High hopes abound on Customers Day<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Mastur, a customer of PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) in
\nPapua, was impressed when the state-owned telecommunications
\ncompany gave him snacks and drinking water on Thursday, which has
\nbeen declared National Customers Day.<\/p>\n
Other Telkom customers who were waiting at the company's
\noffice on Thursday to pay their telephone bills voiced similar
\ncomments when the company offered them snacks.<\/p>\n
"I hope Telkom gives such treats not only on customers days,
\nbut also on the other days," said one of them as quoted by Antara
\nnewswire.<\/p>\n
Without much fanfare, the nation celebrated on Thursday the
\nfirst National Customers Day which was meant to raise awareness
\nof the country's business community on the importance of
\ncustomers and as such to urge them to keep improving their
\nservice.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri presided over a ceremony to
\nmark the day.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, in a press conference prior to the inauguration
\nof the day, officers from 15 state-owned enterprises (SOEs),
\nincluding Telkom, which were the participating companies for this
\nyear, gathered and made speeches about their companies efforts
\nand plans to improve their services.<\/p>\n
For example, state-owned electricity company PLN pledged there
\nwould be no mistakes in the bills to be paid by its costumers
\nmonthly by the end of 2005.<\/p>\n
Indeed, all SOEs as well as all private companies in the
\ncountry have a much work still to do to satisfy their customers,
\nand a day is of course not enough to reverse the situation.<\/p>\n
Sandy, 30, a customer of PLN and Telkom, doubted the day would
\noffer real solutions to improving services.<\/p>\n
"The aim of the Customer Day is actually fine with me, but we
\nalso have the National Children's Day, for example, but look what
\nhas been done to improve the lives of our children," she said.<\/p>\n
Non-governmental organization Consumer Protection voiced the
\nsame concerns.<\/p>\n
A press release made available on Thursday stated that the day
\nshould not be merely an empty ceremony, or lip service for
\ncustomers, whom later are only treated as objects of profit-
\ntaking.<\/p>\n
"The National Customers Day should not be a day when companies
\ntreat customers with snacks or discounted products," it stated.
\n"The important cause is how to best serve customers and fulfill
\ntheir rights."<\/p>\n
The public has often complained about the poor service
\nprovided by Indonesia companies in general and SOEs in
\nparticular. There is no clear indication when customers in
\nIndonesia will be able to enjoy a helpful and fast public
\nassistant without having to search deeper in their pockets.<\/p>\n
One thing is for sure, tomorrow travelers arriving at the
\nSoekarno-Hatta International Airport will still most likely have
\nto deal with a taxi driver "refusing to use their meter and
\ndemand astronomical prices" and "endure the inevitable haggling
\nand harassment by aggressive taxi drivers", as stated by a
\nforeigner in a letter sent to The Jakarta Post some months ago.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/high-hopes-abound-on-customers-day-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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