Causing a scene can be fun!

Today I trotted off to my local Telkom ‘customer care’ branch in a Randburg shopping centre. They were so understaffed – it was at least a 45 minutes wait to be served. One guy was getting really angry, and loudly started demanding that a manager come out and sort out this queuing problem. The security guy kept saying that this was not possible.

So while this is going on, I ask for everybody’s attention. When I have it, I ask out “Who here thinks that since Telkom is so understaffed, they should maybe consider hiring back some of the 30 000 people they have retrenched since 1997?” People vocalize their agreement.

Meanwhile, this rightfully disgruntled customer is still struggling to get a manager to come out. I go to him and say, “do you think maybe if I caused a scene a manager will come out?”

“Give it a try and lets see. I’ll support you” he tells me.

So I go and stand in the middle of the shop, in between the two queues where everyone could see me. And I give a loud speech about Telkom. I cite facts from the NUS, Efficient Research, Yankee Group and Genesis reports. I talk about the excessive costs of ADSL in SA. I quote verbatim from the Competition Commission’s findings on Telkom. I make everyone aware of Telkom’s excessive charges. I rant and rave about how many jobs SA has lost because of the poor way the sector has been managed. I tell everyone to demand a copy of the Std Terms and Conditions contract from Telkom.

Eventually a security guy comes to me and asks me why I am doing this. I chat to him for a few seconds, then continue my little speech. When I’m done, a get a round of applause and shouts of “well done!”.

People come to me and get my email address, ask where they can find more information. People ask me to go have a cup of coffee with them and chat about what is happening in telecoms in SA. One guy comes to me, tells me he’s a journalist and wants to start speaking with me over email and see if there is anyway he can help the fight against Telkom.

I think that what today showed me was that people are interested in telecoms in SA. They just need to have the required information. Oh, and I learned that a Telkom ‘customer care’ branch is a perfect platform to cause an absolute scene and get more people involved.

Woohooo Debbie2 you're a nut! i like it hehehehe! Wish i was there to see the look on everyones faces, woulda been priceless.. the more people who know the facts the better - this is the same way the Americans and other first world countries got the affordable services they have now - by getting informed about what's going on..

Nice one

ROFL!!!

I also did that once. Did not recite anything though... Just pointed to all the empty clerk desks and with a loud voice asked why they were empty? I said, it was stupid to have such a que because of some idiot's lack of staffing skills...

I was asked to leave but told them to bugger right off and help the people infront of me in a quick and friendly fashion and then see how friendly I can get...

It didn't happen, I did not leave and I generally pissed off the people at the front desk. I feel sorry for them, but they are the 1st line of defence for Telkom and if life is hard for the staff it will at some point filter through to management.

That is just the way it works...

Hehe Ant, it's fun isnt it? All that was missing was my podium....

Actually, it was bb_matt whose pm a few weeks ago talked about a similar scene having been caused in the exact same place. Standing in line there listening to this poor guy who was mighty angry, I remembered that bb_matt had said that the customers at this particular branch support these kind of things, I figured, hell, why not again?

I also once caused a scene at a Telkom office.

After two hours in the queue, I was told that I had the wrong forms. I demanded to speak to the manager, who was not "available".

They then followed standard procedure by getting security to remove difficult customers. Fortunately the hall was packed with many big brawny guys, and security was outnumbered. A camara flashing also helped I guess

Amazing how fast the manager became available and then could solve the problem in no time.

I'mplacing this in a seperate posting:

Whenever there is some customer "scene", please do assist the customer by recording the scene with your cellphone (or other) camera/video recorder/sound recorder.

If the customer gets roughed up, such recordings will look excellent in the press.

I read a while ago about the cops in New York complaining that whenever they do something, good or bad, they are being recorded by legions of cellphones.

Assist your fellow exploited consumers - you might need such assistance in future as well!

Browse The Instore Computer

Another way of doing this is to change the screensaver of the pcs that they have for customers to use. Make it hellkom.co.za or myadsl.co.za Also browse to these pages and then leave the computer broweser there. I did this one morning and later that afternoon the machines were still displaying the same web pages. Copy one of the hellkom logos from the webpage and make that the default backround for the desktop on the machine.

Debbie2 said:

Hehe Ant, it's fun isnt it? All that was missing was my podium....

Actually, it was bb_matt whose pm a few weeks ago talked about a similar scene having been caused in the exact same place. Standing in line there listening to this poor guy who was mighty angry, I remembered that bb_matt had said that the customers at this particular branch support these kind of things, I figured, hell, why not again?

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It seems you caused a bigger scene than I !

Don't worry, I'll be going into the same branch sometime this month - I think they'll start expecting a bit of a song and dance every so often there.

I'm out to contest a R100 "reconnection" fee on my line. I was a week late on payment, but my ADSL wasn't disconnected, so I'm assuming they cut my phone line which I've never used - I was totally unaware of this, so I'll be ranting and raving and shouting and refusing to pay it.

bb_matt, pm me and tell me when you do... I'll see if I can come along and see if the opportunity arises for more "Telkom civil disobidience"!

I need to go there again soon anyway for a similar reason. Hows this - I claim back from Telkom for the four days my line is out of order. Telkom phones me today to tell me they are refunding me - but they are still charging me the VAT on those pro rata 4 days!!!! "Yeah, we'll refund you for those lost days, but you must pay the VAT on those lost days" - give me a break.

Every time they behave like so I get more committed to fighting their illegal ways.

You guys should arrange the "get together" here, so I can organize chairs and popcorn and refreshments and enjoy the show.

Well, I think I've got one of those spare iron on t-shirt transfers I can print the Hellkom logo onto !

I'm in a bit of trouble bill wise this month and you can guess which bill gets paid last
I may try to pay a portion of my bill this month - I'm aiming on paying R1 of it now and the rest in June

noone said:

You guys should arrange the "get together" here, so I can organize chairs and popcorn and refreshments and enjoy the show.

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Thats actually not such a bad idea what you're hitting on there, noone. How funny would it be if a couple of MyAdsl members came along with me to the Randburg shop, and right outside I started ranting and raving about Telkom. Then the MyAdsl members pull out their chairs and popcorn and be an audience - nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd!

Damn, if MaD and I only lived in the same city - he'd do it with me!

Anyone in JHB who:
1) Despises Telkom with a passion
2) Doesn't get embarrassed in public situations
3) Has at least a few marbles missing?

You two are super-heroes. I applaud you.

Sounds like the beginning of a movement. Civil disobedience - that's the way!

A while back there was a thread discussing leaflet distribution. I think that we have found the ideal place to distribute hellkom and MyADSL leaflets!

Debbie2 said:

Thats actually not such a bad idea ...
Anyone in JHB who:
1) Despises Telkom with a passion
2) Doesn't get embarrassed in public situations
3) Has at least a few marbles missing?

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Where+When exaktlee ? I'll need an hour to get from Edenvale to Randburg - but count me in. Serious.

Hey ic, I know that Telkom needs to refund me the VAT they charged. I have lodged another complaint - I called the call centre and dictated to the consultant what to write on my claim form. At least the consultant was very helpful.

In addition, I pointed out that the period of my line rental for which I had no working phone covered a month of 30 days. Telkom had calculated the pro rata based on 31 days - I objected.

I'm talking about a few rands here, but it's the principle behind it. If every Telkom customer did the same, perhaps Telkom would stop hoodwinking the public in these various little ways that usually go unnoticed.

stoke said:

Where+When exaktlee ? I'll need an hour to get from Edenvale to Randburg - but count me in. Serious.

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MaD and I are still doing the flyers thing - taking a while (it's hard to co-ordinate when we are online at different times, plus we busy doing other things) - but it is happening.

I will be handing these out at a Telkom shop - but where and when will remain quite (don't need Telkom to know ahead of time!). It would be great if anyone from MyAdsl comes along and helps hand out, or even just comes hang around and support. Even as few as two or three people, preferably in Hellkom shirts, can help attract a crowd.

If we got several people to come along on the day, and they were all wearing Hellkom shirts, then perhaps we'd get into the newspapers. I'm gonna call up a few journalists beforehand anyway, to see if they are interested in coming along.

Please post here if you are in the JHB area and would perhaps be interested in participating in our little flyer handout.

Telkom's so damn fed up with me bitching about how they calculated my pro rata refund. They called me today and told me they were adding a flat Rxx onto my credit, and am I finally happy now?

Well, yes, very happy thank you very much, especially considering you're giving me more than I'm claiming....

Gee thanks, Telkom.

They gave that to you to shut you up. Sounds a lot like the behaviour of a huge American corporate. Shows you just how much they learnt from $BC

Well done for supporting the cause, but please be careful. If Telkom is scaley enough to cheat the public I am sure they'll try and organize a hit on you. I don't trust them hence I fully boycott them

You're right

I agree with Debbie on average Joe Public not being informed. Most people when they think of telkom will think "well ja my phone bill is quite a lot [compared to my homeloan repayments], and their service is bad i guess". The average person doesnt realise how much they are being ripped off, how much telkom is holding back the economy, and that their hard-earned money is making telkom huge profits going to a few fat cats at the top of the telkom empire - goverment included.

/me tries not to throw up