REVIEW: Unionbank Dasmarinas, Cavite

My Unionbank Eon will expire in a few days, so I've got to replace it in time for my salary at the end of the month. At 9am on the dot, the Unionbank branch in Dasmarinas, Cavite opened up. Here are some things I've noticed:

1. Their bank employees, including the guard, do not know how to greet customers. Courtesy is very important because the life of their business depends on the customers.

2. My transaction only took 15 minutes. Kinda quick but it would have been quicker if the person in charge in handling new accounts did not include her other responsibilities not related to my purpose. She said she'd just open the vault. I went there to change my Eon card, so no connection at all.

3. I paid P150 for the replacement of my Eon card. I've read in numerous blogs that a fee is paid for the replacement. Apparently, there is no payment if the card has reached beyond its expiration date. For example, if my card expires at the end of August and I decide to replace it by September, there would be no charge for replacing it. It would have been better if the bank's website includes that information.

More observations next week as my card will be replaced after a week.

Online Banking

Online banking has made a housewife's life truly easier. Utilities and other forms of payment, though may be limited, can now be done online. With just a good internet connection and enough fund, banking has become accessible. As they say, 'with just a click of a button', it's done! I availed of BPI, Unionbank and BDO. Let me compare them*:)

                 

Accessing the online banking facility of BDO is the easiest among the three. Even though, I have forgotten my username and passwords several times, it's very easy to retrieve them or get one through their customer service. The icons and other 'clickable' buttons are easy to understand. Very 'masa' as they say. One can also get cellphone loads easily by just enrolling one's number. The usual banking activities of paying, sending money, or even requesting for a checkbook can be done on their site. Although these can also be availed with the other banks, I think BDO's site is the friendliest and easiest to navigate.

                                         

I use this bank's online facility because of their tie-up with Paypal. When I was still using Paypal with BDO, there was almost P200 deduction from my money. With Unionbank, I can withdraw my whole salary, without deductions!** However, whenever I need to pay bills, their site asks for a transaction password (this is different from the log-in password). I think it is quite a hassle, although I understand that it is just an additional security for one's account. This site is usually unavailable, sad to say. Aside from that, I don't find their customer service perky enough to accept calls. The person who I talked to yesterday needed a lot of pronunciation training:( If not for Paypal, I would not avail of their online banking facility. Their site is usually unavailable also.

I just got my log-in details and password from the BPI customer service. I had to wait for more than 10 minutes to be connected. I guess that was just a short wait compared with the time that I usually have to wait to be connected to the PLDT 171. But that's another story:) Anyway, I liked the color of the icons in the website. Since there were a lot of icons/buttons to choose from, I think it is their bank's way of offering a lot of services. I think 80% of bank transactions can be done on their website. Really offering a lot to their customers. I believe that it is also their way of introducing their products since online applications are readily accepted.

RANKING:

1. Based on the website's look: BDO, BPI, Unionbank

2. Easy navigation: BDO, BPI, Unionbank

3. Customer Service: BPI, BDO, Unionbank

*Comparison is based on personal experience.
**These does not include the paypal fee.