geisha.kowlessar@guardian.co.tt
Unlike TSTT, telecommunications provider Flow has no intention of retrenching any of its employees.
Rather, Flow plans to improve on its efficiency, said Simone Martin-Sulgan, Flow TT’s vice president who was speaking to members of the media following an International Women’s Day function held at Flow’s Box Office at the Oval, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
She said prior to the pandemic, Flow made a commitment to its “entire employee population,” that it will not send anyone home.
“And we have been able to do exactly that. What it does for us as a company is to now find ways to operate more efficiently and effectively rather than going for laying off employers and so far we have been successful in doing that,” Martin-Sulgan said.
More than 450 workers are expected to be retrenched from majority State-owned provider TSTT.
In a statement on January 17, TSTT said for its financial year which ended on the March 31, 2021, its revenue fell by $453 million—18 per cent less than the prior year.
On Flow’s goals for 2022 Martin-Sulgan explained that it is to ensure connectivity at all levels across the country.
Saying that “Flow’s connectivity,” must complete every home, Martin-Sulgan added, “We understand the importance of connectivity and one of the things the pandemic has taught us is that it’s a (connectivity) really powerful tool. It allows us to not only to help bridge the divide that has happened because we have had to stay at home but it’s also very important to connect us as a nation; things like education etc.”
She said the company also intends to not only solicit feedback from customers more often but to take “complete ownership,” of such comments and to improve upon them.
“When things fail we let our customers know first and foremost and then try to make up for it, whether it be by giving customers additional speed to cater to outages or even rebates etc,” Martin-Sulgan.
Martin-Sulgan, who is the first female executive to run the company also noted that women provide a fresh perspective to any organisation, adding that they may also be able to position products and services which are more relatable to customers.
And while workplace harassment remains problematic for many women, Martin-Sulgan advised them to feel embolden to speak up.
“Chances are you are not the only person experiencing it and there’s something about strength in numbers so being able to share your experiences is something I would definitely endorse,” Martin-Sulgan added.
