GTT should realise that there is competition now and more to come

Mar 03, 2022 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Since the beginning of February, my landline 333-6097 and internet kept going on and off. Callers to this number would hear the phone ringing but we cannot hear it. On my Smart phone Network it would mark “connected” but attempt to get onto the internet would show “you are offline, please connect to Internet.” On Wednesday 9, February both finally went off. We immediately called 097 and reported it. They gave a Reference #2334088 and promised to fix it. No one visited the residence up to this date of writing, at least to let us know that they were/are here for that matter. A few calls to the follow-up number 0907 would be met with promises of “We would call back “and “We will pass it on.” Subsequent calls to the said number, made us know that a Technician reported that it’s a CABLE problem.
A neighbour related to us that a lone worker (name provided) came, went up the pole on the main road (I live through a street), for about 3 – 5 minutes, came down and drove off. In earlier times they used to come to homes, introduce themselves, then let you explain, then proceeded to work.
After a call to New Amsterdam business office, then we knew that we have to wait 7-8 days before they can respond. Yet, they would bill you for every day, service or not. Is this what the Government and PUC are allowing these people to get away with? GPL has a time limit to respond or a monetary fine is imposed and billed to the customer. I understand it’s for all utility companies but it seems not to be adhered to by some of them. The internet is prepaid. I and others have called various numbers such as the work station at Caracas Road, New Amsterdam on 333-2115, 333-2116, 333-2400, 333-3996 but all kept ringing out. I even called customers service at 227-0808, 226-0122 and the PRO at 226-1123 but all rang out. We also visited N/A Business office where a phone is installed in the yard and you have to call and are not allowed to go into the building – no satisfaction. I even visited the workstation where a guard would take the complaint and pass it onto those inside. The female guard went inside to call the supervisor in charge after another said that it’s not his area to handle. At about 10.30am she said that he was eating and gaffing with someone and ignored her. I waited for about 30 minutes then she went back, came back and said the same thing.
Now there’s someone in my home doing the GOAL Online studies and he is very much affected by this since he has to go all over the place looking for WI-FI. Recently a young man in Trinidad was shot while trying to find WI-FI. This Government should see that students don’t have to face issues like this. One telephone operator even had the gall to ask “How was my day “even though I am faced with this crap. All they keep saying is “The Report is showing CABLE problem.” I asked for a 2nd opinion by doing a recheck but was ignored. I understand that this particular Technician in most cases report cable problems.
GTT should realise that there is competition now and more to come. They seem to be comfortable in losing customers. Every time they would say that I have to wait for the cable crew to come from Georgetown as there’s only one cable crew to serve the entire country and they are based in Georgetown. Each exchange should have workers capable of doing every job called for. It’s hard to believe that Lethem or Northwest have to wait for this team and if so, imagine the length of time, maybe once a year they would visit these places.
In November 2020 I was faced with the same issue and the very Technician reported the same thing. We were without service for a month and the then Supervisor said that I have to wait until the cable crew reach, whenever they reach. When I threatened to contact the CEO he called back in five minutes saying that the crew is here. They reached here in five minutes and fixed it in five minutes. It was a slack screw in the Box on the post. The Technician had reported underground cable was damaged. How he came to that and who accepted his report is a mystery. In that case the phone was off but the internet was on. Two weeks later he came to check but instead of coming to my residence he went to someone he knows and was directed to my place.
Instead of coming here he jumped into the jeep and was speeding away when someone else stopped him. He went up the post, came down and went away. The Internet which was working until then, suddenly stopped working. So instead of fixing the issue he made the matter worse than it was. In that case it was fixed two weeks later. When we got the internet back in 2018, the Filter/Splitter was not included. When the phone was in use it would shut off the internet. The matter was reported multiple times to no avail. A technician once came, went up the post, then later called saying that he fixed the filter/Splitter which is supposed to be connected to the Box in the house, and there was none, yet he claimed to fix it from the post. I eventually had to buy a filter/Splitter for close to $1000 and had it fitted on about a year later. GTT never resolved the matter even though I had continued to report it, after the technician went up on the post. E- NETWORKS would send Technicians to install, GTT would tell you to read and follow instructions.
Now back to the issue on hand. On Sunday 20 February I noticed two GTT workers with Jeep GGG 6096 working nearby. I told them about the issue, they checked their list and have it listed as a cable issue. They then went up the post, check and rechecked asking me to check the phone for dial tone etc., none was noticed. They got dial tone from the Box on the post. They then chat with me saying that they are part of the cable crew and are frequently here, unlike what was told to me. They said that there is no cable problem and found nothing to cause the issue but it has to be around the phone in the house and was surprised that area wasn’t checked first. They even explain that with a damaged CABLE there would be no ringing tone for callers. They said that their job stopped there and a technician would have to check around the phone, inside of the house. They said that a technician would come in the next 24 hours. To date no one came. With subsequent calls to 0907 we learnt that they still have cable problem listed in their database and no report from the cable crew as to what they found. A former GTT technician then advised me to check the cable adaptor. I pull it lightly and the phone came on then cut off. He said that the Adaptor is bad. I have some questions for GTT and also some remarks:
(1) Why are emergency numbers such as 097 and 0907 no longer published? We have to fish for them. The CEO and all upper bracket workers’ numbers should be listed. They just do not want anyone to bother them. Take what we get. Monopoly causes this to happen.
(2) Why should we pay a rental fee – $750 for equipment/appliances that is owned by us the customers, since we have to now buy the phone and all appliances that are in the building and still pay a rent for it? The PUC needs to address this immediately. I call on the Guyana Consumers Association to represent us.
(3) Why not give the customers a fix time as to when a fault would be fixed? Someone can’t pay for services that they don’t get. The PUC should look into this instead of photo-shooting with utilities companies. It looks fishy. Who would police the PUC, they should represent us. They don’t answer their phones. It seems as though GTT likes it when customers publish issues like this. Gather your staff and train them properly. A former minister was even advocating for the government to compensate GTT for losing the monopoly. Compensate for what? Incompetence and matters like these which customers have to face every day? I think that I will buy an Adaptor which costs $260 and use it for now. I am planning on switching as soon as possible.
Sandra Khan wrote on 5 August, 2021 that only competition would wake up GTT but even competition I must say can’t do that!
Yours Truly,
Ivin Ramlall

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