"Nagpadala sa LBC, Na-Buang"

Insanity: Doing the same thing and expecting different results.

I sent a package via LBC to my wife who was in Davao. I saw that LBC had a service for tracking packages via SMS. Masubukan nga.

I was expecting it to be like FedEx’s online web tracking. When I used FedEx’s online tracking of a package I sent to my sister in Australia, I “watched” the status of the package. I “watched” it as it went through Philippine customs, was in flight, was in Australian customs, and then for delivery and finally delivered! Ayos!

I was expecting something similar from LBC package tracking via SMS. It wasn’t anything close. Here are my SMS queries (P2.50 each) and the responses of LBC Track:

Query: LBC HELP (sent to 211; Tuesday, 12:25:58AM)

Welcome to LBC HELP! To track a package, type: LBCTRACK [tracking#] ex. LBCTRACK 12345678; To find a branch, type: LBCFIND [location] ex. LBCFIND Antipolo. Thank you for using LBC Help!

Query: LBCTRACK 400001302xx (sent to 211; Tuesday, 12:27:09AM)

400001302xx (05/02/2005) Package is for delivery. For assistance, call 854-4848. Thank you for using LBC Help!

Uhmmmm… right. Pero tell me something I don’t know yet….

The next day, I Queried: LBCTRACK 400001302xx (sent to 211; Wednesday, 2:47:21PM)

400001302xx (05/03/2005) Package is for delivery. For assistance, call 854-4848. Thank you for using LBC Help!

Para ka naming sirang plaka, paulit-ulit.

Maya-maya, isa pa, baka sakaling makita ko dito kung nakarating na yung package ng wife ko: LBCTRACK 400001302xx (sent to 211; Wednesday, 8:18:19PM)

400001302xx (05/03/2005) Package is for delivery. For assistance, call 854-4848. Thank you for using LBC Help!

Syemes! Textin ko nalang kaya wife ko.

I texted, and my wife told me she had received the package by Wednesday afternoon.

Last nalang, let’s see if the SMS tracker will say “package delivered at [time and date]”. Query: LBCTRACK 400001302xx (sent to 211; Thursday, 12:36:30PM)

This information is not available at the moment.

One side of me wanted to curse. But my schizophrenic other self started chanting: “positive energies … positive energies come to me …” kasabay ng aking kamay na kumakaway, kumukuha ng positive aura mula sa paligid papunta sa aking mukhang pumapangit dahil sa inis.

I therefore conclude, USELESS! LBC Tracking was useless for me and cost me P12.50. Mabuti pang nag-text nalang ako sa aking wifey. Naka-twelve sweet nothings pa sana ako.

There are gems of SMS services in the Philippines. But there’s a lot of crap too. It’s a matter of finding those gems and using them appropriately.

Patient Edong
Pavilion #7
Mandaluyong

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