Posted by steele
Sony Ericsson to open new Makati concept shop
The Philippine STAR 09/27/2004
Sony Ericsson throws open the doors to the latest and most stylish in mobile lifestyle products with the new Sony Ericsson Concept Shop at the Digital Exchange, Level 3, Glorietta Mall, Ayala Center in Makati City.
The new Sony Ericsson Concept Shop, which opens tomorrow, will allow enthusiasts to explore the features of the latest Sony Ericsson handsets and innovative accessories in a fun yet relaxed setting.
Experience imaging, entertainment and mobile connectivity at its best from new models like the Sony Ericsson K700i, a camera phone with 4x digital zoom and Photo Light with automatic exposure control and automatic white balance for both still and video imaging.
The K700i also has a 41MB built-in memory for storage of up to 584 images in its photo album or 45 minutes of video playback.
Boasting of a new retail look, the Sony Ericsson Concept Shop was designed to attract mobile enthusiasts to the growing world of Sony Ericsson products and accessories.
This attractive retail design will be carried by Sony Ericsson Concept Shops across the region.
Aside from products on sale, the shop has download stations for users to get in on exciting content – games, wallpapers, screensavers, ringtones and applications available exclusively on Sony Ericsson handsets.
The shop will also provide after-sales services by trained and accredited service personnel.
Posted by rcdiugun
I called them up yesterday and unfortunately it still isn't open.
In the meantime, for those who are looking for their temporary office, it's at the ground floor of Glorietta 3, near McDonalds. It's just a booth.
Posted by GOwin
For addresses and phone numbers, please refer to FAQ for PH users
Posted by *Jojo*
I hope this will just beat that of the Nokia Concept Stores as well . . .in the very near future!
Posted by toshie_wataru
may nokia center din ata na makakatabi ang sony center dun sa digital exchange.
Posted by steele
I think this will be a showdown of both (SE and nokia) concept shops. Met some nokia people and their kinda snobbish. SE people are generally polite and all. That's based on my encounters with them.
I'll try to drop by their booth later and take look at it
Sana may internet station there where we can visit Esato
Posted by baste07
kelan kaya mag oopen to
Posted by steele
Ang press release was last Sept 27 bec the SESS in makati has been closed already. But i think the booth will stay for a week or two before the shop actually opens
Posted by toshie_wataru
dumaan ako kahapon. puro alikabok pa. he he he
Posted by rcdiugun
My mistake.
The temporary booth is at the third floor near that internet thingy and CD-R King.
Point of reference is still McDonalds Ground/2nd floor. SE booth is right on top of McDo.
Posted by yogin
@rcdiugun, i have visited the place and it was really good!!! talbog and NOKIA!!!
Posted by mari73
i don't think se concept shop can open nextweek. as i look at the site, probably they can open on the 2nd or 3rd week of this month. (sana, kasi even yung sales executive nila di alam kelan mag open talaga)
Posted by yogin
@mari73, really?? good thing you were able to talk to the sales exec.. if that is the case.. goodluck to me!! tgal ko pa mag iintay!
Posted by kenski
I too hope it opens na, really want to check it out specially they also have accessories and service for
users like us. 
Posted by triggerbokie
ayos ito!
Posted by rcdiugun
@kenski They have some stuff there na sa booth nila.
I really like that Desk Stand ha! and the micro charger. Cool talaga!
Posted by steele
Visited the booth last Monday. They still don't know the opening date of the actual concept chop. Spoke with this SE girl and she showed me the P910 and s700!
I was trying not to show my excitement but both phones look great
Posted by kenski
@rcdiugun, tnx for the info. Yup that p900 really is cool! Except the price..
I'll probably take look at the store this friday baka magaganda din csr...
Posted by steele
@kenski
Tanong mo na rin kung may opening.he he
Posted by rcdiugun
Wacky idea: What if we EB at the
concept shop opening? LOL!
Posted by Skrue
that would be cool....esato members EB sa opening ng SE concept shop...hmmm...
Posted by kenski
Which opening are you talking about? My last statement was regarding chicks eh pls clarify
Posted by rcdiugun
Sige! EB tayo doon!
