Latest data has shown that telecommunication sector in Nigeria has raised the bars in the quest to ensure consumer satisfaction is absolute and complaints management is practically effective and efficient.
Figures obtained from the latest data which was recently released by telecommunications regulator in the country; The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has shown that about 99.2 per cent of consumer service-related complaints about the major network operators in Q1, 2021 were satisfactorily and absolutely resolved.
According to the Complaint Management report issued by the Consumer Affairs Bureau of the Nigerian Communications Commission, a total of 3,019 consumer complaints were made during the period under review, 2,995 consumer complaints, out of the 3,019 consumer complaints, representing 99.2 per cent, were successfully resolved while only 24, representing 0.8 per cent, were escalated pending resolution from the respective service providers in line with the revised Consumer Complaint/Service Level Agreement (CC/SLA) of 2019.
Also, the report indicated that the telecoms regulator was able to press home redress and eventually resolve the 99.2% complaints during the period because the consumers filed in their complaints through the appropriate channels provided by the commission for such purpose.
The channels in which consumers in telecoms sector can file complaints about network service providers to the industry regulator(NCC) for immediate redress include; through a toll-free number 622 managed by the Commission’s Contact Centre, NCC Consumer Portal, NCC social media platforms and written complaints. This, was made know in the report.
While about t 2,759 (91.4 per cent) complaints were made through the NCC’s Contact Centre in the Q1 2021; 188 (6.2 per cent) were received via the NCC Consumer Portal; 50 (1.7 per cent) complaints came to the Commission through its various social media platforms, and only 22 complaints (0.7 per cent) were written complaints.
A further breakdown of this consumer management data indicated that while MTN customers lodged about 51.8 per cent of the total complaints which which is about 1,261 complaints, 973 representing 32.2 per cent was related to Airtel subscribers, 549 (18.2 per cent) were accounted for by Globacom subscribers; 179 (5.9 per cent) for 9Mobile customers, and the remaining 52 complaints came from customers of other licensees.
On a month-on-month basis, 971 complaints were received in January, 1,039 in February and 1,009 in March. The report also shows that issues related to billings, quality of service/experience for voice as well as quality of service/experience for data were the first three complaints from the telecom consumers in the period under review.
Commenting on the report, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said NCC is a consumer-centered telecoms regulator and this will continue to make the commission to explore new initiatives to strengthen the existing consumer complaints management processes while ensuring prompt and satisfactory resolution of all complains.
He urged the consumers to continue to take advantage of the various channels made available by the Commission, including the 622 toll-free consumer complaints line, the Commission’s consumer web portal and other social media channels to promptly lodge their complaints in the event of service dissatisfaction.
“NCC’s actions in this regard are in line with its mandate to protect and defend the rights and interests of the consumer, and to give concrete expression to its faith in the consumer as the lifeblood of the telecoms sector,” Danbatta said.
Expressing satisfaction with the report, Danbatta emphasised that the Commission will remain committed, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to continually improve quality of service both for voice and data services, while assuring consumers of NCC’s readiness to always defend their rights and interests.
