By RASHAD ROLLE
FOLLOWING Monday's catastrophic telephone service blackout, BTC raised the possibility of compensation - but customers say all they want form the company is more reliable service.
Downtown merchants who lost business because of the disruption - which co-incided with a power blackout - say as there is no accurate way to count their losses, the best thing BTC can do is bring an end to the problems that beset the country's telephone service.
"You can't really put a dollar sign on that, even though not having your phone system to run the credit cards causes people to turn away," said Jonathan Brown, manager of The Perfume Shop.
The manager of Bonneville Bones, Kent Major, said: "In terms of compensation, I think you just have to get it right and provide better service.
"It just feels like everything is spinning backwards. Every morning the lights and phone services are down and it is affecting businesses, but beyond fixing the issue I don't think anything else is required at this time."
Mr Flowers, from Taylor Industries Ltd, said: "Our lines were down and we can't even determine how much money was lost, even though we know it affected us.
"A customer - an electrician - came in screaming because he couldn't make any money because people couldn't reach him.
"We even had to turn down customers because our credit card system was down."
Carson Hepburn said: "All I'm asking is for them to get the system up and running. Put the company in a position where they don't have so many problems - that's all I want."
Speaking under condition of anonymity, one shop employee said: "The new owners came on stream promising a lot. They promised to lower rates yet not only have the rates remained the same but minutes can't be used since the phone services are down. How does one justify this?"
Aneka, an employee of United Colours of Benetton, agreed that it is difficult to determine how much money was lost.
She added: "It's unfair - when the phones are down you can't get business, but when they are up, you get a bill."
One downtown worker, Tanya, pointed to another way BTC could compensate customers - "free phone services for a month".
Comments
CollegeKid 11 years, 11 months ago
I understand that BTC is under new ownership, and that systems need to be brought up to speed with those of foreign competitors, however, under no circumstances, should disruptions lead to much business losses and failing emergency responses. They need to put back up systems in place to share the load whilst they upgrade the old ones. BTC anddddd BEC need to get their acts together. This is what happens when you got monopolies.
positiveinput 11 years, 11 months ago
How could you not have an idea on sales lost. From the road work began when evey business noticed a drop in sales; average your monthy sales or better yet on the day the black out struck (Monday 18th June, 2012) average your businesses Monday daily income from the start of the road work. If there was any sales during the Black Out day subtract that amount from your average amount and you will find your answer. I'm was very pissed that day of the black out but half you merchants complaining probably see Monday as a slow day; but before you just express that you're just pissed, you perfer to claim the loss of sales with no proof. Now I'm not defending BTC, cause from the sale I compared it to a lump of goat droppings, yet still fair is fair when accusing someone to compensate for a loss. Some of you supported the sale for better service soooo you've made you bed now lay in it. Unfortunately some innocent people now have to sleep hard also.
JohnBrown 11 years, 11 months ago
To: By RASHAD ROLLE
Dear Sir Please do better with your English usage [sic] "form". From should be used here. As an expert in legal, medical, scientific and business English - one who has trained numerous professionals up to and beyond English mastery, I am appalled by the quality of crap that most of you deliver with pride, arrogance, and baseless assumptions to our Bahamians. Every time I write on your website, it is not to impress but to give an ooops up side the head to the readership. Most of the time, I write using my academic licence to write like a nobody while inserting simple messages. You supposedly professional writers are not afforded such a luxury when you are getting paid for fluency and accuracy. When I am being paid two hundred and fifty to four hundred dollars an hour, I am faultless.
Did you do a survey of the top one hundred large scale phone users companies/hotels/government institutions/small businesses/ schools/hospitals/elderly people and criminals in Nassau before you boldly asserted that "customers say that all they want [sic] form the company is more reliable service"? Are you trying to discourage masses of Bahamian people "Nassuvians" from going down to BTC and demanding some form of compensation for the matter in question? Who asked you to open your mouth without solid evidence?
Believe me Bahamians, there are those who have profited and will get paid for the disruption to their BTC service one way or the other. Will each of you?
positiveinput 11 years, 11 months ago
I was wondering how come because a hand full of merchants claimed they just wanted better service, to this reporter thats the entire demand of the customers. BTC even before this black out was crappy. You call their internet support line you're getting a recording stating for faster service log on... Jackasz (BTC) if a person is calling for technical support their main problem is that they have no internet. This black out was just to open everyones eyes on the mess BTC has 'upgraded' to. Bahamians have been loosing to BTC from the sell-over in the terms of getting a monthly bill with no full monthly service. A spokes person said on 'Real Talk' that dispite the disruptions he some times tell people if they would have mind for BTC to shut down for a month while they did their upgrades. So same way he saw logic in that, BTC should not mine for customers to not be charged for a month whilst they do their upgrade. Good thing these persons are not in the medical field and bought out the hospital.
JohnBrown 11 years, 11 months ago
If insurance providers can heartlessly assign a value of five thousand dollar to a factory worker's arm lost while working in an unsafe enviroment plus initial medical expenses, believe me those downtown merchants with the help of their greed-driven lawyers will find a way to extract from BTC pecuniary compensation or free services for purported damages.
