Deaf ear to customers (1)

I have read with interest the letter from Malcolm Briffa, head of marketing at Melita Cable, which appeared to be in response to letters recently written to this column by dissatisfied Melita subscribers. (On the same day as his reply there was yet another letter from a disgruntled subscriber!) He repeated comments and information already addressed by Melita with advertisements in the media.

While I found his reply interesting I feel that he has still failed to address the complaints from many of Melita's customers.

There appears to be general discontent with the choice of programmes offered to the subscriber, i.e. one must have a specific package irrespective of the content thereof, thus leaving the customer with no chance to select the channels they really want. I appreciate that there cannot be an infinitesimal variety of packages but possibly some form of choice linked to monthly payment could be made possible.

From my point of view the faults come from a different angle. The Sports Channel - only available at an extra cost - has been much reduced in its content. No Wimbledon tennis during the summer, no UK Open or Ryder Cup golf (all of which have been transmitted in recent years), and it would appear reduced football transmissions and no rugby in the early part of next year, all this together with the loss of the Formula 1 Grand Prix programmes.

Having contacted Melita directly the only response I have had from them is: "We have not secured the rights to transmit". No, we realise that, but the competitors on the island have managed to "secure the rights to transmit"! Is it that these competitors are prepared to invest more of their subscribers' money in securing these programmes while Melita's directors are not?

Are we expected to subscribe to both Melita and Go to enable us to watch the programmes we really want?

More to the point, how are Go able to offer a package very similar to Melita at a cost of €20.96, compared with a cost of €29.10 charged by Melita? A Sports package, more superior, offered by Go at €9.55 compares with a staggering €19 charged by Melita.

The programmes offered by Go obviously come from a similar source as Melita's, so why does it cost more to bring the programmes in when offered by Melita compared with those offered by Go?

From my personal point of view two channels which I enjoy watching are Hallmark and UKTV, both currently available only on Melita. I can assure Melita that while I have been a customer for more than 12 years, full package plus Sports, once these channels are available from Go, I shall have no hesitation in transferring my allegiance (Go please note).

Melita should realise that they are no longer the only available provider on the island and they will lose customers to Go if they continue to turn a deaf ear to their customers combined with a reluctance to spend money on achieving the "rights to transmit"!