Even though Filipino consumers are still dealing with the effects of the pandemic and inflation is rising, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said that its consolidated service revenues for the first nine months of 2022 hit an all-time high of ₱141.9 billion.
But customers of the country’s largest fully integrated telco company still get lousy service, which leaves them helpless and upset because they often lose signal or dial tone and can’t connect to the internet all the time.
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But its billing department is quite efficient. As early as two weeks before the bill is due, the company’s hardworking staff reminds subscribers to pay on time, so they keep service. I can totally relate!
Its 171-service line has gotten better. After hearing this automated message less than 20 times, you can now talk to a natural person: “We are aware that some of our customers are experiencing no dial tone and internet service. Our technical teams are already doing repair work.”
Most of the technical assistants are excellent and keep apologizing for the telco giant’s connection problems, which are often flawed and sometimes nonexistent.
Many people thought about leaving PLDT and switching to a different phone company. Unfortunately, this does not happen to PLDT alone. The competition could be better in terms of service or cheaper in terms o subscription price. Are they all too busy and need help to keep up with the growing need for infrastructure, so subscribers have to deal with bad service?
Most of PLDT’s money came from subscribers who paid for services with their own money but have yet to get them. When services are interrupted, PLDT will give you a partial refund or rebate on your subscription fees, but honestly, the process is so long and challenging that I can almost hear them say it’s just another hassle and you should give up.
Personally, we switched internet service providers several times just to experience good customer service.
Now that question is, how does it feel to hear news about PLDT making billions of pesos every year?
Can’t the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) warn telcos to increase competition and improve service? It seems like NTC seems deaf and blind to the many complaints about how bad these telcos’ services are.
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