THERE ARE SECTIONS of the print media reporting that although two of the island’s main utility companies having been given a passing grade by the Fair Trading Commission (FTC), some areas of concern have been identified and will be addressed.
This customer is hoping that the areas identified will be addressed not only in a timely manner but in a way that aggrieved customers will get the satisfaction they rightfully deserve.
In relation to the Barbados Light & Power Company, it was reported that the FTC had concerns about the timeliness in answering billing queries and trouble calls.
The FTC ought to be equally or more concerned about the timeliness in correcting bill errors and fixing problems associated with trouble calls.
The law and other regulations under which the BL&P operates sufficiently insulate the company and make it almost impossible to be liable for damages resulting from outages.
Customers need a level of protection that is supported by relevant amendments to the Light And Power Act.
Thankfully, the FTC is aware of the performance of the BL&P relative to the settlement of claims. However, above and beyond anything else, appropriate changes to the current act will assist in having customers’ claims addressed.
In relation to the only regulated service provided by Cable & Wireless, the land-line service that was migrated to fibre optic from copper has provided this customer with the worst telephone service he has ever experienced and this includes the total loss of a poor service when there is a power outage from the BL&P.
Again, laws need to be amended and/or legislated in order to assist customers in getting monies worth for what they are paying.
Hopefully, this public and open letter will attract the eyes of ministers responsible for utilities, energy, telecommunications, industry, commerce, consumer affairs and the FTC itself.
I have communicated with the above-mentioned service providers on issues in the past, with no resolutions to date.
– Michael Ray