Fixed line standards under review

Telecommunications company Cable & Wireless (Barbados) Ltd., the company that operates here as Flow, could be in line for new standards.

The Fair Trading Commission (FTC) announced on Friday that it was in the process of reviewing the Standards of Service 2018-2020 for the company to determine whether the current standards were still applicable or new ones were needed.

The Standards of Service framework sets out the minimum level of service that should be received by customers of Flow’s landline service.

The commission has outlined a number of proposed changes to the Standards in its consultation paper and members of the public are encouraged to submit their comments on the themes presented, which include the continuance of the Standards of Service framework; the implementation of two new Standards, which would introduce benchmarks for Flow’s response time to customer complaints and requests for account cancellation and the introduction of automatic compensation for all of Flow’s Guaranteed Standards.

It would also include a requirement for Flow to publish, on its website, social media channels and in two forms of news media, both the Standards of Service and process for reporting breaches, in a clear, prominent manner; and a requirement for Flow to provide complainants with information on compensation processes.

“Flow’s status as the sole provider of landline-only service in Barbados, that is, not bundled with other services, coupled with the dominance it has maintained in that market segment, has informed the commission’s view that regulation of domestic fixed line services remains essential.,” the FTC said in its statement.

“While the current Standards of Service framework has been deemed effective, the Commission also thought it prudent to implement modifications in order to align the existing Standards with current market conditions and best practices,” it explained.

As s a result, the FTC proposed to replace the current Standard for Response to Customer Complaints (GTS 4), which measures how quickly complaints are acknowledged, with Customer Complaint Resolution Time.

The FTC explained that this new standard would require Flow to resolve a customer’s complaint or dispute within seven working days after it is lodged via telephone, email or post.

“Similarly, the other proposed standard, Account Cancellation Time after Customer Request, would require Flow to cancel accounts within five days after the company has received the customer’s request. Flow would also not be allowed to bill the customer beyond the aforementioned five-day period. Corresponding changes would likewise be made to the Overall Standards.  While these latter Standards measure Flow’s countrywide performance, they do not result in compensation to individual customers if breaches occur,” the regulator explained.

The FTC said it was also recommending that automatic compensation be applied for all of the Flows Guaranteed Standards.

“Currently, three of the eight Guaranteed Standards require a customer claim if Flow fails to meet a target. This obligates customers to submit a complaint via telephone, e-mail or traditional mail if they wish to seek compensation, as opposed to automatic compensation, where Flow applies a credit directly to the customer’s account when a breach occurs.

“The commission is concerned that in many instances, eligible compensation is unclaimed due to the manual claim process or general lack of knowledge of the Standards of Service framework. The application of automatic compensation would therefore provide a remedy for this issue,” it added.

The FTC’s consultation paper also proposes modifications to Flow’s reporting processes for specific standards. However, if respondents choose to answer only some of the consultation questions, this will not reduce the consideration given to their response.

Residents are asked to participate by accessing the consultation paper by visit www.ftc.gov.bb. Written responses to the consultation, which should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document and attached to an email cover letter, may be emailed to info@ftc.gov.bb, faxed to (246) 424-0300, or mailed/hand delivered to the FTC’s Green Hill, St Michael addresses in care of the Chief Executive Officer. (PR)