadband.