Yesterday afternoon, i visited one of the only 2 TM point centers in this city to enquire about my latest bill statement. I find that TM point’s staffs are well-mannered, dress decently with unison colour and suits, customer friendly and efficient. The office’s interior and ambience are also well-decorated and seemed ultra modern. Kudos to them in this aspect as compared to certain government agencies.

Female staffs are donning the same uniform as well as the headscarf.

The elegant and fine polished signature sign hung proudly in each center around the country!

However, their products are really SUCKS!! especially in the broadband internet business. Yes, I am talking about Streamyx (a.k.a Shitmyx to the internet savvy users like you and me). What make me say that?

Nice website @ the front,Ugly products @ the back!

1. My first few months’ connection was rather slow like dial-up speed @ abt 56-200 kbps. Upon verification by the technical personnel, they claimed my copper line was partially defective and old. Fine, they changed it. After that, situation got better with the speed now hovering around 700 kbps although I am subscribing to 1.0Mbps @ RM88 since 2003. Reason given to me was the standard one, based on best efforts and distance of our house to the network point. Being a reasonable rakyat, i accepted this explanation then.

2. However,the improved speed is very emotional as it keeps fluctuating from time to time,even within minutes! See what i got now:

1st Speed check @ 10.24pm today

2nd time check @ 10.35pm ,same day

3rd time verification @ 11.01pm

See? Never exceed 512kbps which is the cheaper package speed,yet I am being charged at 1.0Mbps price! Be fair to Streamyx, occasionally and at certain times, the speed do hover at >800kbps which is during schooling times,weekdays and after midnight. i once able to attain ~ 800kbps at about 4am!

3. They do have a multi-tiered packages for the users depending on our needs with the speed ranging from 384kpbs to 4.0Mbps. However, in order to be able to subscribe for 2.0 to 4.0Mbps package, your residence must be located within the 3km radius from the network point! See? Nabeh really….Streamyx was launched in 2001,after 8 long years, we are still offered primitive access speed with relatively high rates.

Never mind, we as the patriotic Rakyat should not complain about this petty issue, so long our basic needs like houses,water, electricity & Astro are given but occasionally…. or should i say annually or quarterly we will still experience blackout (brownout),water rationing sometimes, simply due to the best efforts basis by these GLC entities! Our government is simply asking us to be contended with 3rd world utilities’ reliability. Yet, we are always bragging to the outside world as well as to the rakyat that Malaysia has the many (Firsts) in the world -a security chip embedded passport, tallest buildings with 88 floors, largest DAM in South East Asia (in progress), and now there is talk that to resume the crooked bridge to our neighboring country.

Never mind  too about this crazy pursues for these projects as the leaders  always know better than us what are the urgent and more important agenda to attend to for this country!

But I am very disturbed by my discovery yesterday during my visit to the TM point. Beside the service counter,I spotted a standing banner which is promoting the Streamyx packages promotions. As I scrutinised, I started to be excited (so to say),then I enquired about this promotion from the personnel and true to what the banner says, since mid of last year, TM has launched this special promotions to the public as well as existing customers who have been using Streamyx for more than 12 months.

Now let me show you the banner:

The ongoing promotions

For all the years, I have been paying RM88 monthly(though recently i got RM2 rebate for my loyalty on this package) for the sub-standard service and when they launched this promotion, they never bothered to inform the existing and loyal customers like me that we are entitled to this promotion too. The savings is quite substantial considering I will get RM18.10 per month saving for my subscription. I felt cheated! really…..

There is no levy charged on me to apply this change,nothing at all! It is absolutely FOC..The personnel just had to change my subscription details in the computer,that’s all. I don’t remember seeing this promotion in the papers and elsewhere. What i read about is the Combo package only as it is being advertised very often in the mainstream media,but nothing about the former. What is this culture? What kinda of social responsibility that TM is showing to the customers?

In short, in order to attain the best service from TM, following are my observations:

1. Make sure you visit TM point occasionally as you bound to discover some surprises like this. make it like going to temple or church if you ask me how often.

2. Make sure your property is within 3km from TM network center. In Melaka, the network point is at MITC area as the HQ is located there. Hopefully my house’s market value in TU22 will appreciate in near future because of this added point.

3.Make sure you surf the net only after midnight or in the wee hours as this is the best time to achieve fastest speed.

4. Make sure your phone line is new as old line tends to under perform. One way to verify this is to listen to your phone sound if there is any sizzling noise…..i was told to check in this way.

Why ? Are you questioning above criteria ? Sorry, this is our country quality mission (on best efforts basis), be contended with 3rd world service quality.