Dominica Electricity Services (DOMLEC) has launched its new customer service charter.
Essentially, it is a document that defines the standards at which an organization intends to provide service to its customers. It also outlines the responsibilities of that company/organization and the rights and the responsibilities of customers as well. It indicates the medium by which customers can complain if, in fact, they are not satisfied with the standard of service that is being delivered.
Commercial Manager at DOMLEC, Paul Moses, who was addressing the launching ceremony held at the company’s Fond Cole office on Friday, said much work went into it and today it is a reality.
“DOMLEC now has a new customer service charter,” he said. “I say new because it is not our first.”
He pointed out that DOMLEC is governed by the Electricity Supply Act which makes provisions for DOMLEC to provide service at certain levels.
“And the Act speaks about the guaranteed standards and the overall standards,” Moses explained. “In those standards, DOMLEC is required to provide service at levels indicated in the standards.”
According to Moses, DOMLEC is required under GS-1, to connect a customer, a simple connection to connect that customer within 5 days. This, he said, is a stipulation from the IRC [Independent Regulatory Commission].
“Domlec is required as well to be able to provide the first bill to a customer who recently got connected, within 45 days,” Moses explained.
He said if DOMLEC fails to adhere to some of those standards, there are penalties that would be imposed on DOMLEC.
“If it’s a domestic customer, any breach of those guaranteed standards requires DOMLEC to pay $12 per breach,” Moses remarked.
He added, “If it’s a company/organization, a business, DOMLEC is required to pay $33.”
Moses stated that DOMLEC wants to create a level of service where the question of paying a penalty does not arise simply because the company has already undertaken to provide service at a very high level.
“Among the promises we make to customers, for example in the area of billing, we are saying to our customers we will provide a facility whereby they can view their bills online,” Moses explained. “A customer does not necessarily have to wait for a printed bill to know what consumption that they have had over a given period.”
He promised customers that their personal information will be held in confidence and will not be released to a party which is not authorized to receive that information.
“We promise our customers to resolve any query that they have with their bills within a given period of time,” he announced.
However, he pointed out that customers have the responsibility to ensure that they do not tamper with DOMLEC equipment and that they do not divert power to unauthorized sources.
It would be a bonus as well if we could pay our bill online. But I love how Domlec pushed a lot after Maria. I remember when my bill used to be 130 something, a 2 bedroom house. After Maria, rewire, got rid of old appliances and better practices for consuming electricity and viola. down to 70 something.