Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Maltese Gemgem – Time to stop and Take Action


The 200 year colonisation of our Archipelago by the British Empire left more than a mark on environment and culture. Apart from the stones still standing throughout the Islands, and the official second language, which is used and misused in various ways. (the Inglixx Spijking cultural classification is another topic for another time and place)

The British left with an opinion of the Maltese Population that we are a complaining lot who never take a stand or action for their complaints. They used to say “Maltese Gemgem”

Even one of the greatest Maltese Politicians of our time, Duminku Mintoff is quoted for saying: ”Il-Poplu injurant u jinsa malajr”, that is the Population is ignorant and forgets quickly.

Well it is time to stop.

What I am writing about here is not of a political nature, but nonetheless a radical change we need to make in the way we conduct our business, and the way we should start acting as consumers.

Everybody complains (Gemgems) about how the local customer service leaves much to be desired, but nobody takes any real action.

Filing an official complaint where one thinks he/she has suffered a wrong doing or failed to receive the appropriate service, is not the same as complaining.

It is your right to do so!

Let us take a positive perspective of the issue.
How would a business know that it is failing to meet its client's needs or not reaching their expectations?
One should not just expect a service, but have the responsibility to provide feedback when and where it is required.

I am not writing here a bunch of blabbering.
I am one who leads by example.
A few of my close friends know that it is my private crusade to take action over failed service. I complain and fight for my rights whenever there is the need to.
I have to thank Mr. Michael Testa, may he rest in peace, my old school headmaster for teaching us all ex tal-Handaq Junior Lyceum pupils to always walk tall and stand up for our rights.

Let me give examples.

On the day of our accession to the EU I wrote to the EU ombudsman complaining about our sub-standard roads. His reply, which I received both by email and through the post, was that he fully understood my frustration as he had himself experienced the Maltese roads on a number of occasions. However he could not officially help as his office only deals with issues regarding the use of EU funds. I have to make a public apology for not following up the EU Ombudsman's reply, when the St. Paul's bypass was being overhauled. Tabloids claimed that it was EU funded, and I failed to inform the EU Ombudsman that the EU funds were being wasted as the project took years to finish, and it is still not completely done!

Lately I received a packet from abroad, it was something I bought over the Internet as many of us do. The postman could not leave it in my letter box, so he left the usual green paper. Upon calling Maltapost I was told that I had to pick it up two days later. I asked for their delivery service, and I was told, that the item will be delivered at the sub-contractor's discretion!

So I filed an official complained. The poor girl at the other end of the telephone line was very sweet, and she stood up to her employer's procedures. I had to nicely explain that this is exactly what I was complaining about. She could not even find an appropriate classification of my complaint on her computer. Poor representative, she was completely lost. This shows how ill-prepared our businesses are for receiving complaints from their customers.

I diligently dictated my complaint to this Maltalpost representative, and she finally gave me a complaint number and a contact person.

Few days ago I received a phone call from a Maltapost representative thanking me for my two complaints. He informed me that the Maltapost management is currently discussing some major operational and procedural changes!

My first complaint that collecting a packet two days later is a worse service than we had in the past, is exactly one of the changes they were implementing.
My second complaint that for a paid up delivery I expect to dictate the date and time for receiving my packet, was also brought up to the management and this will also change, as I was right in my complaint!


Indeed, let's be positive again. If I had not informed Maltapost, they would not have known that their clients are not happy with their service.

Let us all stop complaining at home, in our offices and in the street.
Let's start the revolution of positive complaint filing.
Let us stand up to our rights.

I have to say here, that in the past I had great help from the Consumer Department. They work diligently and are of extreme help whenever you have a dispute with a supplier.

Last July, Melita Cable sent me a bill of an extra month, without even informing me if I would like to continue their service after the package I had bought for a whole year. They said that it was in the small print. I challenged them that nobody reads the small print, and that a contract is void if no one takes the time and the due diligence to explain it to you in detail. Hey, nobody seems to know this! I was given the contract as an attachment to the installation receipt from their technicians/installers. They did in the end after a number of phone calls and emails, give the extra month I was promised, and I continued with their service.

Also in July, GO called me that I had unsettled bills on their digital terrestrial service, which I had discontinued last year when I moved to a new place. For over than one year they did not even contact me or call me! Once again I challenged them and I was waivered from any debts upon returning the digital receiver. The latter was my duty and I did so.

I intend to keep publishing here my official complaints, and the feedback I receive from the respective business entities

I will also offer the space in my column in Il-Manocca to whoever OFFICIALLY files a complaint with a third party and would like to publish the outcome.

Please don't send me complaints.
Don't just complain in the street, between yourselves, on the media or with me!

Take action for yourself and follow-up your official complaint.
I’ll publish your results if you wish so.

Let's all start this customer service revolution, peacefully and quietly from our homes.

Whenever you feel there is room for filing a complaint, do not hesitate, just do it.

If everybody starts taking action, there will be a momentum for change, and the change will occur.

Stop complaining!

Take action!

(and remember, THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Nilagħbuhom?




