By Balford Henry, News EditorTHE JAMAICA Public Service Co. continues to be, by far, the most complained about public utility, according to the Office of Utilities Regulation.
In its latest report, covering the period July-September, 2002, the OUR said that problems with the service provided by the JPSCo attracted, "as much as 90 more customer concerns over and above C&WJ (Cable & Wireless Jamaica) and 160 more than NWC (the National Water Commission)."
For the period, contacts about the JPSCo increased by 21 per cent, representing the largest proportionate change for any utility, when compared to the previous quarter (April-June, 2002). The JPSCo has been the most complained about utility since 2001.
JSPCo. has before the OUR, a proposal for a rate increase. The increase, of about 6.7 per cent, is expected to be approved and come into effect by March. But J. Paul Morgan, director-general of the OUR, has assured the public that the current tariff regime will end in late 2004.
The new regime will include a factor that will "reward or penalise" JPSCo for the quality of the service it provides, Mr. Morgan said.
Billing matters continued to dominate the complaints, accounting for 42 per cent of all contacts. This was followed by unscheduled interruption of service and an increased number of complaints about equipment damage which pushed back disconnections into fourth spot.
The OUR said the increase in complaints about equipment damage was not surprising, as there were several unscheduled power cuts during the quarter. But, the OUR said "it is important to note that power cuts in and of themselves do not necessarily cause damage to equipment."
Questions about security deposit issues was sixth on the list, spurring the OUR to recommend that the companies, especially C&WJ, pay more attention to explaining the security deposits to their customers.
In terms of response to their complaints from the utilities, customers told the OUR that lack of communication and unsatisfactory responses were far more significant than untimely responses from the companies. The OUR said that the persistence of those factors, as motivators for consumers seeking its intervention, suggested that there was still important shortcomings in the customer relations operations of the utility companies.
For the first time, the OUR separated contacts about fixed line services (CWJ) from mobile services. The figures showed that there were 25 contacts about Digicel and 20 about CWJ.
There was an increase in total contacts (complaints to the OUR) from the previous quarter, 740 and 688, respectively. This represented a 30 per cent increase in contacts when compared to the corresponding quarter in the previous year, 2001/2002. The 1,428 contacts received so far for fiscal year 2002/2003, was a 57 per cent increase over the same period in the previous fiscal year. The OUR explained, however, that increased outreach, as well as increased visibility in the media, may partly explain the dramatic increase in contacts.
The report said that there were 19 complaints still outstanding with the utilities, a similar amount to the previous period and most were related to the JPSCo.
The OUR acknowledges complaints within five working days of receipt and complainants are advised as to when investigations will likely be completed.
