Chowking Pacita Complex, San Pedro Number. This would be my second time ordering from Chowking via phone and this is the second time checking the internet to find the number so I might as well save it here in my blog for further reference. I am not a big Chowking fan but I eat there once in a while.

Contrary to popular belief not all San Pedro numbers use the Laguna area code. Some don’t hence Chowking’s working landline number:

(02)868-5388

I can’t sleep. It’s either insomnia or I am already used to staying up real late. Anyway, this is a chance for me to post here even it is already late into July. I originally wanted to post everyday, but apparently it is not easy. So better late than never. I’ll talk about recent events that have transpired either involving me or not (did that sound grammatically right? hmmm…). This is not a complete list but here goes…

WordPress 3.0

Yes, after a long break, WP 3.0 is here and this blog is a living proof that the new version of WP works and rocks! The dashboard design is new, there is a new default theme and other nifty features are added like the “Featured Image” feature.

Google DevFest Philippines 2010

I attended the Google Devfest here in the Philippines at the …. hmm I forgot already but is beside UP Diliman (or is it inside the campus, not sure…). Ah I remember, Ayala Technohub =D. It was a fun learning event and it fortified my belief that HTML 5 will rock our world.

I got to meet with old friends as well and the best part is I got a free t-shirt XD.  Links and pics can be found in Randell’s blog.

VMobile Loadxtreme

I’m not much into networking companies (but I have joined several in the past…) but this particular one had an impact on me. Why? Because of the product. The VMobile Loadxtreme service offers the capability to “load” any prepaid cellphone from any network using your own cellphone (no special sim required) or via the internet.

You may have heard of the bad history it has and that is true. However, what is important is the present and the future. Based from my experience, they have a very good and solid IT infrastructure and thus their business has a very solid foundation. You and I can earn from both selling load and recruiting others to sell load.

As a retailer, you earn an average of 10%. Compare that to bank savings account where you earn only 3-4%. I’ll take the 10% any day! And you are not limited to 10%. If you are able to sell your load weekly, you’ll be able to earn 10% each week amounting to 40% per month. Talk about high ROI.

Goji and TaiSlim

My wife and I are trying these 2 new health drinks. Let us hope that it does wonders by strengthening our immune system and by reducing my weight to better levels.

Rainy Season

The rainy season kicked in this July and brought in the first typhoon of the year. I forgot the name but the typhoon packed very heavy winds though with little rain.

It is now 5:05 am and I can’t think of anything else. Guess I’ll stop here…

So what are the Western Union Gold Card perks and privileges? As an Adsense publisher, I’ve been getting my payments via WU and that is how I got acquainted with the Gold Card. I always wanted one but never got one until now because it was always out of stock. All the while, I never really knew what it was good for so I searched the internet and would be sharing what I found online.

According to www.westernunion.com.ph, here are the perks:

• Abenson HomePlus: a 5% discount on selected items
• Dairy Queen: a free upsize for every 12oz Oreo Blizzard
• David’s Salon: a 15% discount on any cash transactions
• George Optical: a 5% discount on prescription lenses
• Informatics: a P300 discount on all courses
• Kids Depot: a 10% discount on any purchases
• Marcela, Marcela Myx, and Kristenzz: a 10% discount on any items
• Microtel Inns and Suites: upto 30% discount on room rental
• Pizza Hut: a free spaghetti Bolognese or a Caesar salad for a minimum purchase of P300
• Taco Bell: a free drink for a minimum purchase of P200; and
• Xtreme Magic Sing: a P250 to P500 discount

While www.pinoymoneytalk.com claims WUGC has the ff perks:

• 7% discount on any Air Philippines fare;
• 15% discount on hair and facial services at David’s Salon;
• Free gift item on a minimum purchase of P125 at HBC;
• 5% discount on all Goldilocks cakes;
• $5 discount on all international outbound transactions at DHL

When I got my card just now, the WU agent also gave me some coupon stubs. Using those stubs and my WUGC, I’m entitled to:

• a Free Bavarian donut for every regular dozen donuts at Mister Donut
• 10% discount on regular items at Rusty Lopez
• free upgrade of accommodations at Negros Navigation
• 10% discount on selected surgeries, diagnostic and treatment procedures at Asian Eye Institute

I bet there are more WU perks out there which we do not know of but based on the above sample, I guess this card is worth having considering it is free of charge

Have you ever been deceived by someone before? How? There are many ways to deceive someone, some are disgustingly direct while some are slickly unnoticeable. Whatever the case, deception is never good. According to Wikipedia, deception “…are acts to propagate beliefs that are not true, or not the whole truth (as in half-truths or omission)…“. Thus deception is not just the telling of a lie, it can also mean omission of important information related to the truth.

What does this have to do with marketing in the Philippines? I am not talking about marketing in general but about experiences in marketing where I was at the receiving end. Not all marketing are deceptive but there are some which merit our attention. Let us take a look at those.

