Wester Union Outlets in Kota Kinabalu

I do earn a few pennies displaying weird Google ads on my little web site. So far I have visited 3 Western Union outlets in Kota Kinabalu to collect my monthly ( smug* ) tinnee winnee Google payment. The ratings below are strictly based on my personal opinion:


1. CIMB Bank : Friendly staff who helped to explain the concept of Western Union to a suaku like me, showed me the two different forms and taught me to ignore the ridiculously short boxes which is not enough to fill up a long city name like Kota Kinabalu. The queue is reasonably fast. Too bad it's too far away from the main bus route, otherwise I would love to go there more often.


My rating : 80%



2. Public Bank : Usual trademark cold efficiency. I could not figure out which counters I should go to collect my payment. They see to that you are confused. :-) Anyways, no fuss with the collection process. Their branches are much more strategically situated to bus routes for a poverina.


My rating : 80%


3. Pos Malaysia HQ in Kota Kinabalu : This one-ah. Sometimes the queue is 20 minutes, sometimes it's 2 hours. Their Western Union procedure differs from the banks - they want a photocopy of your IC each time you apply for a payment and they want you to supply the phone number of the money sender.



Each requirement has a little problem attached to it.



First the IC photocopy. The first time I found out of course I didn't get the photocopy ready. There is only one photocopy shop near the post office. Not that I am lazy, but if you can foresee a long queue for sure you don't want to go far to save a few cents. That photocopy shop really cut throat lah. Other people charge 20 cent, they charge 50 cent. After I kena two times, I always make sure I make a 20 cent copy before going to the post office.



Then the sender's phone number. After visiting the post office a few times without incidents except for the 2-hour wait and 50 cent copy. Then suddenly they add a new rule- you must fill in the sender's phone number. I found out only when the counter clerk said that she had reminded me to find out the sender's phone number during my last visit and proceeded to scold me for ignoring her instructions.



The real problem is, I don't easily forget a pretty girl who dressed up like a fashion model working among aunties. I swear she never told me about the 'new' rule. Some more what's the logic of filling in Google's office number, guarantee they don't pick up a trivial call pertaining to an ikan bilis like me.



Another strange thing, I tried to ask different post offices around KK on the rate of sending money via Western Union and they all cannot give me an answer. I found out the rate after chatting with a Filipina who was queuing together with me at Public Bank.



My rating : 40% ( Actually I want to give 39%, but since they still give out the money then I give a grudging pass-lah )