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Question of the Day: What's the most interesting small town you've visited in South Africa?
HelloPeter under fire
- Thread starter rpm
- Start date
Well, rigged or not. There are thousands of companies in SA (and the rest of the world) that thinks a "web presence" is paying someone a couple of thousand of rand to put up a website and that’s it!
How many of them actually monitor or respond to the ‘Contact Us’ e-mail links? They believe they have moved into the 21st century by having a website, but do not truly understand the power/potential of dealing with an online community. The only local big retailers understanding this (ignoring any bad service) is Makro an Pick and Pay. Why is a site like Game still (after 6 years) promising an 'improved website with searches' but still only opt to put up the odd scanned image of the latest catalogue once a month? I have made my all my big electronic/houseware purchases from Makro during the last couple of years because they have a searchable catalogue of products with descriptions, detail and prices. I do not have the time to "shop around".
The general “ignore it and it will go away” attitude astounds me.
HelloPeter (accusations aside), has done for SA consumers, what Isabel Jones did in the late eighties and early nineties. At least he is trying and not sitting back and pointing fingers like we all are so good at doing.
How many of them actually monitor or respond to the ‘Contact Us’ e-mail links? They believe they have moved into the 21st century by having a website, but do not truly understand the power/potential of dealing with an online community. The only local big retailers understanding this (ignoring any bad service) is Makro an Pick and Pay. Why is a site like Game still (after 6 years) promising an 'improved website with searches' but still only opt to put up the odd scanned image of the latest catalogue once a month? I have made my all my big electronic/houseware purchases from Makro during the last couple of years because they have a searchable catalogue of products with descriptions, detail and prices. I do not have the time to "shop around".
The general “ignore it and it will go away” attitude astounds me.
HelloPeter (accusations aside), has done for SA consumers, what Isabel Jones did in the late eighties and early nineties. At least he is trying and not sitting back and pointing fingers like we all are so good at doing.
RogueTr00per
Honorary Master
@riaan_pta: I speak under correction, but aren't Game and Makro part of the same parent/holding company? My point being that it possibly doesn't matter to Game that they lose customers to Makro... how many retailers out there maintain an illusion of competition when in fact they belong to the same group!
I agree with you on the Game website... such a waste of time. Pretty pathetic!
I agree with you on the Game website... such a waste of time. Pretty pathetic!
GavinMannion
Executive Member
Game, Makro, Dion, Dion Wired, Builders Warehouse, Metro, Jumbo Cash & Carry and some others all belong to Massmart...
.. Oh and Tile warehouse... so yeah losing customers between Game, Makro and Dions means nothing....
www.massmart.co.za
.. Oh and Tile warehouse... so yeah losing customers between Game, Makro and Dions means nothing....
www.massmart.co.za
sach70
Well-Known Member
One can debate the good and bad forever... I have used Hellopeter a couple of times, mostly to compliment good service. (which Hellopter is also about, but which is often forgotten) Had to resort to it once for a complaint when I got no feedback or assistance from a certain company. Posted my complaint after struggling for two-three weeks with the specific company and whala, my problem was solved within hours.
I am a fan!!!
I am a fan!!!
I was a fan as I also did log complains against 2 companies previously, until few days ago when I heard about suppliers being charged to reply. Hellopeter displays adverts on there website to earn enough to keep going just as myadsl so there shouldn't be extorting suppliers.
If you agree with the fees then may be myadsl should also charge for any complaints reported and replied by a supplier in these forums. Now that won't be fair would it?
If you agree with the fees then may be myadsl should also charge for any complaints reported and replied by a supplier in these forums. Now that won't be fair would it?
I disagree, it is fair. It is a business expense which the company being complained about no longer incurs and becomes almost an outsourced complaints division. The cost is now the burden of the mediator (hellopeter) who by all means should charge for their service. It seems strange that you are all fighting on behalf of the Telkoms, Eskoms and Vodacoms of our country now.
I agree that if the company is paying to have posts removed and their name made good, then there is a problem. But if the company is paying for a service (ability to communicate directly with your customers) provided to them by hellopeter then I dont see the problem. If this is the case then could someone please provide me with one good reason why hellopeter should not charge their clients for a service they provide them with?
