Telcos urged to uphold General Consumer Code of Practice for better customer service

Ling (fifth from right) at the launch.

By Jaythaleela K

MIRI, Oct 7: The federal government is urging all telcos to be responsive and to comply with the proposed General Consumer Code of Practice which prioritises complaint resolutions and customer service quality.

In giving this reminder today at the launching of a telco retail outlet here, Senator Alan Ling disclosed that the ‘Consumer First Pledge’ signed by telcos in June this year, required 60 per cent of cases to be solved within three working days, 90 per cent within five working days and 95 per cent within 15 working days.

“This is an improvement over the former standard which required 90 per cent of complaints to be dealt with in 15 working days and 95 per cent in 30 days,” he pointed out.

“It is hoped that with this pledge, problems faced by consumers can be addressed urgently and the number of complaints reduced with telcos pledging to implement various improvements including providing a more transparent mechanism for users to check the status of their complaints, promoting a more accessible complaint handling process and enabling fair and reasonable complaint resolutions,” he said.

On another note, Ling expressed optimism that following the implementation of the National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP), the living standards of the people will improve and new business models may emerge leading to more high-paying job opportunities and career prospects as well as the nation’s status will rise in the international arena.

The NFCP was approved by the federal government in August last year with an allocation worth RM21.6 billion.

It is a five year plan starting 2019 to provide nationwide digital connectivity that is high quality yet affordable for all Malaysians across the urban and rural divide.

“It is part of our nation’s preparedness for the 4th Industrial Revolution, a strategic project and effort to enhance economic competitiveness by bridging the digital gap,” Ling said. — DayakDaily