CONGRESS is set to summon telecommunications firms for an inquiry into their “dismal” after-sales service, particularly in addressing bill-shock complaints.
In an interview with the BusinessMirror after her privilege speech on Monday, Party-list Rep. Emmi de Jesus of Gabriela said the House of Representatives will table the congressional inquiry soon.
“The issue will be discussed by the Committee on Franchise. A congressional hearing is automatic after a resolution,” she said.
During her privilege speech, the solon recounted her “painful experience” with a telco company, which she claimed to have cut her line due to an outstanding balance she says she should have not incurred.
“We are all shocked whenever we receive our bills from telecommunications companies bearing unnecessary charges for services such as text, voice and data,” de Jesus said. “But our hope for a speedy resolution on contestations is met with the reverse.”
De Jesus recalled that she “almost passed out” when she saw the P13,000 balance on her postpaid bill. She decided to cut the line and get a new one.
But to her dismay, two days after her new number was onboard, her services were redirected due to an outstanding balance despite having settled the amount already. Her line was reactivated, but was quickly cut for the same reason. “I personally went to the store and filed a major complaint. But what is more depressing is the inconsistency of the answers of the different agents that I talked to,” she said.
The root of the problem, according to her, was the number that was assigned to her was recycled. She now has a working line.
De Jesus revealed that the telco she transacted with is Globe Telecom Inc. “But the hearing will not be exclusive to Globe. We will also ask Sun and Smart,” she said.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) refused to divulge the number of bill-shock complaints as of press time, with an official saying the officials “want to consolidate the data first.”
Globe Spokesman Yolanda C. Crisanto was not available for comment. For his part, Smart Spokesman Ramon R. Isberto assured that his company is not taking customer complaints lightly.
“We take such customer concerns very seriously and address them as quickly as possible based on our general policies and the specific circumstances of each case,” he said. Asked if his company is open to a congressional inquiry, he replied: “The NTC has an existing process for addressing such concerns. But it’s the legislators’ call if they hold a hearing.”