Il-liberalizzazzjoni hija tajba. M'hemmx argumenti. Niftakar iż-żminijiet tad-dlam, żmien Mintoff, meta l-Maltin ma setgħux jidħlu l-Casino. Mhux sewwa, xi dritt għandu l-istat li jieħu r-rwol tal-missier u ma jħallikx tilgħab flusek? Għandek tkun liberu li tagħżel inti x'tagħmel bi flusek.

Illum għamilna progress enormi, nistgħu nilagħbu fuq il-futbol, it-tiġrijiet taż-żwiemel minn madwar id-dinja u aktar minn hekk, f'kull rokna u kantuniera ta' kull belt u raħal għandna numru sabiħ ta' ħwienet tal-logħob fejn wieħed isib varjetà ta' makni li fihom titfa' l-flus bit-tama li jirrendulek dak li fil-fond ta' qalbek taf li mhux se jirrendulek. Il-klijenti ta' dawn il-ħwienet mhu qed jagħmlu xejn ħażin, fil-fatt ma nistax nifhem għaliex il-ħwienet joffru s-servizz ta' paraventu lil kull min jidħol fihom. Ir-ristoranti ma jaħbux l-uċuh tal-klijenti tagħhom, allura l-ħwienet tal-logħob għaliex jagħmluh dan?

It-tentazzjoni għandha rwol f'din il-biċċa? Jien tgħallimt li jekk ma jkollokx tentazzjoni, l-virtujiet tiegħek ma jiswewx wisq. Jista' jkun li l-ħwienet tal-logħob li qed ifaqqsu ma kullimkien allura qed iservu biex joħorġu aktar il-virtujiet ta' dawk li ma jaqawx għat-tentazzjoni. Illum li l-lottu pubbliku sar lottu privat, partatna qligħ tajjeb li l-gvern seta' juża għall-ġid il-poplu ma' qligħ akbar ta' darba biex forsi ntaffu d-defiċit fil-finanzi sodi tal-pajjiż. Imma jien konvint li llum qegħdin aħjar, jew forsi aħjar meta konna agħar

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Il-Monument

Qaħbec nies kemm ġraw affarijiet dan l-aħħar. Biex jirnexxielek tikteb fuq kollox trid tinkolla ruħek quddiem l-imniefaħ ta' kompjuter u ma tinqalax minn quddiemu. Biss la qed ngħix fuq din il-blata ma nistax ma nkunx tipiku Malti u ma nikkummentax ftit.

Per eżempju, tgħidx kemm fraħt il-ġimgħa l-oħra bl-elezzjoni ta’ Obama. Mhux biss għax nispera li fl-aħħar il-US of A għandhom president progressiv, mhux biss għax mhux bjond u għajnejh blu, mhux biss għax jismu Hussein ukoll, imma fuq kollox għax fl-aħħar qed nara li hemm xaqq ta dawl li l-mentalita Reaganjana, dik li l-kapital jirrenja, waslet fi tmiema. Għax ejja ngħiduha kif inhi, is-sistema kapitalista falliet. Kif tista tiġġustifika sistema kapitalista meta f’mument ta kriżi iddur fuq flus il-poplu? Kif tista tiġġustifika l-kapitaliżmu meta dan jista jsalva biss bl-aktar intervent komunista li jista jkollok, dak statali? Mela tajjeb, kapitalisti sakemm ngħamlu l-qliegħ, imma mat-telf insiru kollha komunisti!

Imsomma, jidher li l-US of A, fl-aħħar qed jaraw id-dawl. Nispera, għax hawn id-dawl ħa nibdew narawh biss matul il-ġurnata (s’issa dak tax-xemx għadu b’xejn). L-ieħor, dak elettriku, nistgħu nibdew ninsewh. Fi ftit snin uliedna ħa jibdew jużaw il-kelma bozza bl-istess mod kif aħna nużaw il-kelma kenur, oġġett li ħadd ma għadu juża. Oġġett tajjeb biss għal mużewijiet. Għalhekk nixtieq nipproponi li f’waħda mir-rawndebawts kollha fjuri ngħamlu monument iddedikat lill-bozza li ftit saru jaffordjaw jixgħelu. Dan il-monument (l-iskeċċ jidher ma' dan l-artiklu) hu ispirat mill-mistoqsija “Jista xi ħadd jispjegali għala li issa l-prezz taż-żejt raħas kważi bin-nofs, ħa nibdew inħallsu id-doppju?”. Il-monument għandu jkun intitolat “ILLUMINANA GONZ!”