@kenski, pagpunta mo doon sa Friday, can you check with the CSR for their opening?
Hmm. Mali.
Check with the CSR as to when their concept shop will finally open.
Yun. Mas claro.
Posted by kenski
@rc, hayun gets ko na!
Bka kasi magkamali ng tanong eh masampal me Cge will do.
_________________
forever
Read the FAQ before u post a new topic..
8810->6150->3310->t68i->t610->t630->k700i
[ This Message was edited by: kenski on 2004-10-07 05:50 ]
Posted by 701
Oh,well,some good things come2life harder than others.Anyway,i think the concept isn't new-u have a shop with a multimedia setting and a few pcs. But i hope they thought about spreading the shops across Europe too!1more thing:if they don't colate this with affordable prices,nuthin' will come out of it.
Posted by Skrue
I was implying on a general esato eb..
Posted by rcdiugun
@Skrue, kaya nga. We need to know when they would ACTUALLY open the Concept Shop para ma-synch natin with an Esato EB.
@kenski, don't forget to ask!
[ This Message was edited by: rcdiugun on 2004-10-07 09:48 ]
Posted by lyonhart
just passed by the digital exchange yesterday, the sony ericsson booth or stall is already operational. Unfortunately there was no csr available that's why I was unable to ask the date of official opening. The SE booth and the Globe Hub are the only ones already opened. Nokia, Motorolla, Samsung et. al. were still closed. Not quite impressed with the SE booth. Just the same us their stall in SM North Carpark yet smaller. The Globe Hub there is the most elegant of all.
Posted by ex_crusader
coz maybe that's all they can flaunt.. haha... ooops, and also their automated machines (for payments).
Posted by Residentevil
I wish they would open one in the US.
Posted by toshie_wataru
if i am not mistaken, the official opening would be on the 22nd or the 25th.
Posted by baste07
ang tagal pa
Posted by jplacson
Just visited the new SE Concept Shop in Glorietta 3... I'm sorry... but these guys are about as helpful as SE's new outsourced call centers.
You're better of going straight to Semicon.
Posted by toshie_wataru
why? what happened? share your experience naman. ü
Posted by marlonxp
Yeah share with us.
Posted by baste07
anong nangyari? tignan natin kung ganun talaga baka na tsempo ka lang
Posted by jplacson
Well, they're not totally stupid... I guess for everyday "How do I turn on my phone?" problems... they can help.
But for serious SE users who have serious problems... they're not as well trained as Semicon's technical staff.
Example... Warranty issue. Wintelcom warranty is honored by SE..even Semicon. SESS in Glorietta 3 says "We can't find your phone in our database, so we won't honor warranty... but if you like, you can go to our head office in Libis and check their database. We have the same database, but they might have your phone there." ... uhmm... say that again?!?! Mind you, there was an SESS stick on the phone which they said is theirs but they weren't sure. Sure about what, they never said they just said "Your phone has an SESS sticker, so this is our sticker...but we're not sure." ... huh?!?!? What kind of BS response is that?!?! I can get less vague replies from a politician.
2nd example... P910 issue. SE Customer Care email (their new and improved outsourced people) "Please visit our Service Center in Glorietta 3" ... SESS Glorietta 3, "Where did you buy your phone?" I said Semicon, "For those cases, it's better to take your phone to Semicon." ... uh.. ok... wtf!?!??!
I mean, I've met almost every kind of SE service group here... even during the Ericsson days. From their head office in Ortigas, to when Semicon was still a small shop in Megamall, another shop in Manila... so on... I've met the dumb ones.. I've met the smart ones... I've tolerated the idiots as well. And I was very happy to see that over the years, SE's service has gotten better... specially through Semicon.
The SE service center along Jupiter is pretty good as well, although they charge for cosmetic service, Semicon doesn't. But they're good... convenient... and parking is free.
