PLDT continues to receive negative online publicity regarding their widespread failure to provide consistently reliable connectivity. Over at the Pinoy Tech Blog, Abe publicizes an email from one of PLDT’s business partners:
…I am wondering if it would be possible that you could share with us the contact details of those who posted their concerns regarding the services of PLDT. We would like to take the opportunity to address their concerns the best way we can…
The only question I have is, why is a business partner (called EDGE TECH) taking upon itself to “address” customer complaints? Shouldn’t this be PLDT’s responsibility? Unless EDGE TECH is actually a subsidiary of PLDT? It’s possible to technically be a business partner to your ultimate owner, as long you’re both distinct corporate entities.
The point is that up until now, PLDT has been mainly silent about its poor online rep. The more popular posts featuring its infamous broadband service (including the original post at the PTB) enjoy thousands of page views, and hundreds of comments that are mainly angry rants from very distressed customers. Yet there has been little, if any, official statements from PLDT addressing even the more reasonable feedback. It doesn’t help that most of their broadband subscribers are locked into a two-year contract, which requires payment even if the service is down.
As Filipinos go online, or as more Philippine companies serve customers through the Internet, the need for timely interaction with the customers becomes more crucial. While there will always be nitpickers who have something to complain about, ignoring the online discussion is becoming a luxury high-profile companies can’t afford. Especially companies that many people depend on.
If PLDT wants to assure customers that it’s doing everything it can to address their concerns, or at least explain their side, they must reach out to the very active Philippine blogosphere. Everyone in this community, including yours truly, has their own “PLDT myDSL sucks” story to share. Which is a big sign that the company must adapt new ways of communicating to the market. Instead of relying on traditional press releases and marketing campaigns that net-savvy consumers are slowly learning to disregard.
Blogs make criticism, both valid or not, a one-click affair. But they also makes it easy for companies to address them. In short, if PLDT continues to stay silent online, they do so at their own peril.
5 Responses to “PLDT Ignores the Philippine Blogosphere at Its Own Peril”
wrote to Mr.Paidomama- letter sender that started this all over at PTB- I most probably pushed his button reading from his reply below
” Please be advised that
EDGE’s intention is to win the clients back and make them understand that
EDGE is here to help. We do agree with you that we should indeed be looking
for sales. As the Senior Account Manager of EDGE, I have been tasked and
given the challenge to win back lost clients. That being said, it would be
a great help obtaining the contact details of these clients from Pinoy Tech
Blog.
However, is Pinoy Tech Blog really capable of providing us such information
since you mentioned that “Did you really think a blog writer would share
contact details”. As such, it seems that you not also be able to get such
contact details. If this is so, then Pinoy Tech Blog is just a site that
serves its purpose of posting comments/complaints to make the concerned
individuals/corporations aware of such comments but with no intention of
going the extra mile of providing the establishments the opportunity to
address these concerns in order to have a “win-win situation” - thus,
everybody is happy.
For everyone’s information, Edge, as a channels partners of PLDT, was able
to save some big accounts who already had the full intent to discontinue
their services of PLDT. Edge is currently touching base with several other
accounts to have them stay with the same.
It is also good to mention that PLDT is a very large corporation serving
about 85% of the total Philippine market. With such a big clientele, PLDT
entered into a partnership agreement with EDGE with the intention of
improving client relationships by way of serving as a bridge between PLDT
and its customers who may have been unserved by some individuals within its
own organization. This is not reflective of the organization as a whole.
In view of the above, we look forward to the assistance from PINOY TECH BLOG
in furnishing EDGE with the contact information of such unsatisfied
clientele for us to touch base with and fulfill our goal of providing a
win-win situation for PLDT, its clients and PINOY TECH BLOG as well.
The best solution is being part of the solution. What do you think? ”
…did I hear clueless???
I would write my own “PLDT MyDSL Sucks” blog post if our PLDT MyDSL connection doesn’t DIE every few minutes.
My PLDT mydsl dies every few minutes . but what kind of connection is that? it shouldn’t be dying.
Why limit this to PLDT, I have quite a few Bayantel DSL stories I’d like to share.
richard: I feel that they’re honest when they say they want to address the complaints. At the very least, they’ll protect PLDT’s (and their own) bottom line.
But like I said, old-school stuff like PR speak may no longer work on today’s customers. They need to create a
Baddie: Talk about ironic!
So how do you go online?
Noemi: Heh, no wonder you have three service providers at home, if I’m not mistaken.
Jambo: Such as? Personally, my experience with Bayantel has been great. As a part-owner of a net cafe, Bayantel actually reimbursed us one day’s profit when connectivity failure meant that we couldn’t accept any customers.
But that’s my own story. I’d like to hear yours.
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