PLDT must learn
customer relations

I was about to leave the house yesterday at around 10 a.m. when a PLDT line man came to find out what was wrong with our telephone because of the call. It turned out it was not our phone but my son's in the next house.

I thanked the line man and praised him for the prompt service.

Then I received a letter from my British retiree friend Neil Honeyman. Neil complained against local PLDT Manager Renato Santillan whose office, to quote Honeyman, is “ever incompetent, arrogant, untruthful, and most of all, unhelpful and not addressing the issue effectively…” An employee better than his manager.

Neil enclosed a copy of a letter he sent Santillan complaining of the usual “erroneous bill from PLDT.” He wrote he “took the trouble to explain in writing why the bill was erroneous.”

But, he added, “Your office received the communication but no action or acknowledgement from PLDT.” The complaint was dated Nov. 6.

“On Nov. 29,” he continued, “I received another bill compounding the same error and threatening disconnection.” Worse, he wrote, “Your Ms Cruz refused to give me any contact in PLDT with whom I could set this matter out.”

* * *

I have heard about many problems people have encountered with PLDT. Unlike in the past when I had many friends there, I would drop by for a cup of coffee. The many past managers were good and especially its administrative officers like Mrs. Gloria Diamonon or Mr. Noel Lee. They had been very helpful. And accommodating.

But, this case of Santillan calls for Neil writing the head office in Manila to have Santillan take some refresher course in customer relations. If he cannot address the problems of PLDT customers, that office is not for him. Neil can enclose a copy of this column.

What I know of past PLDT managers here is that they were very sensitive to customer complaints. And at that time PLDT was having a monopoly that applications for connection would take a long time to be installed.

Now, there are telephone companies giving landline connections. And PLDT is now very fast in accommodating applications or people would go to competing companies.

They are fighting for a share in the market, yet they don't know how to answer the problems of customers. I believe if this complaint reaches Manila , they will act.

* * *

I called up Neil to verify the authenticity of his letter. Then he texted me on reading my column yesterday, “Government wants to reduce dependence on energy imports. Hence, bioethanol, biodiesel. So why unnecessarily import coal?”

Well, that depends on the electricity consumers of the Ceneco area. The City Council resolution asked the Energy Regulatory Commission to disapprove the Kepco-Ceneco sales contract.

Other elected officials do not seem to care. This was what happened when then President Fidel Ramos entered into contracts with the Independent Power Producers in the early nineties.

When the cost of electricity zoomed too high, most of them were no longer in office, reason why they did not seem to care.

The Church has shown better concerns. Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra is committed to oppose coal as a source of energy.

* * *

Our Congressman Monico Puentevella has joined the Presidential Party in a European trip to Spain , France , and the United Kingdom .

The news item said, these Congressmen “went with their companions.” I don't see any problem. The Congressmen spent for their trip, reports said. There were 37 of them.

I just hope they learn something from these three countries, on legislation and legislators, particularly on pork barrel.

Those “Diputados” in the Spanish Cortes, those in the French and British Parliaments…. How much does each get in pork barrel? Do they?

It will be interesting to know.

* * *

Our President from far away Madre España, apologized to the local press for the arrest at Peninsula Hotel. She also advised the PNP and other officials “not to rile” the press.

Killjoy, Madame President. Now that media has started enjoying the exchange of barbs, you doused cold water into it by apologizing.

The greatest enemy of media is being killed by kindness.

* * *

In many years past when bribery and corruption were seldom talked about, public officials got reporters with some traps. Manila Mayor Arsenio Lacson was an honest man, reason why he was not afraid to denounce the corrupt. No one could find a case to pin him down on except on a P200 mimeographing expense which was his and wrongly charged to the government. But, it was dismissed because it was just a small amount and an error, an honest error.

This was in the early 50s, if some of you can recall.

Lacson was also naughty. Reporters who were antagonistic to him, he would invite to a raid of gambling joints or nightclubs. Then he would tell the owner of the establishments he raided to bribe a reporter not to report the incident.

He saw to it the giving of the cash was with his men watching. If the reporter hit him, he would just call the fellow and show the picture taken by a hidden camera receiving the amount.

That was how Lacson tamed the media. The worst weapon to an enemy is kindness.

But believe me, that arrest of journalists at the Peninsula Hotel is part of the psy war. Police just want to drive home a point, “We can do this to you again….” And the press people will answer, “We will welcome it.”

* * *

I greet NFSP President Enrique “Nene” Rojas on his birthday today. Nene is one best friend I have had all these many years. I wish him a life full of years and years full of life.*

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