Not Exactly Overheard… Another Telco to offer their own Telco Cash

Just got word from a reliable source that a local Telco provider is working hard to come up with their own version of Telco Cash. Seems like the Telcos are hell bent on taking a big slice out of the remittance market and Person-to-Person (P2P) payments from the banks.

By process of elimination, you may know which Telco this is.

Cash, Money… what else? Currency? Coins? Moolah?

I wonder how they will call this new service?

Overheard #1: An Account Manager with a Customer

Scene:  An Account Manager of a software development firm and a Customer talking about the latter’s submitted proposal in a Coffee Shop in Makati.

Customer: Before we install the modification, maybe we should see it in action first. A dry run perhaps before we sign this proposal to see if what we are getting is the same as the one we require.

Account Manager: Understood, Sir.  I believe we have talked about your requirements in our last meeting.  IN fact, you sent us the sample of the email formats you would need to be filtered.  All these requirements are expressly mentioned in the proposal we gave you last week.

Customer:  I am fully aware that we’ve set up the alerts since we can actually receive the same on our mobile phone.  However, we have concerns regarding the text messages being sent, hence, the reason for our request. I hope you understand.

Account Manager:  We fully understand your concern, Sir… that you would like to make sure that you are getting what you are going to pay for.  We hope you understand as well that we need to secure from your company some form of acceptance of the proposed scope of modification since we will be allocating customization time and resources to this project.  In this case, the signed proposal will serve the purpose.  We can start development as soon as we receive the signed off proposal.

Customer:  Okay? Then?

Account Manager: When we submit the modified application for your testing, we will also submit a separate User Acceptance Form.  We will ask you to sign this form only when you agree that the scope of work has been fulfilled. We require a signed User Acceptance Form before we can deploy the modified application for production use.  The signed User Acceptance Form will also be our basis for sending the invoice to you for the amount specified in the proposal.

Customer:  Thank you for your detailed explanation, then.  I understand the purpose of signing your acceptance form, but let me just clarify this…When we sign this form, this is to just signify that we are okay with the tasks that will be done by your team, right? And we are not yet confirming our acceptance on the proposal?

Account Manager: *scratches his nose and heaves a noticeable sigh of exasperation*

New Series: “OVERHEARD”

I’ve decided to start Serial Posts about topics, news, and bits that I overhear during my lone moments at a coffee shop or while queueing for a transaction in a fastfood resto or while standing inside a crowded MRT ride or while talking to my colleagues and clients and partners… what have you.

I have (I don’t want to say “eavesdropped”) overheard a lot of funny, insightful, downright stupid things being talked about so many, many times. Too bad I don’t carry with me a small notepad to jot down the stories I hear.  There are juicy items that I pick up along the way and would add them as “blind items” in the ensuing entries.

It would be great to share these with you while, at the same time, record the same for posterity in this blog.

Rants from a Coffee Shop

No. Not mine. They’re someone else’s.

I feel sorry for this bunch of folks who, every early morning, while having their breakfast of coffee and water, rant and complain and whine about problems, issues, and debacles in their office. They hurl vindictives and bad-mouth their colleagues, and, yes, the powers that be. I just don’t get it when people keep complaining and not doing anything about it.

One of my favorite adages… “Don’t just complain. Do something about it.”

Solve the problem. Work a solution. Or the best solution… Resign and get out of that God-forsaken place.

It will do you no good staying. It will eat you up. Wear you down to the point that you’re bitter and negative all over. It is utterly pointless to keep on and endure the pain.