Hello,

Should the Government really sell Batelco?

What do you think?

Let us know!

:)

Are you serious do you even need to ask that question . Any one who beleives not probrobly dont use batelco services.

I work with BaTelCo intimately on an almost daily basis, and I have conflicting views about their sale. The vast majority of the technicians and engineers who I work with are excellent at what they do, and are willing to go the extra mile for the customer. They are interested in the technology they work with, and want to see a satisfied customer at the end of the day. That is the good side of BaTelCo.

Once we flip the coin and look at the silly suits in management positions, then we see lots of problems. Very few of them understand the product they sell, or understand what is actually involved to make a product work efficiently. To complicate matters even more, there are at least a dozen managers to fill a particular job function that should only take a single person doing a full day's work. The paper trail is insane, this is not 1853. Everything must be on paper for them to understand, even faxing information to them is apparently considered bleeding edge since faxed information seems to get lost in oblivion. Don't even think of mentioning the use of e-mail.
:realmad:

Simply put, the fat needs to be trimmed from the company. If they could only dump the stuffed shirt suits who are wasting the company's time and money, and listen to the technicians and engineers who actually UNDERSTAND the product they are supposed provide, that would be a brilliant start. Selling the company won't solve those problems, unless the new owners have enough balls to put the undereducated, overpaid corporate types out on the street. It may yet happen, but I for one will not be holding my breath.

I don't feel that it is necessary for the Government to sell Batelco, in my opinion Batelco has alot of qualified technicians onboard who knows what they are doing.

Instead of selling Batelco they can just simply upgrade the technology that Batelco has. When you look at it we are really behind in technology eg: DSL look how long we took to get it and it still isnt up to what it really is.

Its not all about selling we just need to upgrade what we already have to something better.

aster57 can I ask were do you live is it in the bahamas or mexico and if you do live here have you ever had to go to the mall to pay a bill, or do you have a cellular phone.

Originally posted by asterz57
I don't feel that it is necessary for the Government to sell Batelco, in my opinion Batelco has alot of qualified technicians onboard who knows what they are doing.
Agreed.


Instead of selling Batelco they can just simply upgrade the technology that Batelco has. When you look at it we are really behind in technology eg: DSL look how long we took to get it and it still isnt up to what it really is.

The DSL product does have many problems, but those are all on the administrative/managerial end.

Its not all about selling we just need to upgrade what we already have to something better.
Not so, BaTelCo's equipment is very good, and they have enough of it. Problems lie in the unmaintained copper pairs laid throughout the Bahamas. (or lack of them)

There are also quite a few techs out there who don't give a fsck about the network, and leave things in disarray. You end up having the "good guys" running around trying to clean up the problems that the unexperienced/uncaring techs leave behind. Those problems can all be solved by proper management and supervision.

I do live here in Nassau, and I do have a cellular phone. I know about the poor service that Batelco offers, but because they offer poor service that means that we should sell them off.

When I said that the Batelco should upgrade their services, I ment technology wise. Selling Batelco we would recieve better service for our money, in that I could have a decent conversation on my cell phone without moving it trying to get a good signal.

You asked me if I ever had to go to the mall and pay a bill, yes I have. If you are talking about the customer service, you can go in any place on a given day and be faced with the same thing not only in Batelco. When dealing directly with human beings you can expect anything to happen, because how their day went is exactly how they are gonna respond to you as a customer.

Poor customer service happens every where, and by thinking that by selling Batelco will improve that service we might be in for a surprise. Technically we will still be dealing with the same people, the difference would that be of new management.

Hi guys! Are we forgetttng the mess that batelco was in and reason why it got there? It was over staff and badly managed. If we were to leave batelco in the hands of the goverment again the same things WILL happen and we would be back to square one. Friends please, please dont let us forget how poorly the services are and the management is at batelco, they need a big change and i for one think this is the right one. PRIVATISE. later

Originally posted by asterz57

Poor customer service happens every where, ..

Yep, everywhere in the Bahamas. I have never seen such poor service any where else in the world that I lived, as in Nassau. Batelco is not just bad service, it is bad accounts, bad management like you said, etc. Its one thing having bad service, but at least we could have the choice of another company if we dont like their service. Im sure after firing alot of people, and rehiring, the staff that are lapsing will try a little harder.

