PTCL responds to CN news report

Apropos news item entitled “Chitralis invite Wateen Telecom service” published in ChitralNews.com on April 12, 2012, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) clarifies that the recent interruption in Chitral region has been caused due to the harsh weather conditions.

This past winter season saw an unusually high rate of snowfall and severe hail storms due to which the Lowari Hill repeater got damaged. Lowari Hill top repeater is the nerve centre of PTCL’s telecommunication services in Chitral.

However, despite the harsh weather conditions, PTCL is expediting the repair work with full diligence. PTCL has also sought the services of Army helicopters to complete the repair work at the earliest possible, and it hopes to restore the services in the next 10 days. Furthermore, in order to provide uninterrupted telecom services to the region, PTCL is laying optical fiber cable between Chitral and Timargrah, which will be completed this summer. PTCL regrets any inconvenience caused to its valued customers due to the ongoing technical rectification work in Chitral.

As the only integrated telecommunications operator of the country, PTCL stands by its firm commitment to provide quality and uninterrupted telecom services to its valued customers in Chitral. -- Ammara Durrani, General Manager, Public Outreach & Corporate Communications, Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd (PTCL), Islamabad 17 April 2012.

Comment 1

Dear Madam, much as we appreciate your attention, but pray how can we believe you when you say "PTCL stands by its firm commitment to provide quality and uninterrupted telecom services to its valued customers in Chitral".

You have not being able to erect a fallen pole for the last three months, how can you resurrect the sleeping credibility of PTCL with just mere sweet words. Even if the pole is put up today, who is going to compensate for the loss of time money and most of all the mental torture to users of PTCL in Chitral, who unfortunately are captive customers of this dinosaur called PTCL. -- Muhammad Asif, Chitral 18 April 2012.

Comment 2

We really appreciate the initiative of Wateen Telecom to come towards Chitral. In this time of inefficiency of PTCL to cover the Chitral with their services we need some strong Telecom company.

I would disagree with the statement of the general Manager PTCL that PTCl is giving outstanding service to Chitrali people. We are the evidence of their unsatisfactory service. We couldn’t contact our parents over wireless PTCl due to its poor service, which is down since November. To become the outstanding service provider they should have back up plan for the solution of the problem.

We are not in favor of the Monopoly of PTCL rather wanting more Telecom companies in Chitral. That will increase the competition among them and it will help to cover the areas where they suffer due to PTCL services.

Creating customers is easy but retention of customers is difficult and important. Quality helps to create and retain the customers. It can be achieved by listing to the customer complaints and assist them in a very hard situation by providing good customer services.-- Mir Wali, Nicosia Cyprus, 19 April 2012

Comment 3

I acknowledge that PTCL has served for the people of Chitral in bad times with poor quality machines. Once PTCL was the only source of communication from Chitral but no doubt now there is tough competition. It has very long and special attachment with us however its services most of the time remained behind the required standard. I believe that long standing with poor quality cannot guarantee for survival however better quality might provide greater chance for long existence.

We were expecting better air and land services when it was privatised but in reality this did not happen. It become less customer friendly with the passage of times. We did not see any quality change in customer services even then we love PTCL. Despite its poor services and unnecessary charges many people apply for new connections each year but unfortunately they are being refused making different excuses. There are so many other good examples of bad services. Of them, installation of DSL with poor features, unnecessary excuses for new connections, less professional way of customer dealings services, and superfluous charges such as connection line fees (demand for more than 3000 rupees extra charges for new connection and 170 monthly connection fees) are some of the prominent examples.

With my apology I also disagree with the statement made by its General Manger. I was expecting from the company to provide better services rather making weak statements. PTCL can still be popular telecom company by improving its services including providing better and attractive packages to the people. To attract larger pool of customers, big companies not only improve their services on continues basis but also introduce new and customer friendly packages. Charges, like connection fees and some other hidden charges may further harm this company. --Afzal Turk, Melbourne Australia 20 April 2012
 

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