So I confirmed today that PLDT discriminates its customers. Kahapon nawalan kami ng internet. So I called customer service in the morning and got a service ticket. I suspected that the modem went bad. Probably due to recent power fluctuations. I knew from past experiences that it will be a very long process. Ire-raise daw nila sa next level for escalation. Wala naman akong gagawin so called in with an internet issue at the office and decided to call customer service again after lunch to follow-up with the service ticket. After checking on their end, they can't remote connect to my modem - either there's a cable cut from the post or the modem is bad. They will raise a new ticket a new ticket daw so that field technicians can visit within 36-48 hours. I demanded that technicians be immediately sent. Wala kakong nakalagay sa terms and conditions nila na need naming mga customers na maghintay ng 36-48 hours to fully resolve or get a technician visit. I know because I've read those T&Cs. Yung 36-48 hours kako eh SLA yan between PLDT and the contractor. Pero kaming mga customers we can demand immediate field tech visit. To make the ,long story short (because this is just the first part). I was on the phone with them from 2pm to 7pm. They were trying to contact field technicians and their management daw so that they can dispatch to my house. Umabot sa point na tatlong managers ang kausap ko sabay-sabay. Nalaman lang nilang iisa lang ang kausap nila around 5pm when they realized the ticket was getting updates from multiple persons. How I got to three supervisors? I called using multiple phones. Pag may naka-record nang ticket sa account mo, the IVR will tell you that you already have a service ticket and will not let you go futher. I bypassed that by selecting the billing option and then ask the billing agent to transfer me to tech support.

Eto na. kaninang umaga dumating ang mga technicians. Tumawag mga 8:30 and on the way na raw sila. Pagbaba ng sasakyan nila parang nagtataka ang itsura nung mga technician. May binanggit yung isa sa kasama nya, "Pre, ito yung VIP escalation?". Hindi ko na pinansin yun. Nag-inspect na sila dun sa NAP box, mga fiber cables and na-conclude na modem nga ang sira. Ang sabi sa akin eh may iba daw tech na parating na at dala yung replacement modem.

TInanong ko, "Sigurado kayo, parating na?". His reply was "Yes sir, papunta na po yun. Hindi pwedeng hinde kasi VIP escalation 'to. May kilala po ba kayo sa PLDT?".

I had to think fast and answered, "Kilala ko yung Operations AVP nila.". Sa totoo, wala akong kilala sa PLDT at hindi ko alam kung may role na ganun dun.

"Ah kaya pala. Naka-tag po kasi kayo as priority. Sige po paantay na lang..."

15 minutes later the guy with the modem called me asking for direction to my house. He arrived and replaced my modem.

So ayun, I therefore conclude that PLDT has a VIP lane for politicians, artists, business, big-wigs, and occasional GAGOs like me. Less than 24 hours after my issue came out, solved na.

So either today or on monday, an Operations AVP (if that role even exists), will get a notice that the case he/she escalated is already solved... or not...