General Manger of Dominica’s sole electrify company Colin Cover says while there are several challenges facing the DOMELC, the company has made strides over the years.
Cover was speaking on the weekly Power Talk radio program on Monday.
He said customer service is an area which needs improvement.
“Customer service is still a little bit of a problem and its not exactly where we would like it to be. I can say however we are focused on this and we will start seeing improvements in that. Again improvements will not come overnight, it takes time, methodology, discipline, and it takes changing people’s mindset,” he said.
Meantime Cover said the company still has problems with one unit at Padu.
“Padu is back online but we are still having problems with one unit. We just recently have some experts do some vibration analysis and we are awaiting the response,” he said.
Customer service is really poor here. Many workers treat you as if they are doing you a big favor or as if you have interrupted their day. In the case of domlec you don’t have a choice, but when I do have a choice – for example at a boutique, grocery store, even a financial institution – I just move on. I refuse to spend a dime of my hard earned money in an environment where I am made to feel uncomfortable.
costomer service is an issue for all dominican companies to consider because it generally stinks in d/a…i was down there last year and lime, marpin, domlec, and even govn’t hq, service was terrible
thats the facts..it sucks when you see some dcans who arrive in with some kind of degree when you look at their faces at the desk…its a sad state of affairs…
i think da is doomed…the farm has overgrown its limits….
Customer service in D/ca is generally TERRIBLE!!! But business owners don’t take heed so the crap continues.Further we keep going back 2 those businesses even when we have a choice. Owners need 2 put up complaint boxes in their firms so that they can know how blinking pissed we are
PEOPLE ARE JUST ANGRY IN DOMINICA.They must practice what we call southern hospitality which means that you be nice to peolple even if you donot like them but you will respect them in the work place.
May I suggest that the following text titled “What is a Customer” is copied and pinned above the desk or counter of all in the private and public sector who have to deal with customers.
A CUSTOMER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN OUR BUSINESS… He is not an interruption of our work, but rather the purpose of it…we are not doing him a favour by serving him, he is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so…A customer is not dependent upon us – we are dependent upon him…he is not an outsider to our business, but a part of it…A customer is not a cold statistic: he is a flesh and blood human being with feelings and emotions, biases and prejudices…he is not someone to argue or match wits with (nobody ever won an argument with a customer)…A customer is a person who brings us his wants and it is our job to handle them profitably, both to him and to ourselves.
Customer service in Dominican businesses is non existent. Some businesses exhibit a little more character than others but generally we do have a very huge problem in Dominica. It begins with the fact that businesses do not understand the concept that the customer is the business. Without customers you do not have a business. Companies like DOMLEC pose a problem due to monopoly. The employees know that we have no choice but to come to them and thus we are treated as garbage.
Mr. Cover, we only learn the hard way. If staff members are disciplined when reports are made or bad behaviour observed, it would definitely put a stop to the trend. On the flip side, customers also need to respect workers and stray away from the mentality that they are put there to serve them. Yes, workers are there to serve you but they are not your servants. The bad customer service is definitely not limited to clerical staff. There are some individuals in supervisory and management positions who leave a lot to be desired. They allow power to rule their actions.
Mr. Cover you have your work cut out for you in trying to change the behaviour and mindset of a people set in their ways. We still have the slavery mentality of ‘massa’ and ‘labourer’. We look down on people and therefore we treat them as such.
I know it’s paradise and it is suppose to be laid back but everyone in customer service from govt to private sector taking (laid back) way to far back.For god sake it’s 2011 and people being treated like it’s 1964.
Customer service, I didn’t know that existed in the majority of businesses in Dominica.
I’ve been served by people chewing gum, kissing their teeth, talking on their mobiles, some even ignore you and hold conversations between them. If you dare say a thing, your’re met with hostility.
There are a few outlets that because of the attitude of their staff, I wont shop in.
Its time businessess realise that we need them just as much as they need us.
Unfortunately for us DOMLEC is at present our only choice, so they need to start training their staff ASAP. If they refuse to change their ways/attitude, sack them, with the number of unemployed, there will always be someone else to take their place.
so many companies in Dominica are lacking in good costumer service. Something really needs to be done about that.
This admission by Mr. Cover is refreshing and positive. Too often suppliers get into a defensive, if not hostile mode when attention is drawn to poor service or quality. It takes a real man to own up and recognise that improvements are in order. Good luck mr. Cover and Domlec, you are definitely on the right track!
its about time someone speak about the lack of customer service at DOMLEC !!! im glad its coming from the GM. i hope they put their act together
I can’t complain too much when LIME, SAT and Marpin – way worse. LIME takes the cake for worse customer service.
I go to LIME almost on a daily basis to do business, and this is so not true. Compared to the Banks, esp. NBD and FCIB, the worst Customer service i have ever encountered.
my problem with lime when it comes to customer servce is this. You are infront the cashier and another staff member comes in and whispers a joke in her ear, and she begins to laugh and calls back when the woman is leaving for more of the story. This happens just too often.
Domlec is the problem, not the frontdesk workers. Domlec needs to improve this 1950’s style of account management in a little 12 x 12 downstairs generating long Russian-type lines for the past 40+ years.
i guess when their working conditions are improved the customer service will improve as well.
Customer service in Dominica as a whole is shameful both at the public service and private sector level. The police officers, custom officers, immigration, the government workers at the ministry particularly those who feel entitled because their family symbol is a RED SHOE. The list is long – essentially something needs to be done to prevent the culture of rudeness and arrogance within the service sector. I suggest implementing programs at elementary and secondary school programs where students can learn the means and method of social interaction. We may also want to consider adult social engagement program – after all the children learn from parents and adults. In addition our tourism product is heavily dependent on the manner in which our adults interact with our visitors from immigration to the hotels, gift stores , taxi drivers and restaurateurs.
I’ve had the displeasure of witnessing Dominican rudeness on many occasions ; whenever I am a victim of this social illness I remind myself that this is a cultural behavior however whenever the very same behavior is displayed with visitors I can’t help but to be totally disappointed and enraged. I sincerely hope that the authorities take the necessary measures to cure this disease.
CKR- courtesy, Kindness and Respect for all peoples- can we do this.
Well said – sometimes the assistant will be serving you but will also be talking to a friend and completely ignore you! Massive training programmes required for DA . Should be made available on the local tv stations. This is most important.
Not only DOMLEC but Dominica on a whole lack customer service
So true. I went to domlec last week monday at 8:48 am. There were app.9 people in the line, and two windows available. One teller was on her “pink berry” sending a text after each customer she served. She didn’t seem bothered by any remark made by the customer.They seemed pretty relaxed while at work, taking their own precious time with everything.