Pitbull
Verboten
Can all the Hellopeter pro out there pls post your usernames, I would love to see how many complaints you got on there and what they are all about.
If you're not pre-paired to do that then pls stop saying it's a good thing
If you're not pre-paired to do that then pls stop saying it's a good thing
Can all the Hellopeter pro out there pls post your usernames, I would love to see how many complaints you got on there and what they are all about.
If you're not pre-paired to do that then pls stop saying it's a good thing
I have 86 in 12 months... you know mine...
Most of the 86 are made out of repeat complaints for the same issue. If they promise to come back to me by a certain date and time (which I ask for), and they don't, I simply log another one.
Can all the Hellopeter pro out there pls post your usernames, I would love to see how many complaints you got on there and what they are all about.
If you're not pre-paired to do that then pls stop saying it's a good thing
The argument here is that the business principle of charging to reply to consumer complaints is wrong/unethical. I dont use hellopeter because I havent had the inclination to do so yet.
@Pitbull - You say that people not willing to disclose their usernames to you should stop saying that it is a good thing. Can you please explain to me what makes Hellopeter a bad thing?
To clarify, I am neither for or against Hellopeter because I dont use it. However I see nothing wrong with the principle of charging for a service that allows you a direct channel of communication with your customers. This model is open to abuse though and relies on disciplined management.
That is not the problem... Companies that have not paid CANNOT respond to complaints and clear their name. It makes a business case out of slander.
Its like an anonymous person listing you as a bad creditor at VERICHEQUE and then YOU have to pay to have your name cleared... is that fair?
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Abe
Expert Member
What if there is a totally unfounded complaint on HP? A company now has to pay to clear their name. It could even be made by a disgruntled ex employee, a competitor or even HP themselves to make an extra buck.
As a previous complainant on HP I received there newsletter. I replied to them by asking about there charges that is applied against the suppliers to reply to a complainant, and that as a complainant I was worried that suppliers won't respond due to this and its unfair etc etc. One of there representative replied "within 5 minutes" saying that it takes money to run such a website and therefore the charges. And the amount is not so much as they have many many small suppliers 399 to be exact (I think, I still have the actual email which I can
produce), so now according to my calculation if they charge minimum of 13K then 399 x 13K = R5,187,000..Hmm must be an expensive website to maintain
, I could be wrong about 399 suppliers though.. but I think saw that number somewhere, prolly in there email. Ill confirm later.
Anyway, I replied to there email saying this:
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"Yes, it does cost to run a website.. agreed. But then when a complainant is submitting a complain (which might be completely for the wrong reasons and the complainant can be completely wrong) and the supplier can’t afford to reply irrespective of the fees you charge. Then what?
And again complainant or the public who views the complainant is not even made aware that the supplier is charged to reply to there query and that could be one of the reason that the complainant might not receive a reply.
On another aspect a small supplier can be just made to look bad just because he doesn’t want to pay hellopeter even if the complaint against the supplier is completely wrong.
To raise funds you do run advertising on your website just like myadsl. People complain there as well and most suppliers respond and may I add that its for free.
"
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Now, I waited and waited for a reply but nothing.. then I sent them an email again that I would like a response. but then again nothing. I have asked for a reply 2-3 times but now they have decided to ignore. So, Mr Peter applies the same rule to himself then he should be one of the bad suppliers easily! I wonder if he will bother replying at all. Quite childish behavior I think.
I asked a fairly simple and genuine questions as a complainant and as a supplier as well. But nothing after 4-5 days still.
produce), so now according to my calculation if they charge minimum of 13K then 399 x 13K = R5,187,000..Hmm must be an expensive website to maintain
, I could be wrong about 399 suppliers though.. but I think saw that number somewhere, prolly in there email. Ill confirm later.Anyway, I replied to there email saying this:
------------------------------------
"Yes, it does cost to run a website.. agreed. But then when a complainant is submitting a complain (which might be completely for the wrong reasons and the complainant can be completely wrong) and the supplier can’t afford to reply irrespective of the fees you charge. Then what?
And again complainant or the public who views the complainant is not even made aware that the supplier is charged to reply to there query and that could be one of the reason that the complainant might not receive a reply.
