Public Views Postal Services as Unsatisfactory

POS Malaysia Bhd’s services are not up to peoples expectations, according to a survey by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Customers say they want a better level of services in terms of efficiency, operating hours and safe delivery. Other issues raised include need for parking space, timely notification, convenient location of post boxes, and user-friendly facilities.”Generally, respondents consider the performance in these services as unsatisfactory,” MCMC chairman Tan Sri Nuraizah Abdul Hamid said at a media briefing in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. The consumer satisfaction survey was conducted between April and June this year. While the overall Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) score for postal services is 3.3 out of a maximum 5, the public’s expectation level for efficiency was at 4.3 and safe delivery 4.2. UKM Pakar Runding conducted the study to gauge and review the general satisfaction level relating to radio and television broadcasts, postal and courier services. Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), meanwhile, concurrently conducted a survey relating to mobile, fixed-line, Internet access services and public payphone services. It found that there has been a slight decline in fixed- line users, mostly due to non-payment. The overall CSI score for residential fixed lines edged down to 7.3, out of a maximum score of 10, from 7.4 in the previous survey done in February 2001. For mobile services, the CSI score for individual subscribers improved to 7.3 from below 7 before. All major operators recorded an increase in customer satisfaction level, although issues such as prompt and accurate billing and accurate public dissemination of information still need to be addressed. Vandalism, meanwhile, remains the main problem for payphone operators. According to Telekom Malaysia Bhd, some 100 public telephones are vandalised each month. The survey found that almost 50 per cent of respondents encountered difficulties like non-availability of payphones, or their being out of order. “Compared to other phone services, payphone users are the least satisfied.” Nuraizah said the commission has discussed the survey findings with the parties involved. “We conducted briefings with industry players to share with them the results and have obtained immediate feedback and assurance from them to improve their services.” There is constant need for service players to improve as the public is now more sophisticated about the choices available to them, she added. Also present at the briefing were representatives of telecommunications companies, postal and courier service agencies, as well as broadcasting concerns.