In with the new......
It's that time again. Time for our new telephone directories to be distributed across the island.
It seems before we can get accustomed to the use of one, than it's time for the new one.
Even though the directory is available online, the telephone company still prints a directory as part of the phone service package they provide.
A little while ago, the company changed its name to LIME (Landline, Internet, Mobile and Entertainment Services), but most folks just call them SLIME, since the service has steadily deteriorated over the years. The price gouging and mediocre service has been the bane of The Fair Trading Commissions' inquiries for many years.
Service fell further by the wayside when the Customer Care Call Centre was transferred to the island of St.Lucia. That really "got my goat" as we say here. Totally impossible to place a complaint while talking to someone on another island who had absolutely no clue about local locations, while trying to decipher a sometimes unintelligible accent...whose idea was that anyway? The company said it was to cut costs...well guess what...it became unbearable for most of us, so they are now moving the CCCC back to Barbados, where it should be anyway.
There are now several other competitors in the market now, thank goodness, and many folks have transferred their phone service for better rates and service.
They held the monopoly market for a long time, with a price raping procedure that government turned a blind eye to for many years.
The time is now ripe for some good stiff competition. Time will tell if they survive.
I sympathise. Our phone system isn't too bad but many companies here (banks are the worst)have their call centre off-shore in non-English speaking companies. It makes for very frustrating conversations.
ReplyDeleteAll the other utility companies have their customer service centres based here. We just never understood the rationale why only the phone company had their centre in another island.
ReplyDeleteThankfully, all the banks have their customer care centres stationed here.
The last company I dealt with overseas was HP and the guy I spoke to was in the Philippines, but I understood him just fine.
Some years ago when I was in New Zealand I needed to contact Apple about a warranty matter for my iPod. I had to telephone the UK (where I had bought it) because at that time there was no NZ Apple number for NZ on their website. The call was routed from the UK and I spoke to someone in Mumbai. He told me that as New Zealand was in Australia I had to take the iPod to my nearest Apple dealer whom he said was in Melbourne. NZ is, of course, a separate country and Melbourne is two plane journeys and several thousand miles away but he would not be moved. So I eventually rang the store in Melbourne who told me that there was an Apple agent 20 minutes away from where I live. Globalisation is all very well but there is no substitute for local knowledge.
ReplyDeleteThat is too funny....
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, I had to dial 411 yesterday for directory enquiries, and when the lady came on the line, I took the time, and patience I may add, to pronounce and spell the place I was trying to locate twice.
-Are you sure? she asked
-Yes, I'm sure, I've worked with them before, I said.
-Are you sure? she asked again
After that, what can I say....
I just gave up.