An anecdote that gets passed around in foreign-correspondent clubs goes something like this: Some expat, we'll call him Waldo, is working in a country where the government is known for enthusiastically surveilling its citizens. Waldo's refrigerator breaks. He's horrified when hours later the repairman shows up promptly and fixes it efficiently. Why is he horrified? Because he never called the repairman.
I've been having a few problems with my Internet connection lately. I'm paying for the highest-speed service, but it's been dial-up slow. I called TTNET a few times to complain about this. This resulted in my service being switched off without warning, after which it was restored to the same molasses speed.
Yesterday evening, at my wit's end, I put out an appeal on Twitter and Facebook: Did any of my friends have the number of someone at TTNET who might take this problem seriously? Maybe someone in the PR department?
Half hour later, phone rings. TTNET calling. How may we help?
Now, if I were the paranoid type, I'd draw a paranoid conclusion. But I'm not remotely the paranoid type, and in fact, I've drawn quite a different conclusion: Türk Telekom and TTNET are excellent companies that take customer service very seriously. They have a few kinks to work out at the level of call-center complaints, but basically, they really work hard to make their customers happy.
I'm not sure who forwarded my plea to the attention of the right people, but I figure I've got a few thousand Facebook and Twitter friends, so someone did. TTNET in turn responded quickly, courteously and effectively. I'm given to understand from Ricochet editors in California that the service I've received from them would be unheard of there.
The moral of this story isn't that Big Brother is watching me--although if I'm wrong with that, I suppose I'm also fine with that: If Big Brother gets my Internet fixed fast, I think Big Brother and I can be good friends. (And by the way, BB, my vacuum cleaner really isn't getting the cat fur up the way it ought. It would be great if you could send someone to have a look at it.)
But the fact is, it's pretty rare for Big Brother to fix anything fast for you. A privatized company, though--that's another story:
Privatization endeavour of Türk Telekom has been a milestone in Turkish privatization history. It is the objective of the Republic of Turkey to foster a viable and competitive telecommunications sector, to attract world-class partners for Türk Telekom with a view of increasing efficiency and service quality as well as executing the privatization process on a timely basis responding to market conditions. In search of an interactive process, a market testing study has been undertaken during September and October 2003, in order to design the most pertinent privatization strategy for Türk Telekom.
Consequently, the market testing study is completed during the months of September and October in 2003 and the Council of Ministers Decree encompassing feedback received during the aforementioned market testing study was issued on November 13, 2003. Accordingly, minimum 51% of Türk Telekom shares were to be offered as a block sale of company shares, while following the block sale the remaining shares could be privatized under various privatization methods including the public offering. Turkey has secured an investment friendly environment for privatizations with regulations matching European standards. With the enactment of law 5189, the foreign ownership restriction on the part of foreign investors has been lifted, the scope of the golden share has been restructured and the satellite business has been taken out of Türk Telekom to function as a separate public entity.
TTNET: Margaret Thatcher would be proud. And unsurprised.
- Comment (10)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
Comments :
Aug '10
Re: Dear TTNET: I Love You, Big Brother, and Margaret Thatcher Would Be Proud of You
This story reminds me of a scene from The I.T. Crowd where one of the characters reports a fire in the office by emailing the fire department because he cannot get through on the emergency phone number. lol
Aug '10
Re: Dear TTNET: I Love You, Big Brother, and Margaret Thatcher Would Be Proud of You
Claire,
I would be more worried about the questions that the Cable company has been asking all the Ricochet members: -how long have you been posting ? -how did you find about Berlinski's writing ? - who else do you share this info with ? -what are these "R" movies you rented on demand ?
And have people been telling you that I am being followed ? Just wondering.
There enough scams in Turkey, I wouldn't trust many people over there.
Jun '10
Re: Dear TTNET: I Love You, Big Brother, and Margaret Thatcher Would Be Proud of You
As one of my local acquaintances is prone to saying when he's off his meds: "I told 'em I through. I've got nothin' to do with the CIA, or M-Sixteen, I tell 'em over and over. But they don't believe me. The only ones I have any respect for is Mossad. And don't talk to me about the RCMP, they've been goin' downhill ever since CSIS got started. Don't buy your Lotto tickets from that Korean in the H_____, plaza cuz he's a telepath, you can't trust telepaths you never know who they've communicating with. The Jews oughtta get a bulldozer and push Gaza into the sea and start over. They're gonna have to eventually."
I never have the heart to tell him it's MI - 6. Besides, just cuz I got a chip in my head doesn't mean they're not after me.
Re: Dear TTNET: I Love You, Big Brother, and Margaret Thatcher Would Be Proud of You
TTNET's techs just left my apartment. Their customer service is so good I'm thinking of sending them a Margaret Thatcher statuette. If this is surveillance, bring it on.
TTNET: "Would you like some fries with your spies?"
Oct '10
Re: Dear TTNET: I Love You, Big Brother, and Margaret Thatcher Would Be Proud of You
I'm reminded of the fact that as far as Terry Gilliam is concerned, the bad guys in Brazil were the techs from Central Services (one of whom was a pre-Roger Rabbit Bob Hoskins).
May '10
Re: Dear TTNET: I Love You, Big Brother, and Margaret Thatcher Would Be Proud of You
I agree with flownover. TTNet pays attention because Claire is a world-famous writer.
I could tweet the same thing and no one would notice!
Re: Dear TTNET: I Love You, Big Brother, and Margaret Thatcher Would Be Proud of You
Duane Oyen: I agree with flownover. TTNet pays attention because Claire is a world-famous writer.
I could tweet the same thing and no one would notice! · Dec 8 at 11:00am
My status as a world-famous writer has never impressed a state-run enterprise anywhere, I assure you.
Jul '10
Re: Dear TTNET: I Love You, Big Brother, and Margaret Thatcher Would Be Proud of You
Whenever I call customer service, regardless of the product, I think I get the same call center as You.... but without the service.
May '10
Re: Dear TTNET: I Love You, Big Brother, and Margaret Thatcher Would Be Proud of You
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Duane Oyen: I agree with flownover. TTNet pays attention because Claire is a world-famous writer.
I could tweet the same thing and no one would notice! · Dec 8 at 11:00am
My status as a world-famous writer has never impressed a state-run enterprise anywhere, I assure you. · Dec 8 at 11:20am
Claire, you have now confused me, which I admit is easily accomplished given my feeble mental state. I'm not sure I grasp the significance of the distinction between state-run and private enterprises as related to my comment.
I was attempting to distinguish between notorious and obscure customers (cat ownership status incidentally N/A), not public or private service providers.
Re: Dear TTNET: I Love You, Big Brother, and Margaret Thatcher Would Be Proud of You
Understood. What I was saying in turn is that being notorious doesn't seem to help me at all when dealing with state companies or bureaucracies. It may well be that I got special treatment because I'm a journalist or a foreigner--no way to know--but I've never received special treatment on these grounds from a state-run enterprise. If I did get special treatment, it suggests that this company is thinking, "We care about PR." That's a reflex that only a company with a fear of market discipline will have. After speaking to the customer-service representatives who came over last night, I'm not sure that I did get special treatment, though. I asked them whether this was typical, and they said that yes, increasingly it was: The company is facing a real threat from fiber internet providers like Superonline, and has consequently developed a strategic plan that involves marketing itself as the provider from whom you'll get the best customer service. Beautiful.