At least Vodacom listens!

[kaspaas]

Hi guys,

now that we can almost relax that VC is running smoothly again, a great thanx to V3G!

The main reason he gets the amount of flack he is getting on these forums, is because he actively participates and is not scared to voice an opinion and sometimes stepping inadvertently into the big puddles of mud below the surface.

Getting probs sorted out at VC is MUCH less frustrating - thanks to V3G in many respects - than trying to deal with Telkom.

We have become used to very fast responses from him, and it seems as if he failed today in delivering th 20 minutes response service levels he has previously set.

Please don't flame the messenger (like I did as well ) - he is doing a tremendous job!

 

[Deiphos]

I agree with you 100%. V3G gets the worst of the problems of the vodacom customer base.

I applaud him for his services.

 

[|tera|]

I'm not a vodacom customer, but I agree, I've read his posts, have disagreed with him before, but all around he's a great guy!

 

[lilDeath]

He is doing well. It aint easy.
IMO he is doing other peoples jobs and often has to take the flack for it, even just because he is associated with VC.
Even though he came back with an answer later in the day, it is still better than what can be said for the actual support desk(s).
I am grateful for that. At least we have some answers and stuff is working again.
I have said it earlier, but Thx V3G (again!)

 

[Nokkie]

V3g is way better than than the MTN Dude...

(vodacom suporter)

 

[rpm]

Hi Kaspaas and others

I agree that V3G is doing a great job. With most other companies we usually get “they will investigate” or something similar, but with Vodacom we usually get the truth (or at least something closely resembling the truth ) in a timely fashion.

Regards,

RPM

 

[Moo]

Agreed, keep it up.

 

[Wynsam]

V3g is way better than than the MTN Dude...

(vodacom suporter)

In what way? Is he taller , better looking, blue eyes instead of green, got a better car?

Not sure what you base this statement on. In my dealing with MTN Data Dude he has been nothing but a pleasure to deal with, has lit the fire under people who needed it and delivered the goods.

Cant blame a man though if the comapny he works for is not delivering on their promises, such a reduced rates for data or some other expected but not yet received promise.

I think both the Vodacom man and the MTN man deserve praise for helping out forumites

 

[vodacom3g]

We have become used to very fast responses from him, and it seems as if he failed today in delivering th 20 minutes response service levels he has previously set.

Actually an interresting point...What is a realistic response time?

I normally can respond quickly because I'm on-line nearly most of the day.

But sometimes we all have to go off-line for a while and the timing today was just bad, normally you guys can play nicely together and help each other out for a few hours at a time

This morning, I checked the forum and all was quiet and then went to a meeting. Needless to say all hell broke loose and I did not pick it up until ic SMS'd me.

I used to carry a JasJar to watch the forum while in meetings, etc. but yesterday switched to a tiny Vaio but did not have it open in the meeting. So I guess I'll be carrying both again....

Need a Batman type signal....

So back to the question, what is expected / realistic / acceptable?

PS. Thanks for the kind feedback. I personally enjoy it here tremendously and don't consider any interaction as 'taking flack'.

 

[kaspaas]

Actually an interresting point...What is a realistic response time?

By the time there is a problem, the response should have been given already - the answer is negative time

Now serious: It depends on the magnitude of the problem.

In general feedback within an hour would be great. But there are times when it is less

Just knowing somebody with brains and authority is attending to the problem is stress relieving.

I think we are spoilt on this list with V3G ack'ng posts within almost no time.

 

[Deiphos]

Yeah, I also think that if we get told within an hour of a problem arising it would be great. Though, if the problem is network-wide, like this one, maybe 30 mins, dunno.

 

[Piesang]

I've had Vodacom problems that vodacom3g sorted and I had MTN problems that MTN Data Dude sorted.

So to my knowledge I'll give a big thumbs up to both of them.

 

[mancombseepgood]

lol

V3g is way better than than the MTN Dude...

(vodacom/telkom suporter)

lets not get personal now

 

[SJB]

Yeah, I also think that if we get told within an hour of a problem arising it would be great. Though, if the problem is network-wide, like this one, maybe 30 mins, dunno.

May I suggest sending an SMS to a predefined number (Via 4U site) or to that of the the data sim as soon as a problem exist on the network, it may even be used to regionalise the info.

This will preven the dreaded reboot, reinstall, ....re@#@$ to get everything going again.

Also, it might prove helpful to know when it will be back up.

V3G would this be viable?

 

[lilDeath]

Actually an interresting point...What is a realistic response time?

