Letters Opinion

This may be the only email you've received on this matter, but I know that I speak for the hundreds of avid tennis players and fans in T&T.

The non broadcast of the Championships Wimbledon 2006 as scheduled on ESPN2 channel is a great injustice done to the Tennis loving people of T&T. We may not be as vociferous or be in the spot light as probably the football and cricket enthusiasts are, but you can rest assured that we are as equally enthused by and fanatical about our game as they are.

I was brought to tears - yes I actually cried after speaking with one of your receptionists this morning (not being able to speak with the Mgr. Dir., Mktg. Mgr. or any other Mgr. - they being the elusive elite) who tried to explain why the Championships could not be shown. I then suggested that your management could still try to negotiate for the Rights to the broadcast. I was coldly and calmly informed that no way or at no time was Columbus going to broadcast Wimbledon 2006.

For all the years of cable TV we have been shown the four Grand Slam tournaments each and every year. Only this year 2006 with the advent of Columbus Communications Trinidad Limited have we been so greatly disserviced and in such a callous manner.

1. A company that refuses to expend the funds necessary in order to obtain the Rights to broadcast certain programmes for which their customers are paying and are rightfully entitled. A sure case of discrimination towards the Tennis fraternity in this instance.

2. A company staffed with heartless and selfish money managers. Managers who have an established policy not to liaise or even condescend to speak with a Customer, in this case a Customer who pays her monthly rental well in advance.

3. A company that is very unfriendly in many ways, one way viz. :- Providing a call answering service (or should I say disservice) that is totally TSTT friendly in that you have to wait at least ten minutes - no exaggeration - before a CSR comes on to speak with you. I'd rather get a busy tone signal where no call units are adding up, and with redial one can try for maybe the same ten minutes without having to pay for the useless wait while listening to a monotonus recording.

Columbus, you appear to be only concerned about and concentrating too much on large year end profits, forgetting that together with profits the reason for which you are operating is to provide a SERVICE.

You are delivering 3rd world (or lower) service where you want us to accept whatever you care to handout. That is not acceptable, and should never be. Remember the BACKBONE of your business is your CUSTOMER whom you should and must SATISFY. Strive to deliver WORLD CLASS SERVICE at all times, and always remember that your CUSTOMERS come FIRST. When I turn on my TV to any channel I must not be greeted with "Due to broadcast restrictions, Columbus is obliged to block the scheduled program from this station" ever.

In the meantime I am looking for a viable alternative, and hope that soon I shall no longer have to accept your shoddy handout which you call service. I'm now checking out my options.