What Utility Service Providers Can Do to Better Their Service

Two companies posture a "no-care" attitude for consumers.

Of late, stalwart companies that provide crucial basic services even during a weather crisis-- like electricity and internet connection, have chosen the path of non-controversy by keeping their issues at bay.

    As in the case of electricity service, which is a priority for consumers, Meralco shunned any overt needs of the public to have a more "people-sympathetic rates" at the height of El Nino weather, especially when the ordinary Filipino household is quietly begging for truce in high-electricity bill.

    Given the average number of hours that the public has to endure during a heat surge, there is a basic six-hour window to escape, or flee from the horribly hot weather, even those who are  in the confines of their homes.  Yet, Meralco has not shown any efforts to  cushion the impact of giving a high electric bill to consumers-- without reprieve or breathing space to make amends with the financial burdens  that many consumers have already.

    The company continues to demand on-time payment of their bills, without any respite, but cannot give a beating heart answer for simple electrical consumption computation requests, should a consumer ask for  numbers on how much an aircon adds up to a bill.  A no-care approach to the out-in-the-open reality that electricity rates are already unbearable, when we compound it with additional demands  for a cooling system in a modern household.  

    In another situation, a utility provider, as if to show the consumers' inability to keep up with bills, chooses to incessantly pass on collection duties to an outside collecting agent, pressing a consumer to a point of "spam", to settle an overdue, and going deafly unheeding a customer request for a post-subscription assistance.  The cable company has been relatively slow in acting on consumers' requests, but would not hesitate to "castigate" or "politely remind" a customer through text, one's a bill is overdue.

    IT SEEMS THAT UTILITY SERVICE PROVIDERS HAVE LOST A SENSE OF SERVICE TO THEIR CONSUMERS BY GIVING A DEADPAN/ UNFORGIVING ATTITUDE MANY TIMES OVER WHERE IT CONCERNS BILLINGS AND ADJUSTMENTS OF SERVICES.  Point being, utility providers should exude consumer empathy in the normalcy of their needs and situations, at a time when the paying public are already emburdened with a lot of financial obligations that are hyped by the rising prices of commodities. 

    It is not at the moment an option for ordinary consumers of utilities to tone down their consumption,  because these days, usage are dictated by a faltering climate, and an uncertain economy that sees no  softening of commodity price increases. 

    BEYOND THEIR COMPANIES' NEED TO COLLECT AND GET PAID for their bills, whether service is intermittently interrupted or not, UTILITY COMPANIES MUST GROW OLD IN THEIR APPROACH to give CONSUMERS A MORE DIGNIFIED SERVICE. They must find alternate ways in making things better for all consumers.

“It's Time We Move Out of Exploitative Content"

 “Its Time We Move Out of Explotative Content".

 

Still riding high on “pabida” content online? Move on. We must-- all.

Word translation/ interpretation of meaning:  “pabida”-- colloquial >>> When this word is incorporated into a sentence, it means one is “trying” with discernible effort, to portray one self as a leadman or lead star, the hero or heroine in a story, plot or content. Or in another form, employing "pabida" angles or messaging in content substance, can be viewed as a social media strategy to get attention or arouse reaction from readers, viewers or whoever is the intended recipient of a message or action/reaction.

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Blogs and vlogs these days would have punctuated already that the content in the era of social media is always self-serving rather than altruistic; unlike in the past timeline when neutrality is at least idealized by media providers.

What is self-serving content that  treatens decency  

POV of content: "I or me" approach, that puts the spotlight on  the personal exploits or "day in the life" happenings of the narrator or blogger/vlogger or his/her situational realities.

Lack of language restraint in using words that could be characterized  or categorized as "loud" or unacceptable in other social groups.

Simplification of an issue that should be treated as complexed.

The baring or show of skin by those who are shown on cam or published in content form, to gain controversy.

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    When a magazine show recently featured one vlogger getting a heydey  from the good profits he has been reaping from a street food venture, this gave a lot of positivity to the audiences knowing that  this "street vendor's entrepreneurial story" can be an inspirational one for others. 

    The toss coin or side impact of the publicity gained by the vlogger whose business was "fairyly" and popularly patronized?  His past reputation and negative background was digged out by others,  thus cancelling the supposed advantages of being in the news or popularly featured online.

    Many of the current blogs/vlogs and content are really intended to create avenues for earning or gain opportunities for the content creator who may have been deprived ordinarily with work opportunities,  outside his/her rose to fame. 

    But the apparent transfer or shift of control of multimedia from the hands of responsible content producers, media entities and stakeholders, to allow opportunities to be democratized by individuals, have also endangered the boundaries for privacy, decency and  willingness of others to be exposed on camera.  Candid shots and videos of private individuals who do not want to be seen online, when uploaded, can be a violation of personal privacy and space.

    On the erring ground for content creators, it is not totally freedom of expression that we employ when we explore on topics that push others to debate on the controversial,or challenge the existing opinion of many. 

    Rather, it is the lack of freedom of others in imposing a "no, we refused to be seen on camera" statement, that can be heard reverberating without a sound from the innocent subjects of video cameras. Say perhaps a baby that cannot speak, a teener who cannot defend its own or a woman without enough clout to impose privacy against another's wish.

THUS, OUR "PABIDA" STYLE OF REPORTING, OR CREATING OUR BLOG/S AND/OR VLOG/S MUST BE TAPERED TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THOSE WHO CANNOT SAY NO TO VIDEO LIKES AND POPULARITY THAT  LURE MANY TO BEAR OR TOLERATE A CONCOCTION OF PRIVACY ISSUES BEING DOWNCASTED IN SOCIAL MEDIA.

commentary for the ordinary. News Review Philippines by Anna Liza VB.