Cable & Wireless still a bully

10.OCT.08

Editor: I write in response to a letter I received from Cable & Wireless’ Chief Executive, Angus Steele. Mr. Steele draws my attention to Section D, clause 3 of the terms and conditions as contained on page 26 of the Telephone Directory. Amounts not paid within 21 days after the bill date will be subject to interest charges. The prime lending rate of Cable & Wireless’ local bankers will be used to set the interest charges plus 2% on top of it.{{more}}

Just great! A company that can hardly deliver on its promise to customers now wants to use a draconian measure to manage customer credit. I have serious doubts on the legality of what is being threatened, Terms and Conditions notwithstanding. Even if it is legal, C&W does not have the moral authority to implement this. Why such a heavy-handed threat, though? Mr. Steele and his management team seem to have forgotten that C&W has spent millions of dollars in recent years to dispel the image of being a bully monopoly. By trying to enforce Terms and Conditions that must have been written prior to the days of competition, customers are seeing the same old C&W emerge.

What about credit limits? I assume the company sets one for every customer. Won’t it be a better idea for C&W to be disciplined in the management of this? Surely, being a technology company, an automated system can be implemented whereby customers are warned when their credit limit is approaching. The moment the limit is exceeded customers can be disconnected until their account is brought below the limit. After all C&W holds a deposit from the customer, and I assume it is to protect the company from getting into a bad debt situation.

While I am on the subject of customer deposits, C&W’s Terms and Conditions state on page 29 (in the directory) section 7.3, “Interest will be paid annually on your deposit.” “This will be applied to your account.” Can any C&W customers verify if this indeed happens? I can’t remember seeing an interest credit on any of my bills and I have been a customer for years. I stand to be corrected.

On another matter: Do customers pay in advance for the Internet service? If indeed they do, then how can they be charged interest on an advance payment that is 21 days overdue (the time you have given them to pay this advance payment)? Sounds like an oxymoron to me.

Mr. Steele, before the natural bullying instincts of Cable & Wireless are brought into practice I suggest you consider the following:

1. Make a concerted effort to understand the credit history of your customers and then implement a proper credit management policy that does not paint everyone with the same broad brush.

2. Deliver your bills on time

3. At no time should you be considering charging customers interest on outstanding amounts when you have the power to discontinue their service long before the debt gets out of hand.

4. Try to resist the temptation of showing inflated revenues on your books when you know you are encouraging bad debtors to prevail in the process.

5. Strive for satisfied customers – they would be far more willing to pay their bills.

On the fourth point: Whatever happened to the company’s customer charter? I notice that it does not appear in the directory. Is this something the company has conveniently chosen to forget? What recourse do customers have for the often, shoddy service they get? Life is a two way street, Mr. Steele. Customers need a minimum of the following for their monthly fees.

• An answer when they try to reach a customer service rep via the telephone.

• Fewer voicemail greetings when they try to escalate matters to senior staff.

• Proper explanations for bills that show bogus calls.

• An Internet service that does not have so many drops.

• Phones that work when it rains.

• Reasonable response times to fault complaints.

• Installation of service at the promised times.

Mr. Steele, your letter to customers is an abomination, and I advise you to retract it or face action similar to when persons marched in the streets to protest your high bills and shoddy service.

A valued Customer