But this new one in G3 is something else... I was annoyed simply because unlike Smartnet or Semicon... they have the whole SE look... and yet, offer less informed personel. Mind you, they give the best BS in the business... quick, and vague. But I'd rather have a service tech that looks at your phone... tries to figure it out and HONESTLY tells you "Sorry sir, di namin kaya to". These guys in G3 are not rude or anything mind you, they're all real friendly and polite ... it's just the level of service I was expecting from the concept shop (they should have more info on glitches, problems, etc... than the retail shops right? Since they have access to the newer models)
But like I said earlier... I think these guys are just trained for the everyday users...and minor problems like FW flashing, or case changes. I don't think they're trained for major defects or glitches which long-time SE users encounter. For me, I'm more relaxed around Semicon (although not the one in Megamall)
I guess considering that it's like a showroom in a mall... they've trained their people for casual customers and such. I wouldn't go back there with my P910. For older phones that have been around... T610, T630, Z600... yes. But for the newest phones with weird glitches... and unique issues (if no one else seems to have that problem but you) ... I'd take it to Semicon.
The one thing I like about Semicon is that the staff plays with the phones... they actually try it out and test it... not just rely on SE training. Veteran staff members know the glitches of certain models, etc... they ask frequent customers (Esato members are known there and real customer interaction is valued since we're the ones using the phones) about their problems with their phones, etc...etc.
I guess I was just expecting more from this shop since it bore the SE sign. Although I think it's run by MemoExpress.. I'm not really sure, can anyone confirm this? I was hoping that the concept shop would be an extention of SE Phil, you know? People who actually have been using SE phones..and know the glitches that have been around or have been known.
**For those wondering what issue I have with my P910i, P910i known issue... Quick Office USER error 113...this is a Quickoffice glitch which I'm trying to resolve with Quickoffice directly. This may not be an SE glitch, but QuickOffice is hardwired into the ROM of the P910i and the glitch may be in the version of QO included.**
Posted by toshie_wataru
wow! baka nga natiyempuhan ka lang. he he he. buti na lang pala ako ma suwerte.
as for my experience with semicon, i have a nokia 6610 which i brought to nokia care before. sabi sa nokia di na daw magagawa and if ever magawa e baka 80% ng brand new unit ang cost ng service so i might as well buy a new one. the problem with my phone is it doesn't recognizes the sim card. it says "insert sim card". i brought it to semicon and they too said the same thing. since (they said) i won't be able to use it anymore, i tried my luck at the cellphone tiannge in parksquare. after an hour i got my phone back and its working perfectly well. i paid php 800 only. baka nga mas mura pa dun ang binayan ko kung nag tanong tanong pa ako sa iba.
that is why i don't go to semicon and i don't use nokia anymore. :=)
Posted by lilbill
Service is handled by SE Philippines while the Sales aspect is being handled Memoxpress
[ This Message was edited by: lilbill on 2004-10-19 19:00 ]
Posted by Louie_04
open na ba sila?
Posted by baste07
ang tagal naman nla mag open
Posted by jplacson
lilbill... if the service is handled by SE Phil.. wow.. who trained these guys?!?!?
I'm a long-time Ericsson/SE customer... long before Semicon was even known here. I was one of the first people in the Phil to actually visit the Ericsson Head Office just to get a firmware upgrade "You're the first Ericsson user who ever brought up a firmware upgrade issue"... this was long before firmware upgrades were known. (This was back in 1997 I think, my first phone was the Ericsson GH688..fresh from Sweden... Hong Kong never even heard of that model yet)
And everyone I've ever met from Ericsson and SE Phil has always been competent. This is why I was surprised at the (albeit professional level of it) BS that the SESS was dishing out.
I mean, come on... the phone had THEIR sticker... but it wasn't on their database? What kind of system are they running?!??! Then they said to physically visit their Head Office which had "The exact same database, pero it might be there" ... HUH!??!?! Why the F*** would I visit an office so far away from where I was... just to be told the same story?!??!
It just seemed very odd to me. To be given the run-around like that. Specially if the service guys in SESS are from SE Phil.
Semicon has different divisions handling Nokia and Ericsson service. The SE Service guys from Semicon say that training for SE and Nokia is different... that's probably why you had a weird experience with your Nokia.