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Passatemp

Ċerti kliem bħall-miniskirts – ġieli moda, ġieli le. Dan l-aħħar snin, madwar id-dinja kollha sar imisshom kliem bhal riċerka, innovazzjoni u kreattivita, u xbajna nisimgħuhom. Malta ma kienetx eċċezzjoni, tant li żidna wkoll oħrajn bħall-prefiss smart, li tant ġiet użata, li nassumi li se tiġi elenkata taħt kliem ġodda fil-Malti fl-edizzjoni li jmiss tad-dizzjunarju ta' Aquilina. L-innovazzjoni (jew riċerka, jew kreattivita) hija l-uniku mod kif nistgħu nkunu kompetittivi (kelma oħra moda) fl-ekonomija globalizzata (erġajna) tal-llum. Minkejja l-uzu sfaċċat ta’ kliem klixe, il-prinċipju wara l-argument naqbel miegħu, forsi għax xogħli huwa propju fir-riċerka. Konsegwenza ta' dan l-argument hija li jekk ma ninvestux fir-riċerka, ma nkunux kompetittivi, ergo l-ekonomija tmur lura.

U la r-riċerka sirna nagħtuha tant importanza, kelli tama kbira fil-ftehim kollettiv ġdid li l-gvern kien qieghed jinnegozja mal-unions li jirraprezentaw l-akkademici ta' l-Universita. Sal-llum, l-Universita ta' Malta il-gvern, l-istudenti u l-maġġoranza tal-poplu jaraha bħala skola, u rari qatt tiġi rikonoxxuta bħala ċentru ta' riċerka. Forsi bil-kliem ġieli, imma bil-fondi le. Dan minkejja li l-istatistika turi li jekk taqta barra l-Universita, riċerka hawn Malta hija minima, kważi ineżistenti. Fl-aħħar, il-ġimgħa l-oħra ġie ċċirkolat il-ftehim propost mill-gvern, li fuqu għad ma hemm ebda qbil, u ħriġt diżappuntat, diżappuntat bil-kbir. Il-ftehim kompla juri li minkejja l-kliem, l-Universita ghadna narawaha skola, u l-lecturers bħala teachers.

Spikkat klawżola ġdida li tgħid li s-sieghat regolari tat-tagħlim l-Universita huma mit-tmienja ta' filgħodu sat-tmienja ta' filgħaxija. Il-lecturers jistgħu jintalbu jagħtu lectures f'dawk il-ħinijiet bħala parti mix-xogħol regolari tagħhom. U żgur, b’dan il-mod, nistgħu nikkrejaw evening courses u nżidu s-siegħat li l-lecturers jgħallmu mingħajr ma nħallsu iżjed. Ta' min jgħid li xogħol lecturer maqsum bejn lecturing, riċerka u xogħol ammintrattiv. Kull siegħa li jgħallem iżjed, hija siegħa inqas mir-riċerka. Vera li, kif tghid klawzola fil-ftehim, ir-riċerka ma għandix tkun ghad-detriment tat-tagħlim, iżda huwa wkoll il-każ, dak li ma jingħad imkien fil-ftehim, li t-tagħlim m'għandux isir għad-detriment tar-riċerka. Minkejja sistema kkumplikata proposta biex tkejjel kemm lecturers qegħdin jitfu enerġija fil-lecturing, ma tissemma mkien ebda riga, ebda miżura li tintuza sabiex inkejjlu kemm qegħda ssir riċerka. Ġew proposti karigi purament ta' riċerka ma' l-Universita, ħlief li dawn jistgħu jkunu biss għal żmien determinat. Min ikollu fondi għal proġett ta' riċerka u jista jitlob li jaqleb ghal pużizzjoni bħal din, imma mhux għal aktar minn sena – u progetti Ewropej idumu minimu ta' tlett snin. Is-sentejn l-oħra trid tiehu ħsieb li l-proġett ma jtellifx il-lecturing tiegħek.

Ir-riċerka ma tissarrafx f'effett pożittiv fuq l-ekonomija waħidha. Ir-riċerka issarraf biss fi flus meta tisfruttataha. Pajjiżi oħrajn jinkoraggixxu lil min joħroġ b'idejat li jistgħu jiġu kkummercjalizzati – saħansitra f'ċerti pajjiżi tista tieħu sa tlett snin b’paga sħiħa sabiex tipprova tikkumerċjalizza l-idejat tiegħek, u li jibqgħu tiegħek, u tgawdi l-frott tagħhom int. Hawnhekk qed nipproponu li l-Universita l-ewwel ma' għanda dritt tikkumerċjalizza l-idejat tar-riċerkatur, u jekk tagħmel dan, tagħti lill-oriġinatur ta' l-ideja biss terz tal-qliegħ. Jekk l-Universita tiddeciedi li mhux vallapena, l-originatur jista jiprova hu, basta jaghti lill-Universita persentaġġ sostanzjali tal-qliegħ li jagħmel fuq l-idejat tiegħu. Kumpaniji kbar nagħtuhom kundizzjonijiet preferenzjali fuq taxxi, nagħtuhom art u diversi vantaġġi oħra sabiex jarmaw ġewwa pajjiżna, u jsaħħu l-ekonomija. Startups ġodda pero, nieħdu ħsieb li l-gvern, f'isem l-Universita, iżomm sehem sostanzali ta’ li jipproduċu.

Bdejt billi għidt li naħdem fir-riċerka. Taħt dawn il-kundizzjonijiet il-ġodda, forsi ta' min nirrevedi dak li għidt. Wieħed mill-passatempi tiegħi huwa r-riċerka.