But bear in mind, once again, the first law of ecology states that there is no free lunch...for most of us.
positiveinput 11 years, 11 months ago
Check out their logo - BTC your connection to the world. I cant even get connected to them lmao.
positiveinput 11 years, 11 months ago
Or better yet it should read "Your disconnection from the world" lmfao You guys wanted an upgrade, you got your upgrade. Remember your sure of what you have but dont know what you will get.
242 11 years, 11 months ago
In order to be relevant in the future the Bahamas needed to make upgrades and improve. Despite the complaints from the impatient if you want to keep up with the world sacrifices have to be made period. If you don't prepare now and overcome the obstacles you will not succeed. Problems will arise there might be days when service is out, there will always be a lot of complaints. But it is better to tough it out and continue because you care about the future, the present is the present. If you never upgrade and the equipment and software becomes obsolete you will have to upgrade anyway at some point and there will be longer periods of no service because you got too far behind. I will always support an attempt to do better and to move things forward. Whatever party you support should have nothing to do with the future of the Bahamas. Not everyone will agree. Not all PLPs hate BTC/CWC and not all FNMs think the shares should have been sold. This should not be a political issue but a Bahamian issue. I for one want to see the Bahamas Succeed and Prosper. Technology is too important to ignore.
242 11 years, 11 months ago
Someone interviewed said "We had to turn down customers because our Credit Card System was down". . Did you at least suggest that the customer go to an ATM and return? Did you check to see if the ATMs were working? I know the service should not have been down in the first place but why do some people refuse to think. If you want a sale you gonna make that sale Bruh.... Let's say the ATMS down the Credit card down and the person has no cash on them and no checks . "Here is my/ the store's contact info, I will put the items you want on the side try to call tomorrow and I can take your credit card info over the phone and deliver/ship the products to you". Instead turning away customers you could even used that time to make orderr forms and let customers fill them out with their info....I sure people in the straw market don't sit there turning everyone away cuz they can't take cards.
positiveinput 11 years, 11 months ago
I sure people in the straw market don't sit there turning everyone away cuz they can't take cards. Do you go to the Holiday Carnival with a credit card. Theres a certain venue where customers know what type means of barter is accepted, and I'm sure you didn't see no straw vendor saying they lost sales. SHUT UP!!!
242 11 years, 11 months ago
Not being able to take cards is not an excuse for turning away customers. I appreciate the comment. I assume you are referring to the person quoted with the the "shut up!!!"? I don't get it, please correct me if I am wrong. The point is Credit Card is not the only source of payment. And if it is, Use customer service skills and figure out a way to solve the problem.
positiveinput 11 years, 11 months ago
Walk with me 242. The article is about Downtown Merchants. You're suggestion was to take the customers info and either have them call the next day or you (the shop) would ship the products to them. Most of their customers are tourist. Tourist from off the cruise ships. The cruise ships that only stop over for a few hours. So where would they be the next day to call the store --- Out to sea. Now you said take their credit card info and ship the products to them when they are probably from the other side of the WORLD, not island, WORLD. So to ship an item just to make a sale costs the store owner HOW MUCH compare to the sale profit? Oh but wait, me being a tourist, I just remembered I'm on a cruise and would stop to another Caribbean Island with similar products whom credit card machines are working for me to make my various purchase. Don't lie, you vote FNM hey?
242 11 years, 11 months ago
If you are a real business person you will want to make that sale by any means necessary. I knew you were going to use the tourist on a cruise argument that is why I made sure said deliver/ship. You want to at least attempt to win the customer over, you don't care what island the potential customer going to next, you know where that customer right now and that is in your presence. Offer to pay the shipping or if it's outrageous at least see if they are willing to pay the shipping. You would want that customer going away feeling that they received service whether they purchase or not. So when they go back to the other end of the world they tell their friend about their trip to Downtown Nassau and speak positively about their experience at your shop. If they go home telling a friend how turn them away cause of credit cards I just lost 2 customers. The one in the store and the potential customer.... Say if I vote FNM , why because I know how to think for myself... I ain even sure if you vote because you don't seem old enough...You always come on here with your childish name calling because you Know you don't have strong arguments.
positiveinput 11 years, 11 months ago
So to keep good customer service a business must go into or above profit to ship the sale, or if it's outrageous see if the customer would be willing to pay the shipping, lol. If its outrageous to the store it sure would be to the customer. Why not just show good customer service by simply greeting the customers when entering the store, explaining the situation and giving them a simple inexpensive gift (Bahamas key chain). See if when they return to their homeland they would tell a friend dispite technical difficulties, those Bahamians sure know how to be friendly. When you take your trip there just keep a few cash on hand.
242 11 years, 11 months ago
And straw market vendors ain turnin people away cuz they Gettin this Money...you sit and wait for your hand out Kid
concernedcitizen 11 years, 7 months ago
there was a black out ,,can,t have the net w/ out power ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,geezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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