by Adrian Loveridge
It would really be difficult not to have noticed the various mission statements recently put out in the print and electronic media by Cable and Wireless or LIME, including ‘a better greener business’, ‘go green with us’ or ‘go paperless’.
Yet the latest ‘ads’ placed to get your new Directory today, 17th September, (well actually from 19th September), makes absolutely no mention of taking your old directory to the collection point where LIME could have partnered with one of the recycling companies to dramatically reduce the number that will eventually go to the landfill.
While is perhaps too easy to knock the company for its huge declared profits, they could at least effectively implement some of these admirable objectives.
I stumbled across one of their media releases dated 31st October 2008, where among many other ‘promises made in this manifesto’ included ‘calls to LIME’s customer service centres will be answered within one minute’ and ‘no LIME customer will be without the ability to communicate, via at least one of LIME’s services, with their friends, family or colleagues, for more than one day’.
Nearly a year later, having produced almost another US$100 million profit, I wonder if they are any closer on delivering their stated ‘promises’?
From my recent experiences, certainly the ‘promise’ to answer calls to the customer service centres within one minute is a joke.
Unless they mean you will get a recorded message within a minute and then listen to loud music for up to another twenty minutes, and as I did two weeks ago trying to get a human response six difference times in one day.
On August 11th 2009 I queried on LIME’s own customer service section of their website whether our payment had been received through the Eservice facility.
Over a month later I am still waiting for a response.
From that 31st October 2008 ‘manifesto promise’ the then CEO of LIME, Richard Dodd, went on to state ‘I’ve seen too many businesses that are all talk and no action and I’m determined that unlike these companies, LIME will actually put its money where its mouth is’.
Perhaps enough has been said in media releases and its now its time-for-LIME to deliver on the ‘promises’.
Adrian Loveridge
17th September 2009
Here is that Time for Lime statement from a year ago…
It’s time for LIME
Cable & Wireless brings LIME to the Caribbean
Friday 31st October, Cable & Wireless today unveiled its new Caribbean business LIME; Landline, Internet, Mobile, Entertainment – which launches Caribbean-wide on Monday 3 November.
LIME provides a full suite of telecoms services, including; home phone, internet access, mobile phones, ringtone downloads, phone calls via internet, cable TV (in some markets only) and data, networking and hosting services for business customers. LIME, which operates exclusively in the Caribbean, currently offers services in 13 markets across the Caribbean – from Turks and Caicos to Grenada.
LIME’s aim is not simply to make money for its shareholders, but to improve things for customers and for the communities in which it operates. To prove its commitment to this aim LIME has today published its manifesto for change – a 15 point plan that outlines some of the ways in which LIME will make things better for Caribbean people.
Among the promises made in the manifesto are:
* Calls to LIME’s customer service centres will be answered within one minute.
* No LIME customer will be without the ability to communicate, via at least one of LIME’s services, with their friends, family or colleagues, for more than one day.
* Customers (and potential customers) will not be sold services or products that they do not need – even if that means LIME loses money on a sale.
* LIME will ensure that every child, in the markets where LIME operates, will have access to a computer and the Internet to aid their education.
* LIME will invest $5m in local community initiatives – such as Carnival – every year.
* LIME will publish its financial results – making it clear how much it has invested in the region and how much Caribbean shareholders have gained from investing in LIME.
* LIME will operate a “Caribbean supplier first” policy, ensuring that it invests in the economic growth of the region.
* LIME will provide employment and promotion opportunities for Caribbean residents as a priority.
* LIME will reduce its paper wastage by 15%, as well as introducing a number of other environmental initiatives.
* LIME will commit the time of every colleague – from CEO to cleaner – to aiding recovery efforts in times of national crisis.
Richard Dodd, Chief Executive of LIME commented, “We’re making a promise to the people of the Caribbean that we’ll create a better company for them. Our manifesto pins us down to delivering on that promise. I’ve seen too many businesses that are all talk and no action and I’m determined that, unlike these companies, LIME will actually put its money where its mouth is. Continue reading
Barbados Free Press 