Major rant, please bear with me

In my months here at Entrep, I have yet to think ill of someone that the magazine has featured or will be featuring.

Until now.

He owns a cigar shop, and the magazine featured him a couple of years back. We're featuring him again in February so I need to ask him a few questions, just to update the information we have.

When I checked our directory, we only had his mobile number, but when I tried that, the number had been changed. Ok, that happens. Fortunately, he has a branch here in Galleria, so I figured I'd get the number from the staff.

Done? Not at all.

When I explained to the staff who I was (even showed them my calling card and the letter I was going to send to their big boss), and asked if I could have the landline, fax number, or email address of their boss, I was told that they have a company policy not to give out any contact information whatsoever.

"I don't want his cellphone, just the office landline," I said.

They said they can't, it's company policy.

Why?

"Basta ma'am, yan ang utos sa amin e." I really hate it when they give that kind of reasoning.

"So paano ko siya ma-c-contact?"

Here's the clincher: they told me to leave my calling card, and that when the person from the head office comes the next day to deliver new stock for them, they would give him the calling card for him to give back to the secretary of the boss. And then I just wait for them to call me.

"Can I send the letter along with the calling card? So that at least Mr Big Boss will know right away why I need to talk to him."

"Ma'am, hindi pwede, calling card lang talaga muna."

It was the stupidest thing I ever heard of. I saw they had cellphones, I asked if they could text their manager or someone in the office to explain the matter. It was a freaking letter, not a parcel that could contain a bomb. But no, I was told to just wait for their call.

That was a Friday afternoon.

Monday, no call. So I went back to the branch and asked them what happened. They said they gave my card last Saturday to the delivery guy as they promised. Fine, I figured the secretary was busy with typical Monday work.

Yesterday, still no call, I went back. They said they would text the secretary to follow up. I asked if I could get the fax number or landline, still no dice.

Today, still no call, and I was half-annoyed, half-panicking. My deadline for that issue is coming close and if Mr. Cigar isn't interested, I should know so that I can find someone to replace him.

I went back to the kiosk in full taray mode and told them "Your boss doesn't seem to be interested to be featured, so I think I'll just take him out of the lineup." They probably got sick of me being there all the time so they finally gave me the cell number of the secretary.

A bit mollified, I called up the secretary. I told her who I was, that I left the calling card, and that I had been expecting her call since Monday. She said, all innocent, "I left it in Mr. Big Boss' desk, hasn't he called you yet?"

I said no, and explained why I needed to reach him. She gave me their fax number and told me to send the details. "Can I get your landline so I can follow up?" I asked.

"Umm, ma'am, bawal po ibigay e, kailangan may approval ni Sir. I-text nalang po ninyo ako kung mag-f-follow up kayo."

My blood pressure shot up 10 notches and I asked again why they had that no-giving-of-landline policy.

"Ma'am, I'm not authorized to disclose that information to you, basta yan po ang rule namin."

God, I hope they all choke on their cigars.