This morning, I checked the forum and all was quiet and then went to a meeting. Needless to say all hell broke loose and I did not pick it up until ic SMS'd me.

So back to the question, what is expected / realistic / acceptable?

err...methinks you were still a bit sleepy, I started my thread the night before already @ 19-07-2006, 11:07 PM - (Problems with Data (GPRS / HSDPA) [from] 20:45, 19/07/2006). Musta missed it??

Well, the 155 is supposed to be immediate or close to, hence being available 24hrs a day...so hows about an immediate response time? What your mobile #? No? Didnt think so.
or you fancy a 'imminent' wrapped in a 'just now' response?

Agh, you know all companies these days standard turn around times is 24 hours for any queries, some even longer. For serious issues it must be shorter though.

For one, if 155 can be sorted out to be a proper and decent helpdesk it will go a long way to sorting issues and problems out
and rolling out services that stuffs up a network... not professional IMO.

 

[vodacom3g]

err...methinks you were still a bit sleepy, I started my thread the night before already @ 19-07-2006, 11:07 PM - (Problems with Data (GPRS / HSDPA) [from] 20:45, 19/07/2006). Musta missed it??

Look who's talking about being sleepy!...

I replied to you 13 minutes after your 11:07 PM post.

The only other person that came back with a problem was LandyMan and I also had problems connecting on the internet apn (but not internetVPN), thus my question to you. To which you did reply.

2 forumites battling at 11pm (peak network usage time, btw.) does not constitute a network wide problem, so I assumed it's a local issue. You know how this forum lights up when there is a large-scale problem.

The next morning at 7am I tested again and could work, so assumed the network was up, which it actually was at that point. (At least where I was)

It broke again sometime after that and that's when all hell broke loose...

In any case, we've started a process to inform more proactivly using some electronic medium. Busy figuring it out. Need to balance distribution of info against the flood of spam accusations it'll generate.

Maybe a subscription system?

 

[kaspaas]

In any case, we've started a process to inform more proactivly using some electronic medium. Busy figuring it out. Need to balance distribution of info against the flood of spam accusations it'll generate.

Maybe a subscription system?

A problem SMS subscription system on V4U would be great - obviously for free.

Other possibility would be something like *155# where one can get the network problems status.

Maybe both - just in case the SMS system fails

Also earlier standard messages on the IVR (or an option press 9 to get the latest on network issues) with the option of an SMS when problem is resolved.

The key would be to realise that a lot of us on this forum are fielding support calls from clients before they consider calling VC. It would be nice to be able to tell people VC sent me an SMS 3G is down...ETA 1 hour. The better VC supports us, the better the suport they will get in return.

 

[74466]

Good ideas, it will all point to customer service, which might just point to vc gaining customers once mnp comes into action.... IF they can do something bout data rates

 

[lilDeath]

The only other person that came back with a problem was LandyMan and I also had problems connecting on the internet apn (but not internetVPN), thus my question to you. To which you did reply.

2 forumites battling at 11pm (peak network usage time, btw.) does not constitute a network wide problem, so I assumed it's a local issue. You know how this forum lights up when there is a large-scale problem.

In any case, we've started a process to inform more proactivly using some electronic medium. Busy figuring it out. Need to balance distribution of info against the flood of spam accusations it'll generate.

Maybe a subscription system?

2 people in different areas of the country having similar problems ...hhmmmm
Any problem should be treated the same, no matter the severity IMO. It's only a matter of priority when apparently different problems arise at the same time, otherwise they are all the same.
We are all paying customers, expecting a service.

Subscription option sounds like a good idea and the mediums could be anything from e-mail / SMS to a network status indicator on 155 or even a webpage for any failures being experienced since VC is becoming a network provider anyway....

 

[vodacom3g]

2 people in different areas of the country having similar problems ...hhmmmm
Any problem should be treated the same, no matter the severity IMO. It's only a matter of priority when apparently different problems arise at the same time, otherwise they are all the same.
We are all paying customers, expecting a service.

Subscription option sounds like a good idea and the mediums could be anything from e-mail / SMS to a network status indicator on 155 or even a webpage for any failures being experienced since VC is becoming a network provider anyway....

2/75000 = 0.0027% of users affected, so it did not appear as a common problem but rather as isolated, region-specific issues (tower / transmission, etc).

I've proposed the same mediums and we are looking on how to quickly get this info out.

All problems are treated the same, btw. but analysis of the geographical spread helps a lot.

Actually I'm going to start a new thread asking for this.