Operators of Pay TV will need to redouble their efforts to gain the trust and loyalty of their viewers.
A Consumer Council survey, the first-ever on this growing broadcasting sector, has shown an overall user satisfaction level rated at about 3 on a 5-point scale.
The rating was based on a questionnaire survey conducted with 3,003 Pay TV users, between September and October 2008, on the four Pay TV operators in Hong Kong.
The survey showed that while there were some slight variations in user satisfaction towards the individual operators, the extent of consumer dissatisfaction was alike as to length of contract, termination procedures of contract, and customer hotline service.
In the survey, it was found that there was a growing tendency to binding consumers, especially new clients, to a longer contract of mostly 18 or 24 months, although the majority of respondents would prefer a shorter contract.
Some respondents (15%) had no knowledge whatsoever of the length of their contract.
Consumers were urged to make an effort to read the contract terms carefully; and operators, on the other hand, to provide updated contracts stipulating clearly the rights and responsibilities of both parties.
Secondly, only half (52.5%) of the respondents were aware of the contract term relating to contract auto-renewal - subscribing even to the same operator may vary from one to another.
On the other hand, over half (58.3%) who applied to terminate their contract reported inconvenience in the termination procedures for Pay TV service, due to prolonged waiting time of the hotline and procedures, or their calls not being answered or transferred around to no avail.
Thirdly, while acceding that the hotline service was "quite useful", many who had experience with the service were dissatisfied with the inconvenience (38.3%), long waiting time (50.8%), and helpfulness (14.6%).
It was also found that though a vast range of package options was available, consumers might not be fully informed, thus limiting their choice to only the one service offered by the salesperson.
Consumers are, therefore, advised to be vocal in their requirements and proactive in negotiating a package that best suits their needs and budget.
The survey found that the main reason for choosing an operator was because of the channel(s) and/or programme(s) the respondents wanted to subscribe to.
While the channels and programmes provided were deemed generally adequate in number, some opined that more new programmes, instead of frequent repeat of the same programmes, should be put on air.
Lastly, respondents were asked if they would recommend the service they were using to friends and relatives. The answer was mostly negative that they would not recommend the service to others, indicating a low level of loyalty to their service providers.
Operators of Pay TV will do well to heed the opinions of their users to improve their service.
| CHOICE magazine is now also available online (at https://echoice.consumer.org.hk/) and via fixed-line and mobile services of PCCW. Members from the media who are invited by this Council to the Press Conference may quote the content of this Press Statement. The Consumer Council reserves all its right (including copyright) in respect of CHOICE Magazine and Online CHOICE ( https://echoice.consumer.org.hk/ ). |