Wednesday, November 21, 2012

What Customer Service - PLDT and Destiny Cable

I don't know why on earth are the customer service hotlines get so busy.  "Hotline" - misnomer.

Try calling PLDT's 171 and it will take you forever.

Now, I am calling Destiny Cable, 418-0000,  but it's just busy.  Their call center starts at 7AM.  You mean to tell me there is a surge of calls at exactly 7AM? Or they lack the manpower to accommodate the calls they are getting. Or they are blocking calls because they are having technical problems.  I checked the television at around 5:30 AM for my usual tv fares at this time but all channels were not working.

So much time is wasted just calling them.  The sad state of customer service in the Philippines.  Let me edit that out.  It's wrong to generalize.  For one,  Bayantel's customer service is good, not perfect because I've once encountered a rude customer service agent and before,  it also takes forever to answer a call, but they have improved a lot.  Prompt answering of calls and customer service agents are efficient.

It's not just customer service that is an issue but also PLDT's technical service (well, this is also customer service).  We have been in our place since 1994.  Since then our PLDT landline goes dead during brownouts.  Long hours of brownout especially in the night and during storm - these are times when communication is very important but PLDT landline in our area is inaccessible. Yes, there are cell phones but see, the batteries get drained after a few hours if they will be the only means of communication.

I have emailed PLDT several times but they cannot fix the problem.  Of course I also called their 171 about this concern.  They did check but well, still no resolution. Their technical said the battery somewhere in the cable is being stolen.  Huh?  Is that crazy or what? Then find a way for it not to be stolen.  I just gave up sending them this complain.  1994 - 2012, 18 years. Will soon switch to Bayantel.

During the first two weeks of October, our PLDT landline was down for no apparent reason.  PLDT said it was a system error but they cannot provide specifics.  The customer service agents promised me thrice they will give me a call as soon as they get to know from their technical what was wrong. But no return call happened. There was nothing to do but wait.

I also emailed their so-called customer care about it but I only got an automated response that they will get back to me blah blah blah.  But of course, no one got back to me.

I remember when I complained this dead-landline-during-brownouts a year or so ago.  Someone from their customer service called the house and asked me what exactly was my complain. Huh? I just have to repeat what my concern was about.   He asked me to call them back because he will be coordinating with their technical about my concern.   If my memory serves me right, it was because I will be out of the house so if I want to know their update, I should call them.  Huh, again. Anyway, the mere act of asking your irate customer to call you back is just not proper.  This concern is more than a decade old and I have been asked to call back if I want to know the update.  Hello, customer service 101?  I know when an employee is new and he is definitely new and arrogant the way he asked me to call back, like I owe them a lot.  But being new is not an excuse.  There are trainings before one goes on board especially if the job requires customer interaction.  Anyway, he could very well do the effort of calling me through my cell phone. And yes, no one called me back.  Customer service disaster.

Just two days ago our PLDT landline was not functioning.  Nakakadala talaga. My parents call us through our landline almost every night.  They are not techie to use Skype or Viber.  They still choose to use the landline.

How can a big company like PLDT serve their customers like this?

And now, it's Destiny Cable. I know they are already being managed by Sky Cable.  I wish for a better customer service.  If their cable is down and they don't want to be inundated by calls, they can just leave a recorded message apologizing for any inconvenience because their system is down and they are working on it.  Gad! That is better than getting a busy tone - at the start of their office at 7 AM and after endless tries.

Customer service of what I have just posted here - a misnomer.

1 comment:

  1. Yes, i was face the same problem like you from PLDT customer Service. My land line was out of connection from 31 Oct. I keep calling to PLDT customer service
    till yesterday (25 Nov 2012). But i never get their promise to call to my cell phone and email to me the status of my land line. Every time is the same answer from them , "Sorry for your inconvenient. We will follow your case as an urgent
    case. And will give you a feedback with in 48 hours". Bla..bla..bla.. all is the nonsense. I was wait for a 600 hours and my problem still cannot be slove and dont have any call and email to feedback.

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