PTCL Service Woes
We have been talking about PTCL profits, layoffs and management. In this entry let’s focus on its customer service, which has never been a forte for PTCL. For instance the incomplete page for customer service centers at PTCL site does not give a good impression. I have selected two recent stories from consumer’s point of view - one from the traditional media and one from the new media (a blog) to illustrate the issues which PTCL customers are facing.
First, the report from Nation which is about disconnection of phone service due to “non-payment” of dues. There seem to be many procedural gaps and the whole process is a burden on the customers.
The subscribers complain that temporary disconnection is inevitable even if bill has been duly paid on the last date or after the due date. In some cases even timely payment of dues does not prevent disconnection. In such situation, subscribers have to take a day off in order to visit their respective exchange or customer service centre and submit a photocopy of their paid bill for getting their connections restored.
A subscriber of North Lahore Telephone Exchange complained about the same recurring problem. He said it was highly unfair that subscribers have to wait in long queues at banks to pay their bills and after a few days once again the process is repeated at the telephone exchange in order to prove that they had duly paid their dues. He said it was not the responsibility of the subscribers to intimate the exchanges about the payment of dues and it should be an internal process of the telephone department. Another resident said that on a number of occasions, the customer service staff of Township exchange had not been present at the counters.
The second service issue was raised at the Pakistan Spectator blog. Mehar Khan talks about the substandard service provided by PTCL in Karachi.
One such example is the Khayaban-e-Tariq and surrounding area in Phases VI and VII of the DHA in Karachi. Although we were one of the first areas to have a completely new fibre optic network installed, this network has failed to operate successfully since it installation. To compound a bad situation, the telephone services have not been working at all since May.
This current fault apparently arose due to NLA workmen digging up roads to lay the basic infrastructure in the area and, as a consequence, cut through one of the cables. Despite tens of personal visits to the local PTCL, offices and numerous sit-ins, where we refused to leave their offices until we were dealt with, the fault damaged line. How long does it take for a company of such size to obtain spare parts?
Why do we continue to receive threatening demands for payment when no service has been provided for over five months now?
Could Etisalat get away with such behavior either in the UAE or any other country they operate in? The answer is a resounding “no”.
Why are they allowed to get away with it in Pakistan?
I will ask the same question – how come there is not better focus on customer service in PTCL?
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