On another aspect a small supplier can be just made to look bad just because he doesn’t want to pay hellopeter even if the complaint against the supplier is completely wrong.
To raise funds you do run advertising on your website just like myadsl. People complain there as well and most suppliers respond and may I add that its for free.
"
------------------------------------
Now, I waited and waited for a reply but nothing.. then I sent them an email again that I would like a response. but then again nothing. I have asked for a reply 2-3 times but now they have decided to ignore. So, Mr Peter applies the same rule to himself then he should be one of the bad suppliers easily! I wonder if he will bother replying at all. Quite childish behavior I think.
I asked a fairly simple and genuine questions as a complainant and as a supplier as well. But nothing after 4-5 days still.
F
Fudzy
Guest
Lol, why did you mention MyADSL? Another thing to consider is I think HelloPeter is Peter's only job whereas (I might be wrong here) MyADSL is a sideline project for the likes of RPM etc.
Again, I stand to be corrected.
Again, I stand to be corrected.
I was a supporter of the Hellopeter website until I saw the article related to this thread. I naively beleived that the site was paid for through advertising and they companies where able to respond as freely as consumers where able to complain. I honestly believe that having a complaint posted on Hellopeter or any similar site is suffiecent "punishment" for bad service from the small businesses. Against larger monopolies such as Telskum or Monochoice it might not be.
Ironicly about 30 min after reading the article and deciding to avoid using Hellopeter and more, our marketing manager came through and told me of a post regarding us and asking how do we respond to it.
Here is the senerio... we have some 12 000 - 120 000 units comming off production on any day depending on orders. One of those units, happened to make it past the quality checking and got to a customer and broke after a few days. She took it back the store that sold it and it was immediatly swapped out. It was the first time she had purchased one of our products and she was happy with the replacement, but felt she had to complain about our poor products on hellopeter. This was one of the very very few units that should not have passed inspection but actually did. It was our first and only complaint on Hellopeter... no tell me... is it justified that we should have to pay R13k just to respond to this one customer who was already dealt with? I must also mention that she purchased the product from a retail store and was dealt with by the store.. the only connection to us is that the product was made by us, so I cannot comment on the treatment she received replacing the item, but she does not appear to unhappy with that.
Ironicly about 30 min after reading the article and deciding to avoid using Hellopeter and more, our marketing manager came through and told me of a post regarding us and asking how do we respond to it.
Here is the senerio... we have some 12 000 - 120 000 units comming off production on any day depending on orders. One of those units, happened to make it past the quality checking and got to a customer and broke after a few days. She took it back the store that sold it and it was immediatly swapped out. It was the first time she had purchased one of our products and she was happy with the replacement, but felt she had to complain about our poor products on hellopeter. This was one of the very very few units that should not have passed inspection but actually did. It was our first and only complaint on Hellopeter... no tell me... is it justified that we should have to pay R13k just to respond to this one customer who was already dealt with? I must also mention that she purchased the product from a retail store and was dealt with by the store.. the only connection to us is that the product was made by us, so I cannot comment on the treatment she received replacing the item, but she does not appear to unhappy with that.
I couldn't care less how much money he makes or how much money these companies need to pay to clear there name.
At the end of the day, if companies offered decent service to start with, they wouldn't have to worry about what is said on this "extortionist scheme" of a website.
On a few occasions, only by going through the route of his website, I've managed to have complaints with various companies resolved after nothing was resolved by contacting the companies in question directly.
Attention seeker.
At the end of the day, if companies offered decent service to start with, they wouldn't have to worry about what is said on this "extortionist scheme" of a website.
On a few occasions, only by going through the route of his website, I've managed to have complaints with various companies resolved after nothing was resolved by contacting the companies in question directly.
Attention seeker.
The whole site is a waste.. many times I have written complaints (especially to mtn)
And they have idiots who reply to you!
Not once has someone been able to sort out my problems/complaints from that site.
Seems the big companies put people that are barely literate to reply to your problems, and hence they cant even comprehend your problem
Blame MTN for that.
Not necessarily true if the system is being abused. How difficult would it be for a company's competitor to file false complaints?