Smartbox admits experiencing "growing pains

Complaints from licensees of Smartbox are continuing to flood into The Publican following assurances from the company last week.

Licensees claim they have been the victim of poor customer service and have called for firm dates on when they will get paid.

Licensees rent the Smartbox system, which includes screens providing entertainment and news. As part of the deal licensees are supposed to receive a share of the advertising revenue from the system. But they also rent the TV equipment through independent suppliers fixed for a period of three years to use the interactive system.

Smartbox has admitted experiencing "growing pains" following a stream of complaints from licensees who claim they haven't been paid.

Trevor Ford, licensee at the Old Cross in Oldbury, West Midlands, said: "They owe us £600. They say its with their accounts department. Nobody can give us any solid information. We're having to pay about £200 a month on the lease on the equipment but we've nothing to pay it with."

Michael Houlihan, licensee at the New Inn, Chesterfield, said: "They owe me £1000. They keep promising me money but I feel like they've just been fobbing me off."

When contacted by The Publican, Kate Venables, managing director of Smartbox said: "The rapid growth of the network has stretched certain areas of the business. Funds are being channelled into addressing customer relationship management (CRM) to ensure licensees have the support they need."

Ms Venables acknowledged that there have been problems with customer relations and has set up a department that will specifically deal with licensee enquiries and complaints.

She added: "Smartbox is committed to providing a good quality service. We recognise that we sometimes get things wrong or make mistakes. We do not look on complaints as unwanted. In fact, they may help us to see where our services or procedures might be improved."