Reality bites

Recently The Jakarta Post ran an article about a number of banks that accept payment of telephone bills.

This is all very good, but, unfortunately, they and Telkom do not provide good service.

Whether paying directly to Telkom or through one of the receiving banks, you must pay first before you can even check if your account is correct. If the bill is incorrect you are forced to go through very arduous procedures to try to get a refund.

Some of the receiving banks only issue the face sheet of the account, without the attached list of international calls. You must then go to a Telkom office and pay an additional fee to receive the list and check if it is correct.

Many other countries send you the account prior to payment so you can verify the amount. Here the attitude appears to be "our computers say that call was made from your installation therefore you must pay."

Telkom talks about service, and the banks talk about service, but the reality is very different.

KEN ALLAN

Jakarta