You're in GOOD hands kuno.enk!

I always strive to be debt free.

Young as I am, I have small investments, a good business and a job that pays well. Suffice it is to say that gone are the days when I would walk from UP Cebu to Ayala(kay wala nay pamelete) to withdraw from the ATM because I haven't had a decent meal. Well if Lucky Me Pancit Canton will pass as a decent meal then I had plenty. :D And this post is not about that.

Disclaimer: There is nothing wrong with credit cards per se. It helps roll over your cash and it can work to your advantage as long as you pay on time.

Due to the overwhelming air fare promos, I applied for a credit card to gain access and convenience at the same time. It was very helpful especially when you book for group flights. Moreover my credit card provider (RCBC Bankard) keeps on increasing my limit since I was able to pay my dues on time.Anah!(Kudos! No frustrations so far.Keep it up!)

My second card *drum roll* is under Metrobank(Femme Visa). It is very elite to say the very least. Not eager to increase your limit and strict on their payment policies,etc. After months of using it they forced two supplementary cards for my mother and father whcih I did not need nor did they and did not care to use. I told them(Customer Service) I'm cancelling it to which they said okay.

Guess what? After a year I was charged with the very infamous ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEES for the supplementary cards. With call center history, I would always immediately call their customer service to solve the matter asap.Not that this was the first time( in fact it happens all the time this crazy love of mine)but I spoke in utmost sincerity and humility that I will not pay for those since it hasn't been used and I'd like for it to be cancelled. My call got transferred thrice! And I didn't mind as long as my concern gets fixed.

Next flash, this month's bill indicated to my surprise finance charges. I was like, for what??? Curious as I was, again I called up their customer service. Their number was already etched into my memory 02-8700700 and you press 1-then 1- then 7 for the other options.

For the purpose of discussion, I'll name the first representative, Conchita. Conchita told me that the finance charges is due to the fact that I didn't pay the ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEES of both supplementary card.( Gi-amnesia ba ko leng??? Di ba mao mani ako gitawag last time???) When I told Conchita about last month's calls she then transferred me to another rep. (Murag dili to ang supervisor kay iyang reply murag lahi ra.) Ramona, the second rep, answered resoundingly, " Ma'am, we cannot access your account for now because our system is down. We will just call you after 48 hours to address your concern.Of course I had to say something so sarcastic like, "How come the other rep was able to access it and in a difference of say 10 seconds the system went down?" Just to air out my frustrations, I had to tell her some facts that would somehow stir up her imagination and help me understand my dilemma but Ramona just answered the system is down,etc.God heavens who trained you guys on customer handling. :((

After 48 hours, no call from Metrobank. I must have not heard it right maybe she meant 48 years! 

Today, 216 hours from the promised call, I called them up, ask them to cancel the supplementary cards and cancel my card too. 

I am not a delinquent card holder.I pay on time and I expect to be treated fairly.  Not even extra special just FAIR. We too have jobs you know. If we keep on spending time just calling you for clarifications we expect to get answers and by answers I mean solutions and solutions that gets done. I'm hoping that one of your Quality Assurance people gets to hear our conversation to reprimand your sorry ass. Or to put it professionally, send you to further training.(Yes nalang!)

One thing I learned from my short-lived call center career is that you SET THE RIGHT EXPECTATIONS. When a customer calls you back for the same problem, that's not a good sign of excellent customer care. Never mind if others won't mind if you say a fictitious department or suntok-sa-buwan number of hours of a call back but for some of us who listens and understands the job, honor your promise because in this case it cost you one client whose not gonna say good things about you and your service.Moreover, she's gonna bash you in her blog. Hey I just did that here.hehehe

According to Manong Henry Ford, It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages.

istorya ni sooseet: Toga-toga

istorya ni sooseet: Toga-toga: It's that time of the year when students are very busy accomplishing their requirements for graduation. When I was assigned at the Cash...

Toga-toga

It's that time of the year when students are very busy accomplishing their requirements for graduation. When I was assigned at the Cashier's Office, all we had to do was collect the necessary fees. Now that I am here at the bookstore, it's a totally different ball game all together. I just realized that there are so many things to take care of just like:

• printing diplomas (even diploma's for one Surigao School)
• medals
• diploma holders
• seat covers
• gate pass
• souvenir programs for all levels
• and the highlight of today's post: TOGA

Just this morning a colleague of mine called me up and told me that a graduating student posted on Facebook that the toga does not smell good. In our defense, I told him that the moment I was assigned in this office that was the first thing I asked of them. What do we do with the toga? And surprisingly they told me that they used to hand washed it.2000 pieces toga??Hand washed??? You guys must be kidding me! Right then and there I decided to have it washed by a laundry shop for P 20 pesos per kilo(the name I won't discuss because that would be free promotion for them). The office paid Fourteen Thousand Pesos for that. My staff and student assistants were very happy because their hands will not be filled with bruises anymore.

