The Philippine Consulate General announced its WhatsApp contact number last week, in an effort to be more accessible to Filipinos in Dubai and Northern Emirates. This commendable move aims to address larger number of inquiries in a quicker manner.
The number, 056 417 7558, can be reached during working hours only – Sunday to Thursday, 8AM to 5PM, except during legal holidays (not sure if both UAE and Philippine holidays 😛 ). Inquiries received outside these hours will be answered the next working day.
It’s not a secret that many are not pleased with how phone calls are not being attended properly by the office. The hotline is always busy. So I tried to contact PCG via this new channel to find out how efficient they would be – very timely because I had an issue in viewing the appointment scheduler online.
Here’s what happened:
I sent my message 4:41 in the afternoon and got a reply only after sending a follow-up message 2:20PM the next day. I also only got a screenshot from them, without any hi or hello. I understand. The agent must be dealing with mountains of inquiries by that time. Still, he managed to do the check for me to show me the calendar. Love it.
I inquired again on another day and got a prompt response.
For me, this is efficient. Exactly what we need. This initiative further solidifies how the consulate knows where to play.
For my kababayans, if you didn’t get a quick reply, understand that there are a lot of other inquiries they are attending to. Just make a gentle follow-up. You’ll never know how more important the other messages are. If you have a really urgent matter, don’t WhatsApp. Don’t even call. Just go straight to the consulate office, and if it’s really urgent, for sure you will be addressed.
Also, kabayan, let’s observe proper communication etiquette and remain calm at all times please, regardless how people treat you on the other side. It’s about your character, not them, or whosoever.
And to the WhatsApp rep of PCG, as a digital experience professional, allow me to give some piece of advice, try to learn from what KHDA does on Twitter or even our very own MMDA‘s tweets. They are conversational and witty even though they’re talking about serious matters. You don’t have to crack jokes, just add a little element of fun.
But anyway, this is great already. Whoever you are behind this WhatsApp account keep up the great work!
ConGen Paul Raymund Cortes and your team, Mabuhay po kayo! full-width