Business Monday: Standards of service performance – A review
THE Fair Trading Commission recently completed its annual review of the Standards of Service Reports, for both Cable & Wireless (Barbados) Limited (C&W) and the Barbados Light & Power Company Limited (BL&P). These reports serve as useful tools in determining the quality of service received, in both residential and commercial categories, and aid the Commission in identifying areas which should be improved.
The Utilities Regulation Act, CAP. 282 (URA), makes provision for the Commission to determine Standards of Service for companies which it regulates – namely C&W, the BL&P and the Barbados Water Authority (BWA). In an effort to realise Standards of Service for the BWA, the Commission will continue its public consultation process, with a third BWA Standards of Service Town Hall Meeting. This will be held on Sunday, September 11 at 4:00 p.m., at the Grantley Adams Memorial School, Blackmans, St. Joseph. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the proposed Standards of Service for the BWA.
When Standards for the BWA have been established, the company will be reviewed based on its ability to meet the targets outlined. The results would then provide an assessment of how the company has performed, with regard to providing efficient service to the public.
Standards of Service for utilities are divided into two categories: Guaranteed and Overall Standards. Guaranteed Standards require the utility to make compensatory payments to each customer affected by its failure to meet the relevant target, while Overall Standards reflect the utility’s performance on a national scale. The following is an examination of C&W and BL&P’s performance during the April 2015 to March 2016 review period.
C&W’s Standards of Service Performance
C&W delivered credible, country-wide service and achieved compliance levels of 90 per cent or more in each of the six Overall Standards, which address issues such as Billing Accuracy and Fault Repair.
The telecommunications provider also met its targets in a number of Guaranteed Standard categories. For Fault Repair (GTS2), which requires that faults due to a failure of C&W’s equipment be repaired within 2 working days, 76.38 per cent compliance for the residential segment and 84.72 per cent compliance for the business segment was achieved.
C&W also ensured occurrences of Repeated Loss of Service (GTS3) were kept to a minimum, with a compliance rate of over 95 per cent in both the business and residential categories; the Standard stipulates that faults should not reoccur on C&W’s network within 30 days after repair. The Company achieved full compliance for Reconnection after Disconnection for Non-Payment (GTS6), which requires that both residential and business customers be reconnected within eight working hours after notification of payment.
While C&W illustrated a sound level of performance in the aforementioned, there were some areas of concern. These include the Service after Approval (GTS1B) and Wrongful Disconnection (GTS7) Standards, where the company only achieved 61.68 per cent compliance for business customers and 77.84 per cent for residential in the former and 60.2 per cent for residential customers and 66.7 per cent for business customers in the latter.
BL&P’s Standards of Service Performance
The BL&P’s reliable service to customers was reflected in its compliance levels, which were 95 per cent or more in all of its Guaranteed Standards. This included Restoration of Supply after Fault on a Single Customer’s service (GES1) and Restoration of Supply after Fault on Distribution System for Multiple Customers (GES2), which both have a target time of 12 hours or less. The Company also achieved near-total compliance under Reconnection of Service upon Settling Bill after Disconnection at the Meter (GES7).
While the BL&P’s Overall Standards performance was similarly commendable, it did not meet its 100 per cent compliance target under OES1, which deals with the frequency of Meter Reading; the results for this Standard were 97.55 per cent and 97.13 per cent compliance for domestic and Large Power customers, respectively. Neither was the 85 per cent compliance target met for OES5, which addresses the answering of billing or trouble calls by a representative within 1 minute; compliance of 73.08 per cent was achieved. However, for the four remaining Overall Standards, the company achieved over 96 per cent compliance on average and therefore met its assigned targets.
The general performance for both C&W and the BL&P under the Standards of Service for this review period revealed successes and challenges for both companies. In each case where targets were not met, the Commission obtained justification and will assist the companies in addressing these issues. Detailed descriptions and assessments of all of the Guaranteed and Overall Standards for each company may be accessed at www.ftc.gov.bb under Utility Regulation ‘Standards of Service’.
If you have any questions, e-mail us at info@ftc.gov.bb, call us at 424-0260 or visit us online at www.ftc.gov.bb or www.facebook.com/BarbadosFairTradingCommission. You may also visit our offices at ‘Good Hope’, Green Hill, St. Michael.