Dear Editor,
It is with great consternation that I pen this letter after an entire working afternoon was spent at GPL, Main Street. I accompanied a family member to GPL on Wednesday, 4.6.08 with regards to an application for a new meter from the entity. After obtaining all the prerequisite documents, the individual was being given the ‘royal run around’ to pay for the meter and receive the service. The applicant was told by the counter staff that the address where she previously lived owed the entity $15,000 plus and as such the applicant could not receive a meter until this amount was paid. It must be noted that the meter where the applicant previously lived, was not in the applicant’s name and the person in whose name the meter is registered is presently living at the said address and receiving electricity from GPL.
I sought the help of a friend of mine, Mr Philander, who referred me to one of the staff members (name provided). I must say instead of being helpful, this staff member turned out to be the most inflexible and inefficient employee I have encountered at GPL. He was certainly a let down to Mr Philander, whom I rate as a professional person.
The member of staff actually told us that it was GPL’s policy to have a new applicant suffer for outstanding payments owed the entity by other persons once the applicant resided there. He further stated that no new meter would be issued to the applicant until the monies owed were paid.
All reasoning to him fell on deaf ears.
It was explained to him that while the applicant lived at the house in question, the meter was not in her name. It was also asked of him why no action had been taken by GPL to have the monies owed, paid by the meter owner, or have the services disconnected. All of these explanations fell on deaf ears since the man certainly had a one-track mind and his mind was made up since he kept on stating that it was GPL’s policy.
If this is GPL’s policy or the staff member’s policy, I categorically state that it is wrong and needs to be reviewed immediately. I also recommend that GPL’s counter staff be properly trained in dealing with customers.
To make matters worse, after we elected to pay the bill since half a day had been wasted and the service was needed, we had to wait another three-quarters of an hour since only one cashier was on duty. After paying the outstanding amount of $15000 plus and for the meter we were told that we would have to wait for a week before the meter was installed. Talk about efficiency.
My experience at GPL has left a bitter taste in my mouth since I have not experienced such incompetence, inefficiency and inflexibility displayed by member of staff of a corporate entity in my entire life.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Bispham
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to Guyana Power and Light for any comments they may wish to make.
