PLDT TelPad? How About Reinventing Your Customer Service First

Dear PLDT (and Smart, Globe and other Philippine telecommunication companies),

I am writing this open letter to PLDT and other telecom companies in the Philippines in the hope that one major issue - CUSTOMER SERVICE is addressed first before spending so much money on marketing, public relations (PR) and hype.

As a PLDT subscriber, I received this email below about PLDT TELPAD just before Christmas. 

It tickled my interest of course, especially after learning more about it in the following sites:

PLDT TelPad Website (PLDT TelPad dedicated microsite)

PLDT Press Release (Direct from PLDT)

PLDT TelPad Reinvents Landline by Killing it (Technology blog)

PLDT TelPad Revolutionizes Landline Service (from Hubpages)

Three things caught my attention about PLDT TELPAD:

• First in the world. The first to combine tablet PC technology to landline phone.

• Developed in the Philippines by Filipino engineers. Thus, something to be proud of as a Filipino.

• Convenience of the latest tablet PC technology made readily available for free by paying 550 pesos more monthly to our current PLDT MyDSL subscription.

Details of these and product specifications are in the above-mentioned sites.

These three points would have been enough for me to call PLDT to reserve a unit for my family, and Mama Sez was excited of the possibilities as well.

However, something dawn on me:

• Our previous experiences with PLDT’s customer service representatives, which were recounted in a previous blog post, as well as the experiences of other subscribers who posted comments in my older hub about their internet service subscription.

• Lock-in period of three years! This was not explicitly stated in the PLDT TelPad site, commercials and press releases. I learned about it in the comment section of this blog. You can also learn more about what people had to say about the contract, the meaning of "free", the hardware, etc. in the said comment section.
  

Let me point out at the onset that in our personal experience, Smart and Globe has an edge in customer service. We were mostly satisfied with their better trained representatives in both on-site (face-to-face) encounters and over the phone interactions. Although there is so much room for improvement and others have reported their not-so-pleasant experiences with these two companies, compared to PLDT, Smart and Globe still have the edge and deserve to be cited for their good customer service practices albeit inconsistently applied.

Many complaints stem from internet service providers building so much hype and elevating expectations that subscribers later get disappointed when connections are unreliable and speed does not match what was advertised. It could be due to technical difficulties (technology limitations) or to mishandling of customer concerns by representatives (including technicians).

Worse is the lack of recourse of subscribers when internet service is poor. Instead, the service providers insist on honouring the contract (usually 24 months) and demand that subscribers who pre-terminated pay the rest of the contract period or face legal action. Although I have not encountered any reports of actual legal action lodged against a subscriber (or a service provider, for that matter), the threat (and bills, calls, etc.) still cause undue stress and inconvenience to an already dissatisfied customer.

PLDT’s woes stem from its monopolistic history.  Many employees, particularly the older ones who saw the company slowly losing its hold of the telecommunications market, are not keen on serving the customer - who is supposed to be the reason for being of every business enterprise.  I am singling out these employees as I’ve seen (and talked to) younger ones who are much more customer-oriented, most likely because of training.

The paradigm then (for so many decades) was

• Since consumers really do not have a choice (or any real alternatives when smaller companies came about), subscribers are at the mercy of PLDT and its employees.

• Since consumers are at the asking end, PLDT representatives can have their way with customers from the application to installation phases, and from repair and servicing to billing and payment.

Therefore, it came as no surprise why these older (more senior?) employees at the front desks are generally uninterested in making the customer happy.  Generally, they:

• do not care if the customer has waited so long in line for service;

• are less likely to smile;

• are more likely to be irritated when customers ask for more information (or service);

• are less likely to solve a customer concern and more likely to just tell him/her off or to come back and try again tomorrow (or next week, month….);

• are less likely to offer a sympathetic ear to a customer with a problem or special needs;

• are more likely to shout back at an irate customer (although I haven’t seen or heard of this happening in my circle of friends and network); and,
  

• are less likely to care whether or not PLDT’s reputation is at stake when customer is not satisfied with his/her service.

Aside from younger (and well-trained?) representatives, those from outsourcers are better at customer relations.  In my own experience, the actual installation, which was outsourced, was done professionally and the installation team established a good rapport with me and my wife.

I have lowered my expectations and even gave out some advice on how to avoid dealing with PLDT’s poor customer service. But here I am still hoping that improvements can be made in the area of customer service of telecommunication companies for the sake of the consumers who lack protection in the Philippines.

1. The Customer is the raison d'être of any business.
2. When your customers are happy, hype, PR and spin are needed less. Thus, you spend less money on expensive ads, PR campaigns and damage control.
3. Satisfied customers are your best marketers and endorsers. Referrals, word-of-mouth testimonials and positive feedback from family, friends or neighbors are the best source of new clients .
4. Customer loyalty is earned by meeting your commitment (a.k.a. promises that turned into expectations) and surprising them with extra mile efforts (even a smile goes a long way ).
5. Do not overpromise; always overdeliver.
6. Genuine concern and a sympathetic ear is often enough to placate an angry customer, even if the issue is not yet resolved .
7. Get back to the customer to update them about the status of their concern, even if the problem is not yet solved .
8. Invest on warranty, if you are confident about your technology and service, instead of putting lots of funds on marketing campaigns and legal services.  For example, customers don't pay for the time (days) the service was out or under repair! (What a concept!).
   
9. Solicit customer feedback. Have a system to regularly and systematically know what your customers think about your products, services and company. Customer complaints should be welcomed as an opportunity to improve . Do not forget to thank them for taking time to call or write.
10. Train your frontliners (any employee who make contact or interact directly with customers) how to handle customer concerns. An “I don’t know, I belong to a different department ” answer is not only pathetic but only shows that your departments are not aligned to deliver customer service or worse that your company is not concern at all about its customers.

The above suggestions apply to any business and I just wish companies in the Philippines, like yours, focus on these and reap the benefits/rewards of having loyal customers who would then vouch for your brand. 

Remember it’s the information age and the spread of information about your company is faster than you can imagine possible back in the age of monopolies.

Respectfully yours,

Your customer who’s giving you a feedback and suggestions (refer to suggestion # 9 above)

My Dear Customer,

If you find this article useful please spread the word using Facebook, Twitter, or link to your blog. Also, please vote up or give feedback by using the buttons below.

For more direct, immediate feedback (including opposing viewpoints), kindly let me know through the comment section below.

I appreciate your taking time to let me know what you think :)