They dont have to sell it, agreed, but at least for GODS SAKE, allow other companies to come here and open up their services, so the bahamian people have a choice. I know this is the 3rd world (or a developing country), but sooner or later we want to get away from these large government monopolies that can't always do their job right, or treat their customers right.

Rory

PS. Batelco, Please dont go throwing $20,000 on my bill to caribbean countries now, after reading this message, like yall did before!!@

Thank you very much rory I totally agree with you position and thoughts.

Although privitization can usually cure the burden of corporate obesity I am not so sure it will happen in this case. Government is still going to hold 51% which makes everyone else a minority stakeholder. What is done by this new "strategic partner" will depend highly on the fickle government's mood (which in turn depends of what's going on in the world and how close it is to election year) because a 51% vote can down any managerial decision.

The best thing to come of this may well be another provider coming into the field, but don't hold your breath there either.

All in all the government should have had the gonads to bring in consultants that themselves were not in sales and management (and wouldn't have cost three arms and a testicle) and fire the worthless management and technicians, give the ones who do all the work anyway some nice benefits, and sell shares to the Bahamian public.

Batelco should be sold and i think they had a chance to improve long enough.

I am becoming more and more frustrated with BaTelCo's cellular services. Sometimes, I feel like throwing my cell phone away but then I remember I paid for it. When dialing out at peak hours the following occurs.

When dialing a party, phone cuts out after several rings with a busy tone

When calling out instead of getting through to the party, you get the voicemail and the party never receives the call

When calling out, you get call failure

there is a delay in voicemail and text messages

Conversations are being heard on a party's cell phone by other parties (cross line).

Cell phones are ringing and when not answered you can hear two parties conversation

To me this is serious. My friend called me the other day and told me he could hear my whole coversation and he told me what I was talking about.

When i purchased a cell phone, i mainly purchased it for emeregencies but if BaTelCo is going to keep up this poor service then I wouldn't need a cellular phone. If someone is trying to reach me urgently, I will never be reached at peak hours and that will defeat the purpose of a cell phone.

Also, are we getting billed under these circumstances because my cell bill has increased and has been very high during the past couple months. Of course, it would be when you try to reach someone and you keep trying, not knowing for sure if it is the system or not. If it is true we are getting billed after the first few rings would this cause an increase on our billing?

I feel Batelco needs to sell and competition in order to improve.

On top of selling batelco we need to increase our options in the telacamunications business to inprove not only customer service but prices.

The world bank and other financial institutions, in many studies involving developing conutries state that it is imperative that these governments allow private ownership of local infrastructure so that they can be run more productively and decisions made on new technology can be based on profitability standards. Also it allows for the external flow of capital investment.
3 questions arise out of the the Batelco purchase.
1. If the management of Batelco decide to invest in a capital expense of say 200 million dollars it would have to show investors that this can be expensed over say 20 years, but the the investors will wanted some form of Gaurantee from the main share holder, The Government. They cant issue a Gaurantee with out going to Parliment. Are we not back to where we started?
2. why does the government want to hold 51%?
3. when was the last time you have heard of someone investing in a government controlled business?

The world bank and other financial institutions, in many studies involving developing conutries state that it is imperative that these governments allow private ownership of local infrastructure so that they can be run more productively and decisions made on new technology can be based on profitability standards. Also it allows for the external flow of capital investment.
3 questions arise out of the the Batelco purchase.
1. If the management of Batelco decide to invest in a capital expense of say 200 million dollars it would have to show investors that this can be expensed over say 20 years, but the the investors will wanted some form of Gaurantee from the main share holder, The Government. They cant issue a Gaurantee with out going to Parliment. Are we not back to where we started?
2. why does the government want to hold 51%?
3. when was the last time you have heard of someone investing in a government controlled business?

Maybe the reason Government wants to hold onto 51% of Batleco is because they owe Batelco many millions of dollars in telephone bills for the various Ministries and Corporations. If Government controls the company who is going to force them to pay their outstanding bills? It really does not matter whether Batelco is run smoothly or not because with competition, Batelco would either have to reform or cease to exist one way or the other. Ultimately Batelco is going to have to adjust to the new global telecomunications community just as the financial sector did. The only question remains when? Sell or don't sell is not a concern of the free market only the small minded politicians who run this albatross.