The Knesset Economics Committee met in emergency session this morning to discuss the service offered by HOT Telecommunication Systems Ltd. (TASE: HOT.B1) following Channel 10's "Tzinor Lilah" investigative reports and "Globes" revelations about documents showing that the company does not meet the requirements of the law and its license on service matters.
At the start of discussions the committee chairman MK Avishay Braverman (Labor) said, "Problems regarding waiting times have gone beyond all reasonable proportions - it is baffling, disgraceful and inconceivable. I ask how long you intend taking before providing the waiting times required by law? Are employees directed by Hot's management to hide problems from customers? This is an extremely charged and grave topic and the pain caused to consumers is enormous.
MK Micky Rosenthal (Labor) said, "When Hot contracts out work, it claims that its intention is to improve - but in reality service conditions worsened. There is a culture of lies there, calls are intentionally cut off, and investigations showed that there were instructions to lie to customers. If the service does not improve, its license should be taken and handed over to a responsible company that also cares about the public."
"Tzinor Lilah" producer Gue Lehrer said, "Hot's strategy is a matter that we do not see favorably. The investigation showed mechanisms and methods. Not to let customers know that they deserve compensation because the technician came late. Not to tell customers the truth when service is overloaded. It also happened when Hot cable boxes burned television sets. There is the stigma of a company which tells employees not to tell customers the truth.
Hot CEO Ilan Zachi admitted that the level of service was not good and not acceptable to him the CEO of the company. He said, "We understand the skepticism but we have opened a call center in Jerusalem and hired staff."
Braverman insisted on being given a reasonable timetable for service levels to recover.
The Israel Consumer Council legal department said it had received 1,435 complaints against Hot just about cable TV since the start of the year. This is ten times more than Yes. 45% of complaints are about service, 20% about money, and 13% about deception regarding packages and prices.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 10, 2014
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