Long lines at CCTT offices

HUNDREDS OF customers converged on the offices of the Cable Company of Trinidad and Tobago (CCTT) in Port-of-Spain and San Fernando yesterday to get malfunctioning decoder boxes replaced. Although yesterday was a public holiday in observance of Divali, CCTT offices remained open for the most of the day dealing with the decoder box problem. From as early as 9.30 am yesterday, there was a long line outside CCTT’s main office on Richmond Street, Port-of-Spain.  There was a similar scene at the office on Mon Chagrin Street in San Fernando. The problem developed after CCTT upgraded its service for enhanced picture quality and seamless transition from channel to channel. However, customers with older decoder boxes, which were unable to handle the upgrade, began experiencing problems with their cable service.

Customer service representative David Daniel, told Newsday the company had received new cable boxes which were supposed to be delivered to its customers. “Because of the large number of subscribers, however, it was impossible for CCTT to deliver to everyone in a short space of time, hence the reason why we asked them to come in instead,” he explained. “We are doing everything possible to have the problem rectified.” However, several customers who spent most of the holiday in long lines trying to change their decoder boxes complained about CCTT’s handling of the situation and said they were not properly informed about the cause of the malfunction. “Is only when I read today’s papers that I found out the real reason why I was not getting proper service,” one St James subscriber said. “They should have informed the public about this before. We are paying for this service, we have a right to know. Well, I hope they know that I am not paying my full bill this month because I have been without cable for days now.”

A customer at the San Fernando office told Newsday: “For the third time I am here at the cable company having my cable box exchanged but no luck. “I realised earlier in the week that the cable read ‘LO 1’ and was not responding to the changing of channels. I called the cable company and reported my problem and they told me to come in they will have it exchanged. I did so and it was the same thing. I again received a second box on Wednesday afternoon. It showed for one hour and it was back to square one. I returned the box for a third time on Thursday morning, went home, hooked it up and nothing, it was completely nonfunctional.” Attempts to get an official response from CCTT’s customer service manager as to how soon the problem will be rectified were futile. Newsday was told “no one is answering any more questions since a release on the situation has already been sent out.”