There is a widespread perception that customer care service provided by private industry is better than that provided by the public service. This is not necessarily true.

This week I contacted EneMalta in connection with the installation of a meter to complete the system of solar panels I had bought. The man who answered me – his name I do not remember as otherwise I would have thanked him publicly – was extremely courteous and helpful. He promised me that EneMalta would be contacting me within a few days. They did. An appointment was fixed for a mutually convenient time. Even this official of the corporation – this time a woman  – was very helpful.

On the other hand, Saturday morning I phoned Go to inquire about a service I wanted to buy. A machine answered me; this being the most modern trend it seems. The machine ‘walks’ you through a number of instructions and instructs you to punch in different numbers. Finally the music starts. After a mini concert of seven minutes I got totally fed up and just went to a nearby Vodafone outlet. Service there was very good and in a few minutes bought the service I needed.

Not all Government run services are as efficient as the EneMalta customer care service.

I never use public transport so I cannot comment in the first person about it. However a friend of mine who uses it daily tells me that, at least in the parts of the Island that he frequents, the service has gone to the dogs. It certainly did for persons with disability, old people and persons with babies in prams. Many of the vehicles used by the government run public transport are not equipped with the low floor facilities that Arriva buses had.

My friend also told me that several drivers’ manners are far from those one expects – by right – on public transport. My friend noted that the rough manners associated with the pre-Arriva stint over here are, once more, very common today. I will spare you the antics he recounts. They are enough to make one to decide to buy his own private transport.

Ironically we tax payers seem to be paying from our noses for a deteriorated service!

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