Which brings me to a more pressing fact. Is the toga really that important? Or shall I say is the Toga's smell that important? What does it really stand for (I mean the toga not the smell :) )? 

Good thing we were not required to wear one during college. In my opinion, once you march down that aisle in your toga to the tune of tan-tan-tanan(repeat 1000 times) and accept your coveted diploma (or a piece of paper that looks like one),YOU will be judge not by your hairstyle, or the dress you wear, or your heels, your make up or your perfume or your sweaty toga BUT by what is inside that thing between your ears. Has it accumulated vast knowledge? If YES then, have you considered yourself highly employable for the set of skills you have "mastered"? Have you learned the art of critical thinking by sifting through all the varied information available for you? Are you able to reason your claims with facts you yourself has researched and carefully thought of?

Or were you able to master the art of cheating and plagiarizing just to beat a deadline? Or the right angle of your face which looks good on FB, Twitter or Instagram? Or using up all your allowable absences per subject? Or memorized the names of the cutest hunks in the school or the most handsome dancer in the dance company? Or maximized the use of your iPhone and iPad in garnering highest scores in your favorite games?

It is sad to note if the school produced more of the latter than the former. Your mind should be your crowning glory. Learning has no ending. Even if you have graduated, you will need to learn more and unlearn some.

If not for my college education I wouldn't be where I am today. I will never be afraid to speak up and I will never be afraid to ask the right questions. And most importantly, I will never be ashamed to admit that I don't know everything and that even with a college degree I will still make mistakes and face the consequences thereafter.

As Norman Cousins would put it: It makes little difference how many university courses or degrees a person may own. If he cannot use words to move an idea from one point to another, his education is incomplete.

Make that degree count, not by the amount of pictures or posts, but by doing something outstanding which you will be remembered for.

Welcome to the REAL world graduates!

STARiray

Who classifies one person as famous? Is it the number of friends you have in Facebook or the most number of followers in Twitter? Or is it the number of people who recognize you while you ar having your morning walk on a busy street?

I am not famous and this post is not about that. When I started Twitter last year I realized there is so much to read out there. Since what you see are just bits and pieces of headlines, one has to click the link to be able to read articles. Twitter has helped me especially during the tsunami hoax in Cebu because it was fast and updated.(My brother wouldn't believe me when I told him it was not true.) Thru Twitter I was able to read blogs from famous personalities ranging form fashion blogs, personal blogs and self-confidence-building blogs, for me, one blog stood out. It's Divine Lee's Blog http://www.divinemlee.com/.

One reason is that when you read her blog it's like you are talking to her personally. I am made aware of the trends in the events industry thru her mala teleseryeng pictures and I always look forward to her Red Carpet review.:D Very funny and spontaneous! She is like a star and yet a normal person at the same time. I haven't seen her on TV but reading her entries makes me think I know her better. She has this ability to influence and she relays her messages across clearly specially when it comes to beauty, transformation and gaining confidence along the way.

And today, she posted a tweet regarding the weather. I replied for the first time and she replied back and retweeted my comment!:) Pasok sa banga moment!!! The power of connectivity, I, a mere mortal made sense to a goddess.(murag ana na feeling.haha.) Of course I'm happy! It's like meeting-an-artista-with-pakapin-autograph-and-shirt-happy!https://www.facebook.com/suzette.boholano

Indeed, everything is possible! 
A shy good Christian guy who has a big crush on a gorgeous famous lady CAN have a chance.
An average employee who has inititative CAN be promoted.
A long distance relationship with commitment CAN work.
Couples who are trying CAN have a baby.
A person vying for a life of single blessedness CAN change his/her mind.
A failed grade today CAN be a flat one tomorrow.
Parents CAN be cool.
A home buddy CAN travel around the world. 
An NBSB/NGSB(no boyfriend/girlfriend since birth) CAN get married one day.
I CAN still listen to Taylor Swift even if I'm not in high school anymore. ^_^

This and more, because we have to remember that the world is ours to discover to own and to transform it in a place where we belong.

Ginebra says, "bilog ang mundo", so is a bicycle tire. Up and down is the way we roll. But the movie entitled Upside Down showed that two people from opposite worlds(or dimensions ba to?) CAN make it work. Even Globe Telecoms can ,"make great things possible" and why can't we?

So when you feel like there's this star which is impossible to attain, I suggest you never stop trying. There's a falling star right? Who knows your star might just fall for you. :) In my case, the star looked down on me. To top it all, pray until something happens. Pray that when that star falls you are empty handed and ready to catch it.^_^

Hello weekend! 


P.S. Happy Monthsary Honey! xo

Eskabitche ( for married women only ;) )

To begin with an end in mind, I'm proud to say that I don't have marital problems, I'm very much contented with how my marriage is progressing and I have a wonderful husband whom I love and who loves me back unconditionally. (Praise the Lord) ^_^

That is why without first hand experience I'm utterly flustered why these things happen to good people. And by good people I mean loving wives/husbands(para fair.) The movies live No Other Woman, The Mistress, A Secret Affair not to mention Unfaithful(poor Richard Gere) employ good looking actors and actresses to make the story more interesting but in reality infidelity and unfaithfulness is every married person's worst nightmare.