With all the E/SE phones I've had, I've noticed that Ericsson and SE parts are cheaper, as are repairs (unless you smash your screen) vs. Nokias. Nokia repairs don't seem to last... maybe it's the way the phone frames are made? Dunno... don't really care
hahahaha
But every SE repair I've had to do always gave me back a phone that was good as new. Oh, I also like Smartnet's service (the one along Jupiter) ... the only thing is, they charge for cosmetic changes (case, keypad, etc... Semicon doesn't)
Posted by 2sxy4u
- My P900 had a problem - intermittent jog dial function.
- I brought the phone to the new SESS at Glorietta3 for diagnosis - they said the jog dial needed replacement.
- I asked how long it will take for them to replace the dial - they said 5 days since they still didn't have the part.
- I can't leave my phone with them for 5 days without a service unit - so i coursed the request for repair through Globe Platinum Customer Service at the Hub same day.
- I got my service unit (a Z600) - Globe sent my phone to SESS for repair.
- After 2 days, I get a call from Globe telling me that SESS said my phone did not need any repair - I said that's impossible since it was SESS who said it needed repair. I wouldn't leave it with them if they said it didn't need fixing. Besides, my phone was really having a jog dial problem and i wanted it fixed asap.
- I said SESS has to fix the problem and replace the defective part as they have diagnosed!
- Next day, I was informed that my phone will be ready in 3 days - Globe said they will call me when they have my phone.
- I get my phone after 3 days at the Globe Hub - my phone seemed to function ok, except that I was shocked to find out that my phone's firmware had been upgraded!
- All my personalized settings, installed applications and saved files - GONE!!!
- It seemed like I was holding an entirely different phone - I was not happy about it.
- To top it all, the repair note indicated that the jog dial was never replaced. Only a system connector was merely resoldered.
- AND the worse thing i discovered after i scrutinized my phone under brighter lighting conditions at home - there was a 1 inch scratch at the upper front panel and a chip on the side near the camera button.
- I brought the phone back the next day - SESS said they will replace the housing parts that had scratches, free of charge. But I have to wait for another 2 weeks again since they had no stock of the part to be replaced.
- They couldn't do anything about the lost settings - according to the SESS staff, a Globe officer gave them the go to upgrade my phone's firmware.
- I was never informed by either Globe or SESS of the upgrade. I wasn't ready for any upgrade. The latest system backup of my phone was in the province.
HASSLE... BUMMER...
All because Globe and SESS were having communication problems. To think of it, their offices are only a few meters apart.
And all I wanted was my phone to be fixed....
Posted by wapz
come on guys? is it really that bad? I'm planning to have my p900 checked there later this month for a check....got any other suggestions aside from sess and semicon.....and by the way I hate the service policy of SEMICON....I know it's safe not to repair units without the original sticker at the back casing but PLEASE....damn, my t68i was chewed of by my dog!!!!for christ's sake.....I even brought the box with me when I went there.....SEMICON sm north sucks!!
Posted by 619
you can bring your SE to smartnet, SESS or semicon podium for repair..
so far, i never encountered any problems with them
Posted by Skrue
i had a problem with semicon podium before.
share ko lang: i bought a t39mc from a person here in esato last april or so and it was in a very bad condition(cosmetics) besides that it didnt have the latest firmware so i wanted it upgraded aswell and looking bnew. here's wat i bought: the front, back frame and flip + the upgrade since my phone was r3 something and the last was r4a. i left my fone at around 12noon as i had classes dat day. i returned back at 4pm, having seen the fones cosmetics changed i was delighted and didnt bother to check it except for the firmware just to find out that it has been downgraded to r2 something...it was clear that i got pissed off cos i had to wait a good 45mins just for them to upgrade it again(12 to 4 and they didnt do a good job on it). as soon as i got it i left for my frends house in marikina, while in marikina i noticed that the vibra was rattling in an abnormal way. nde daw nakalapat ng maayos un vibra with the housing. besides that my keypad backlight was gone so i quickly called semicon podium about that matter. a stupid service staff was ranting that they were not held responsible about that, infact i was sure that there was no problem with the fone except for its badly beaten cosmetics. i told that i went to them for it to be fixed and not to be broken. it was already 7pm and they said that technical was already closed, i demanded for them to wait for me and solve the problems they caused the fone. finally at around 9pm thay had it fixed(just some connectors being not properly placed), i learnt my lesson of doing a personal service tests before and after leaving them my fone....whew....just recently i had another t39m fixed and to my surprise no problems was encountered.
that's all...bow...
