Hong Kong PCCW Now TV Cricket Channel service still dire

I was asked to send ID card number etc; did so with email adding more info:

It’s woeful that the issue was not fixed shortly after I complained.

Should be someone responsible for the cricket channel, ensuring it shows
best possible matches; and is showing what’s on schedule.
- along with being able to switch promptly to correct content when 
there’s an error.

This in turn should be blindingly obvious.
But not happening with the cricket channel; seems just a money grab by 
Now TV with noone in management actually caring in the slightest about 
customer service.
[no management people will reply to this; probably none even involved as
you perhaps reply with bland message about “technical problem” that is 
just not believable; management just insulated from complaints and 
customers]’

Message back; just a generic response, not addressing my emails [my emphasis]:

From your message, we are sorry to learn of your experience about the 
channel issue for cricket matches. With regards to your concern about 
the broadcast program on the channel 674, after investigation, we are 
sorry to inform you that the TV guide was not updated due to technical 
issue on 9 July and it has been fixed. Please accept our sincere 
apologizes for any inconvenient caused. We have feedback this issue to 
related department to avoid same situation. 

What complete nonsense! I've emailed back:

Thanks for your message.

 

This is utterly unacceptable.

 

As I noted, I do not believe there was a “technical issue”.

 

- you had started showing the England vs S Africa match, should have continued.

 

You did not respond to my email. 

 

Clearly, the Now TV management does not care at all about the cricket channel.

Or why interrupt a major match? - including, as it turned out, on the key day of the match?

 

This is woeful service.

Appalling management, that does not care about customer service or customers.

Grabbing money for this channel; without any attempt to deliver good product [when there are good matches shown, seems somewhat random]

 

Is there any way to reach management responsible; or totally insulated by customer service people with no power to make positive changes?

Letter by me in South China Morning Post:

I am among the subscribers to Now TV’s cricket channel; and while there’s a premium price, the quality of service is dire.

Understandably, given the sport’s low profile in Hong Kong, the content is from elsewhere – India’s Star Sport. But what I can’t understand is that Now TV can still make serious errors, as if the management cares nothing for customers.

In recent days, this has meant starting to show an England v South Africa test match that’s among the highlights of the year’s cricketing calendar, and interrupting it to show matches in the Women’s World Cup. I have complained, and Now TV’s customer service ­people claimed this was due to a “technical issue”, which is absurd. Star Sport was showing both matches on two channels, so Now TV could have opted to continue the test match. Or, as there are two slots available for cricket, Now TV could have shown both matches simultaneously.

I have also been informed of my message being passed to the “related department”. Yet it seems no one is home in this mythical department; there is no one charged with overseeing the cricket channel – surely due to a lapse by the management team, which remains aloof, ­remote, and insulated.

While the cricket channel is minor in the Hong Kong media world, the inept service delivery reflects a management malaise within PCCW Now TV, which in turn affects a great many Hong Kong people.

I note that the Office of the Communications Authority has a mission centred on fulfilling the vision that Hong Kong has world-class communications services. Perhaps it might assess whether Now TV is delivering woeful rather than world-class services, at least for the cricket channel, and investigate possible alternatives. A few years ago, the channel began showing a match with Hindi commentary. I complained, and after some time it was switched to English, as it would have been from the start if Now TV bothered with quality control.

Also, the channel has long periods without any cricket at all, just showing people in India talking about cricket.

Dr Martin Williams, Cheung Chau

My letter led to this follow up in the Post's letters page:

Real cricket fan should manage channels

I entirely agree with Dr Martin Williams (“Now TV’s test cricket offering substandard”, July 19).

Because of this, I and many of my friends have been discouraged from subscribing to Now TV’s cricket package. There is a lot of good-quality cricket globally. However, Now TV does not seem to be interested in showing it, but it just wants your money in the form of subscriptions. It needs to appoint someone who really cares about the sport to manage the channels which show cricket, who will know what fans really want to see.

1. L. Nanik, Tsim Sha Tsui

Just noticed in inbox, that's been busy lately: