Total lack of service' received from Telkom SA on 15 December
To whom it may concern:
On December 15 I had the horrible experience of trying to business with Telkom. I will stick to the facts and let you be the judge of what happened here.
I had applied and paid for a prepaid line more than a month before and was informed that the phone would be installed on the December 15. When I asked at what time, I was assured that the technician would call a day before to confirm the time.
December 14 passed without a word from the technician, so I called the prepaid phone call centre' on December 15 just after 8:00. I was once again assured that the technician would go out on the same day and would call before he does.
At 9:40 I received a call from the technician who told me that he has been out, but nobody was home. He wanted to come later in the morning as all the technicians were supposedly attending a meeting from 11:30. I explained that I worked until 12:00 and could be home by 12:30. He suggested that he could come on December 16 and I explained that I would not be home and that I really needed the line on December 15 as it was agreed more than a month before. He told me he would check with his supervisor and call me back. I am still waiting for his call.
In the meantime I made arrangements to leave work early and called the technician on the number he used (011 4757079) and spoke to a different technician who did not want to give me his name. He promised to indicate on the system that I was available. At the same time I called the prepaid phone call centre' with the same message. The operator told me that there was a note on the system that a technician would be at my property at 13:00 on December 15.
At 14:03 I got concerned and decided to confirm that the technician was indeed on his way. This matter was really important to me. I once again called the prepaid phone call centre', now speaking to Scott. I explained to Scott what the situation was and that I was calling from my cell phone. Scott promised to speak to the technicians and call me back. When he called at 14:26 he basically told me that nothing could be done. He also commented that Telkom's appointments are all day appointments' and that I should have waited in the morning. I realized that I had to escalate the matter if I wanted to get anything done as time was running out.
Scott provided me with the number for the Complaints department'. I called them at 14:38 and spoke to Joel. Joel did not even want to give me the opportunity to explain my problem; he said I should have spoken to the supervisors or managers in the prepaid phone call centre' as they made the promises. He could only send an email to try to assist on Friday, December 17. When I asked for the name and number of such a person, he put me on hold (knowing that I was calling from a cell phone) and then transferred me to Lungi. Lungi was back in the prepaid phone call centre'. She was not a manager or supervisor, but insisted on helping. She mentioned that there was a confirmed appointment with me on the system for December 17 I still don't know who made that appointment nor who confirmed it as I will not be available? At 15:00 (after keeping me on hold for 18:59) she promised to call me at 15:15. I am still waiting for her call.
At 15:50 I called the prepaid phone call centre' again, requesting to speak to Lungi (whose call I was expecting), Irma told that she there was no Lungi. She also said that she could only send a missed appointment email' to the technicians on Thursday, December 16.
At 15:54 I called the Complaints department', now speaking to Mariana. Mariana listened and then offered to transfer me to Lungi (at the prepaid phone call centre').instead, Simtembile answered. When I explained that I was looking for Lungi and was calling from a cell phone, he launched into an explanation that I should not be calling from a cell phone, but from a public phone. If I thought I could leave home without risking missing the technician, I could go out to look for a public phone. He continued that Lungi was not available, her supervisor was not available (I asked), the manager, Ingrid, was on leave and Ingrid's manager, Thulani was on the 14th floor while Simtembile was on the 8th and he could therefore not transfer me. I as ked for Thulani's surname and was disconnected.
At 16:01 I called the prepaid phone call centre' again, looking for Thulani's surname or Lungi. Ntombi told me that she did not know Lungi. She told me she would llok for Lungi and did not listen to what I said; instead I could hear her talking and laughing with someone else. When she eventually came back, telling me that she could not find' Lungi, Ntombi's supervisor was not available. Ntombi did not know who her manager was. When I said I had enough and I would complain in writing, she spotted her supervisor, John.
Eventually I spoke to John who promised me at 16:17 that he would phone me back. He even gave me his last name, Jansen. I believed him, he was my last hope.
Today I made and received (literally) ten (10) calls to and from Telkom. I spoke to thirteen (13) of Telkom's employees. Four (4) of them promised to phone me back shortly... And none of these four (4) did. I spent more than an hour holding (from a cell phone) for help. I still do not have the Telkom phone I paid for more than a month ago.
In summary:
- Telkom did not confirm the first appointment
- The technician blatantly lied about a meeting that all the technicians would attend from 11:30.
- After I arranged to leave work early, I was blatantly lied to when I was told someone would be at my property at 13:00 (3 different Telkom employees told me afterwards that the call centre could never give times like that).
- Four Telkom employees never did what they promised and called me.
- Trying to reach a person in the call centre is virtually impossible and I would rather be running into brick walls than trying to call that call centre and explaining the situation yet another time.
I was supposed to go away for a few days with my brother and his girlfriend visiting from London (we do not see them often), but cannot go. I arranged for someone to stay in my property his only condition was a Telkom line, which I still do not have (due to no fault on my side, I tried everything). I told at least seven of the people I spoke to about this, but they have a real can't do attitude'.
I lack the words to express my disappointment and disgust with the lack of ownership and service displayed by Telkom. Telkom today wasted my time and energy and money and I do not understand why. I still do not know what I could do to avoid this. Telkom's employees obviously lack integrity and knowledge of their own systems.
I seriously considered using Telkom as my Internet Service Provider. After this horror, never! As soon as Telkom's competition arrives, I will leave Telkom. I will also be telling as much family, friends and colleagues as possible about this ordeal. I hope they will follow when I leave Telkom.
I realize that I might be just another individual to Telkom, but obtaining this phone was crucial to me on December 15. All I got was lies, more lies and empty promises. Telkom's employees all wanted to explain to me (calling in peak time from a cell phone) what went wrong, but nobody bothered to resolve it.
I do not believe Telkom has the vaguest idea of client service or integrity.
Emtia
Roodepoort
South Africa
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