I am currently typing from the Uganda Telecom office, our internet service provider. For the past year, our internet access has been off for a total of 102 days (today makes the 103rd day). In July/August it was off for 21 consecutive days and today I have spent the last three hours in the Jinja office trying to get compensation for those days.
Two weeks ago, I dropped off a letter requesting compensation and included dates of problems along with reference numbers from my numerous phone calls. But it wasn’t until today when I sat down in the manager’s (Paul) office that the ball started to roll.
Face-to-face interaction in every culture offers the best format for negotiation. Every excuse in the book was given as to why I will not be compensated for time lost, but here is the difference: I have friends at UTL. The two service technicians who frequently visit my home to repair the 55 year old lines often sit with with over a soda. Candice has cooked lunch for them. I even repaired one guy’s broken digital camera. The manager is also a friend. He has taken me for rides in his car (to check out his sound system). We have talked shop about the best deals for car alarms and computer power cables. And today they are going to bat for me!
The UTL system is clearly broken. It is a great example of the poor implementation of privatization. In the 1990s, many countries in sub-Saharan Africa were under pressure from foreign lending agencies to liberalize trade and privatize companies. The government of Uganda owned and operated the only telephone service in the country. As a government-owned monopoly, they had no pressure to offer good service. People were subjected to high fees and a system of bribery to get anything accomplished. When privatization took place, the company was taken over by one company–meaning the same trends continued. 15 years later, there are several other companies offering internet services, but UTL hasn’t changed much.
Yet people within the broken system are trying to change it. My friends at UTL are tired of upset customers. They spend the majority of their time in the role of counselor, trying to console angry clients. Right now, I am typing at the manager’s computer as he haggles on the phone and faxes my letter to more offices in Kampala.
Switching to another internet provider will be an expensive, time-consuming transition, but given the past year why wouldn’t I switch? Well, part of the reason is that I don’t know anyone at the other companies. We have no history, common meals, or shared experiences. I can call Chris (the service technician at UTL) after hours, if I really need him. I’ll probably continue paying UTL for quasi-access to the internet because I have full-access relationships to their hard-working, innovative employees.