Being married is never easy but I tell you it's one of the most fulfilling undertaking. It's never constant. You have to work hard for the relationship to flourish from day 1 to forever. Access to temptation is all over the place! YES! Access! If one has to desire it then there are a lot of ways to kill the cat.

Well I've said too much and I'm no expert. I chance upon this blog and I'm positive you'll learn a thing or two. Gang Capati (rockEd advocate) wrote an article/letter meant for a friend worth sharing. It is a word of caution and an eye-opener in a funny way. :)  Highlight on No. 7 :D

http://gangcentral.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/she-asked-me-to-write-her-so-i-did-2/

OZ's OZsome one year ^_^

Back in college, we had this short test which will determine who were CEO material, manager(own business) material and employee material. My results classified me in the employee material. And true enough I am an employee right now but handling a managerial position. I thought well maybe that's the closest I can get to becoming a manager but not of my own business.

Somehow if one is a graduate of a business degree there is really that desire to put up a business of your own. I've had visions before, the things that I think I can do, I'd love to do,then there's risks, capital investments, fear, doubt and the pile thickens leaving you with: It's way cooler to be an employee after all.
 
The business idea was parked in an area with not so clear possibilities of fruition.

Then came an era(mao jud ang term) where everybody wanted themed events! They(SFC pips) would require me to come up with themes and games for the dedication rites, fellowship, etc. Some would also hire me as an emcee for a party, a wedding reception and everything in between. My problem way back then was looking for a dress to match the party's motif since I only had a few. I remember my friend Marie would sponsor some of my dresses and shoes. When I started getting paid, alas!, I was able to "invest" on clothes. :) I can't really say I was popular, the apt term would be was "in-demand" chos!hahahaha. Kidding aside, I was more than delighted to help. It was a way of DE-stressing from a regular job. You become creative and you squeeze your juices, you do research so as not to repeat ideas all over again.

Alrex, my-then-boyfriend-now-husband, told me why not come up with an organizing business. He loves business! He analyzes a lot of things, if you have a hard time making a crucial decision he'd make charts for you to visualize. ^_^ He is awesome that way. I told him I couldn't do it. I have a full time job. I cannot market well. I'm not confident enough. In short I was afraid to fail.

And then Johanna entered the picture. I always tap her in making AVPs for birthday surprises for our friends. I'm the left brain and she's the right brain. She is more creative and relaxed than I am. I'm more into making sure that things will turn out the way I planned it to be. The celebrator MUST be surprised! The background music should be like this, no dead air. And contingency plans are in place. I can't remember how I proposed the business idea but with Joh I felt safer, lesser risks. :)) And she jumped in the boat! So there's two of us who will do the paddling. Lucky for us because our business did not entail heavy investments. We just banked on our God given talents and skills. ;)

We were both God fearing and God loving individuals so we just had to register the business thinking that might not be a good idea if we pay the registration without earning anything.We had to because we were businesswomen now.hehehe. That moment marked the birth of OHZE Events Solutions. OH from Johanna and ZE from Suzette and it also sounded OC(obsessive complusive) which in a way we are when it comes to organizing events. We did not limit it to weddings because we have a lot of competition already in that area. ;)

I'm writing this entry because days from now I can't remember the exact date(will have to check the registration) we will celebrate our one year anniversary!*fireworks* Amazing how time flies! We've met a lot of people. Learned a lot of new tricks(you know what I mean) and we really helped a lot of people with our pro bono cases(lawyer-sounding) :)). We are proud of what we have accomplished. From speed dating, to ad campaigns,to photography workshops(which gave us a chance to be interviewed and shown in TV Patrol CARAGA ahem-ahem), weddings and anniversaries. :)

The trick was to save all our earnings from day 1. :) We didn't spend anything because for us organizing an event is our passion. If we will focus on earning we might lose the OZ magic touch. :)) As a matter of  fact, we will use it to register the business next year and pay our taxes.hahahaha. That's just the way it is. ;)

Dreams do come true. You just need a little push and an increase confidence in yourself.  My mantra is follow where your passion will lead you. You will always love what you do and you will always appreciate the things you learn in the process.And when you LOVE what you, you'll know that you will EXCEL. (in Bisaya, dili kabayran ang kaagi.char.) :))

Thanks to everyone who believed in us. To our client-friends and ever loyal following. :)) 

May the next years be as OZsome too! ^^,

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=259900777441836&set=pb.100002657471442.-2207520000.1352108697&type=3&theater

istorya ni sooseet: F.L.A.M.E.S.

istorya ni sooseet: F.L.A.M.E.S.: Yes! I'm part of the FLAMES generation. We used to match our names with that of our crushes to see if we'll end up as : F riends L overs...