Marketing Deception – Prudential Life Insurance
Last year, Prudential Life called us to inform us that they were giving out freebies because it was their nth anniversary. The freebies sounded good to us and so to make a long story short we went to their office to claim the freebies. Little did we know that there were strings attached! After giving us the freebies, the person that entertained us started his marketing pitch and sold us a health plan.

How was that deceptive?

First, he lied to us. He said that the health plan can be paid via credit at 0% interest payable in 12 months because their company was affiliated with the credit card company. But the truth is, for me to be able to avail of the 12-month payment, I have to call the credit card company myself to change the payment scheme to 12 months. What’s worse is it is not with 0% interest leading me to pay more than I should!

Second is the case of them not telling us the whole truth. When they talked to us over the phone, the only thing they mentioned was the freebies and nothing about any paid plan or the like. Now that is slick deception. Once you’ve bitten the bait, they will hard-sell you with their health plans and make you feel unwise if you do not buy what they have to offer. They will indirectly force you to buy by implying that not buying their plans is unwise and if you don’t buy on the day they offer it, you will not be able to get their health plans at the rate they are offering it if bought on another day.

Marketing Deception – Caritas Health Card
The other day, a Caritas agent called us and said that because of their anniversary (same strategy as Prudential), they are giving out freebies to people that some other people referred to them (same strategy as Prudential). I played their game and went on with the conversation. The agent said that we would receive gift checks worth thousands of pesos that can be used for dental and other health purposes. She also asked me if I have financial cards like credit cards, ATM and the likes (same strategy as Prudential) so that I would be able to join their raffle (same strategy as Prudential). More cards more raffle entries (same strategy as Prudential). I said yes. And then I also agreed to going to their office to claim the freebies (hey it’s free!) but I also readied myself for the expected sales pitch right after giving out the freebies.

It was a Monday and we went to their office at Ayala Makati. It was at the 10th floor of Security Bank building and upon arriving at their office, the look and feel of the place shouted mediocrity (same as Prudential). The items to be won from the raffle were showcased at their “lobby” and I was having a hard time wondering why they are raffling out old-dirty-looking items.

A woman agent entertained us and brought us to a table where she would present the freebies and the non-freebies. First, she gave us the freebies. And then since we are already there, she said that she might as well offer us with an enticing offer that is only being offered to selected people (us) and can only be availed on that day (same strategy as Prudential). She offered us their health cards (HMO) which can be paid through credit cards (same strategy as Prudential). Now, I came into their office with no intent of buying anything or whatsoever and was very determined to say NO to their every offer. That’s what I did but subtly they tried to change my mind by troubling my conscience as if saying that if I don’t by their plans, then I was not interested in protecting(insuring) my health and my wife’s.

In the end, she was pretty annoyed because none of her efforts convinced us to buy. We thanked her and left and simply chuckled on our way out.

Lessons From the 2 Stories
I do not think that their companies are fraud or they are offering scam plans. My point in this blog post is that they are using dirty and deceptive tactics to market their products. If you analyze both stories, you would see that their strategies are similar and they are:

1. Call you at home to tell you that you will receive freebies as part of their anniversary. This is funny because many have called us (month after month) using the same line leaving us to think that it really is not their anniversary but their monthsary lolz.
2. During your phone conversation, they will tell you to go to their office and claim the freebies. They will also tell you that you do not have to worry as you would not have to pay anything. This is true but deceptive. Yes, you don’t pay for the freebies but once you step into the “lion’s lair” they will hard-sell you with your offers which you might not be able to turn down if you have a weak will or simply unprepared for their sales talk.
3. They will constantly ask for your financial cards (credit card, ATM, etc…). I am not entirely sure why but I think this is to make sure that the person that they are talking to can afford what they have to offer. Or if you are a credit card holder, they will try their very best to have you use your credit card to buy their plans.
4. The credit card trick goes like this. They will say that you can use your credit card to buy their plans. And then they will say that you can opt to pay the plan monthly through the credit card and you would not have to do anything because this will automatically be done for you which is a lie.

Ultimately, it is up to you to decide. If it so happens that you already are looking for an insurance plan or a health card plan, then this might be the perfect opportunity for you. You surely would not mind all the sales talks that would come your way to convince you as you are already set to buy.

However, if acquiring these are not part of your plans, then beware of their dirty tactics and mind games that they will throw at you. The things I mentioned above are some of the things that they will do. So if ever you encounter what we have encountered, just ready yourself for the worst by learning from the things we have already learned.

Additionally, here are some other noteworthy Prudential Life and Caritas encounters by other people. Check out the post and more importantly the comments section:
http://makati.olx.com.ph/caritas-health-card-iid-21175076
http://ph.88db.com/Health-and-Medical/Hospitals-Clinics/ad-140145/
http://www.phawville.com/blog/prudential-life-scam/