MCA reports a 13% rise in complaints received during H2 2018

During the second half of 2018 the complaints received by the MCA increased by 13% when compared to the first half of 2018. In total the MCA received 132 complaints from subscribers of telephony, internet, television and postal services, 95% of which were closed within 20 working days. The Authority also received 354 enquiries.

As part of its end-user protection function, the MCA manages a complaints-handling mechanism which end-users can resort to in the event that they are unsatisfied with the redress provided by their respective service provider. The nature of the complaint and the MCA’s relevant legal powers determine the extent of the action the MCA can take in relation to a complaint.

Although the complaints received relate to communication services, there are instances where the Authority is not empowered by law to intervene and would thus refer the end-users to other competent entities.

Quality of Service (QoS) issues topped the list of complaints received, with faults being the most common type of complaint received with a total of 45 cases reported.

From information gathered regarding complaints received in Q1 2019, the MCA notes that such complaints have significantly decreased.

The MCA will keep monitoring trends in this respect to ensure that such complaints continue to decrease.

The second common type of complaint received was related to billing issues, namely incorrect billing, with 19 complaints reported to the MCA.

In 9 of these cases, following the necessary investigations, the MCA determined that the service providers were required to take necessary remedial action to address the issues reported.

The MCA recorded a slight decrease of 10% in complaints related to postal services during the second half of 2018. The MCA brought these cases to the attention of the service provider so that it could further investigate the matters raised and address any ensuing issues accordingly.

Customer support is a key aspect of the service and customers expect timely and effective assistance when encountering any issues. The MCA monitors the customer care response time provided in the industry.

The information gathered through a series of mystery shopping calls made to GO PLC, Melita Ltd, and Vodafone Malta Ltd customer cares indicated that the average time taken for a call to be answered by a call agent was 54 seconds. In 95% of cases, calls were answered by a call agent within 5 minutues.

The MCA encourages end-users who encounter any difficulties with respect to the services regulated by the MCA to contact the Authority if they are unsatisfied with the way their service provider handled their complaint.

The public can contact the MCA on 21336840 or by email at [email protected].

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