Bahamas News

With its last financial report in 2005 showing its accounts receivable at $67 million, The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), is calling for its debtors to buckle up and pay their bills or lose their numbers.

“For those who owe money, we will disconnect their service,” said Marlon Johnson, BTC’s VP of Marketing & Sales.

The problem, according to Johnson, extends to the Family Islands and is the result of the company’s willingness over the years to allow customers to have credit accounts. BTC has found that too many credit accounts lead to negative consequences.

“It adds costs to both the company and it forces us (BTC) to increase the bills of other consumers who are keeping their accounts up-to-date,” he said. “The disconnection process has to take place to be fair.”

To get the message across, the monopoly has placed announcements in all areas of Bahamian media, informing customers about the company’s “mass disconnection and service termination exercise”, which came into effect April 2.

The notices serve as a push, encouraging persons in debt to stop avoiding the payment of outstanding funds, which include all BTC services from wireless to fax and Internet offerings. Customers are informed that if their account is still inactive after being suspended during the last mass suspension exercise held last year November, their services will be disconnected. But services aren’t terminated as soon as the bill goes unpaid - there is a disconnection process.

When a bill is issued every month, according to contract, BTC ought to give persons 30 days after the due date to pay the cost in full - the company gives 60 instead.

The first stage, suspension, is when the user’s account is still active and customers are able to receive calls only. If the bill is still not paid over the next 30 days, services are disconnected. The account is taken away from the user and given to a customer waiting for a number.

Johnson explained this is not the first time the mass disconnection has taken place. Though he was unable to be exact, he did say that over the years, BTC has found it necessary to conduct the exercise.

The difference this time is that the process will be carried out in a more consistent basis from April onwards.

BTC has made available many options its customers can use to pay bills. Payments can be made at any of BTC’s offices or any bank receiving BTC payments. Another means of payment is usage of BTC’s website via its “EZPAY option”, or visiting BTC’s JFK office to use the “BTC EZPAY Kiosk”, where cash payments can be made.

So what about those customers who can’t meet the deadlines for the payments? The BTC is willing to work along with consumers in that category. The first step is for the company to be notified about financial difficulties. In this case, customers are referred to the Credit & Collections department to make payment arrangements using an Extended Credit Agreement (ECA), a contract allowing the customer to pay 50% of the bill and the remaining balance over a six month period. Once the bill is paid, along with a $15 fee, suspended services are immediately reconnected.

As for those whose services have been disconnected, once the bill is paid, patrons in this class will be required to submit a new application form and security deposit - their previous number will be given back to them based on its availability.

The VP said the disconnection procedure is all part of the company’s incentive to improve its customer service while at the same time moving to become a privatized, world-class company.