Posted by fw190
The problem is that the stores here generally leave it up to you, the customer, to be able find all the defects in the item you bought from them within the short span of time you're in their store. If you manage to find any faults, then you're lucky and they'll give you a different unit or you can abort the sale altogehter...
The moment you hand them your money and bring the item out of their store, they automatically consider that you've accepted the item along with all the defects that you may have failed to find.
Of course, the store will still help you..but they'll give you hell in the process... they'll pull out your phone for 'servicing', thereby leaving you phoneless the entire day, or worse...
Anyway, you'd die young from hypertension just by trying to fight against these stores/establishments for your consumer rights. The best defense is to be alert and check for all possible defects in the unit you've had repaired or about to buy.
(BTW, is there anybody here who works at the Quality Assurance dept of a cell phone company? Can you post to this forum the general quality checklist items that you perform on a unit before releasing it to be shipped for distribution? )
Posted by steele
Just visited the SE Concept in Glorietta. It's so not SE. Nokia, Moto and Samsung shops beside it were far more impressive. The SE Concept shop lacks sample units of their phones. All they have were dummy phones! Very disappointing.
_________________
tough times don't last. tough people do.
[ This Message was edited by: steele on 2005-01-22 06:32 ]
Posted by jplacson
Skrue, afaik... downgrading firmware is impossible. The flashing program won't allow a rollback... even if the older version was better. That's just what I know about the flasher software anyway. Another thing, maybe your software was for the MC, and the one they flashed was for the regular M... that would explain the difference? Dunno...I'm just guessing.
Steele... the concept shop really sucks. It's by Memoexpress which isn't exactly the best SE dealer here. The service guys are kinda 'eng-eng' about a lot of stuff. I gave a review about them here a few pages back I think. I was disappointed.
Semicon seems to be the most competent solution we have. Not to say that they are the best in the world... but they're good enough.
Smartnet is a close second. Losing out a bit cuz they charge for cosmetic changes. Semicon doesn't.
In all my years experience with Ericsson/SonyEricsson phones and Semicon and Smartnet... I haven't had any major problems at all.
My first Ericsson was a GH688... servicing was done in Ericsson itself, since I was one of the few end users who knew what FW flashing was... so the guys in Ericsson were very nice and accomodating. Plus I had emails from Ericsson SE instructing them to assist me.
(I love email)
My next Ericsson was the T28s. It was far from perfect, but revolutionary for its time. One month before the warranty expired, the motherboard got fried... Semicon replaced it with a brand new T28s no charge. Warranty extended 3 months. It's still alive today.
Never had any problems dealing with FW flashing with my R320s, R310s, R520m either. I still have and use my R310s (which needs a new connector already from all the swimming its done throughout the years)
T68m experience with Semicon was great too. Upgrade to T68i SW was done without question. (You had to be an early bird for this one though, because it took a while for them to really sort through all the details of SE's memo concerning the upgrade... late comers had a lot of BS to deal with)
P800 days went by with no problems either. I got the unit from Globotel, but warranty from Semicon. They had no issues servicing it or flashing it.
P910i ... and Memoexpress AKA SonyEricsson Concept shop... this is where the major BS started... as well as weird CS reps. These guys are obviously FOB (Fresh Off the Boat) when it comes to Ericsson/SonyEricsson phones. They seem to have very little to no experience with our phones...new or old. Maybe old Nokia users? Anyway, they don't really seem to know anything outside the "Repair manual" that they probably have to read.
Semicon techs are average SE users so they know MOST (not all) of SE's quirks and glitches.
I'm so happy that SE's new phones offer online FW upgrades. This saves them a lot of time and effort. Not to mention the convenience for us end users! And less hassle of dealing with some dumb service techs as well.
Posted by steele
@jplacson
had my share of good experiences with semicon but i find SESS better. Yun nga lang wala na sila. Anyway, off topic question...May s700i online upgrade na ba?