JPS office closures short circuit public trust

The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) has admitted that closing 10 of its offices between 2020 and 2021 created a “trust deficit” with customers. This admission follows an impact assessment study commissioned by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), which found that 77 per cent of customers want the offices reopened.

The study revealed that JPS’s remaining five parish offices are unevenly distributed across the island: only one in each of Cornwall and Surrey counties, and three in Middlesex, leaving two offices to serve nine parishes. JPS said closures were based on low foot traffic in its 680,000 residential and business customer base, with less than five per cent of customers in each parish using the offices. They also cited a shift towards digital platforms, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a reason for the move.

Despite this digital transition, JPS acknowledged the resulting service gaps.

“A trust deficit would have occurred and we’re mindful that it is a gap that we need to close. So, we’re committed to finding the right solutions, the right fit within the context of the business operations to serve those needs and close that trust deficit gap,” said Leroy Reid, director of customer solutions at JPS.

The OUR's research, which surveyed 330 JPS customers, showed that physical offices remained the most widely used channel for bill payment and queries – even in parishes without a JPS office. Some 86 per cent of customers in those parishes reported still using office services, compared to 87 per cent in parishes with offices. On average, customers in parishes without offices travelled 50 minutes and spent approximately $1,000 to reach one, versus 10 minutes for those with local access.

While satisfaction levels across JPS channels – app, online platform, and office – ranged from 71 per cent to 87 per cent, the call centre performed below that range. Respondents suggested improvements including reopening offices (77 per cent), better access to the call centre (nine per cent), and smaller outlets in supermarkets and other locations (seven per cent).

Collette Goode, a consumer affairs specialist, emphasised that although the regulator cannot mandate office reopenings, it has recommended that JPS improve access. Suggestions include a better geographic spread of service points and making the MY JPS App zero-rated to enable access without mobile data.

JPS has until November 30 to present an action plan in response.

Reid noted that JPS is already reintroducing in-person service points, such as the MY JPS Hub. He explained that prior to the closures, some offices had fewer than 600 monthly visitors, and by 2023, some 97 per cent of all JPS transactions were done digitally.

He said JPS has begun the process of reintroducing face-to-face touch points, including the MY JPS Hub, in parishes where offices were closed.

“We want to acknowledge that the closures though data informed had real impacts for specific groups, especially those in rural communities, those that were digitally disenfranchised, meaning that they had low connectivity or had little or no access to mobile devices,” he said, adding that the company is working to ensure that no customer gets left behind.

Still, he said there was a 68 per cent reduction in overall office visits, an over 1,000 per cent growth in self-serve transactions and contact via chat increase by over 220 per cent.

Noting that bill payment constitutes only 6.5 per cent of all transactions done at JPS offices, Reid said over 80 per cent are done at banks and payment institutions.

Additionally, he said in cases where customers visit offices, approximately 80 per cent of all transactions done in office from 2024 to mid-2025 were done through digital, self-serve stations and courtesy phones.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com