The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) will soon be increasing its digital footprint as plans are in the works to offer all of its billing online.
In a release yesterday, GTT announced that by January 2022, all detailed bills for Landline, DSL, and Fibre services will be sent via email, WhatsApp and MyGTT. The company added that its aim “is to provide billing and communications services to our customers, in a secure, convenient and eco-friendly manner.”
The company also informed that until the end of December 2021, it is in the process of contacting the over 60,000 customers who currently receive their bills through the post. In addition, landline customers who also have Fibre or DSL services and already receive an email bill will receive their bill for the Landline services by both e-mail and post, up to December 2021. They will then receive their detailed Landline bill via e-mail after this date unless they opt to continue to receive their bill by post. Further, customers who have Landline-only services with the company will receive an additional form to indicate their desire for a detailed bill by post. GTT says it will be facilitating the return postage of these forms free of charge. It was also noted that customers can also request the detailed paper bills by calling 0488, or by visiting the company’s website at www.gtt.co.gy, or by visiting any of GTT’s retail stores to make their request for detailed bills. Detailed bills requested by customers will be issued free of charge.
Meanwhile, the Chair of the Public Utilities Commission, Dela Britton, praised GTT’s digital initiative.
“The Public Utilities Commis-sion (PUC) commends the initiative taken by GTT and its new Chief Executive Officer to ex-plore new options for consumers as it relates to the disbursement of detailed bills in a user-friendly format and in keeping with the requirements of the Consumer Protection Regula-tions of the Telecommunications Act 2016.”
She stated that the PUC is aware that GTT must embrace the use of technology to provide a faster more efficient service, but cautioned that the Commis-sion is mindful that consumers must receive complete and detailed information regarding their bills whether by post or electronically. Britton underscored that the importance of accurate, verifiable, sufficient information free of charge and via an optional medium for consumers cannot be overstated.
In response to the PUC Chair’s remarks, GTT Chief Executive Officer, Damian Blackburn, stated that his company is committed to its mission to be a 21st century customer-centric organisation. He expressed his belief that the process will result in the delivery of bills to customers in a secure, convenient and eco-friendly manner.
Blackburn added, “We are also aware that there are customers who would prefer to receive their detailed bill by post, and we will be meeting the needs of these customers as required by the PUC.”
The CEO also posited that educating its customers about billing alternatives and awareness is key to the adoption of safer, more convenient and eco-friendly communications to bridge the digital divide.
