Mtn Sp (cic)

[MTN SP (CIC)]

Hi everyone, should you need any assistance with MTNSP related questions don't hesitate to ask myself and Gareth we are here to help you !


MTNSP

 

[Edge]

Feedback..

I don't need help, per se, but I'd like to give you some feedback on what it's like to be a customer of MTN SP looking for service. Frankly, it is a very frustrating experience to have to deal with MTN SP, telephonically or otherwise. Below is an excerpt from an email I sent to your support center in March (to which I received no reply).....

Incidentally, I ended up sorting out my problem by going to the Chiapini square branch. The lady there was very helpful and everything was sorted out quite nicely. But the user experience starts off with a call to the main help line, most often, and that experience needs to be critically examined by your customer services people. A simple task, like finding out which handsets you actually have in stock at your Pinelands branch, turned out to be too much to ask. I hope you can take this feedback to the right people at MTN SP and motivate for a serious evaluation of the services you provide. You need to go through the whole thing, from a user's experience, to understand just how frustrating it can be.

I've been an MTN subscriber since the beginning, and for the most part I'm quite happy with that choice (though Vodacom seems to have a more active customer service department, by a long way) but I know many subscribers who are considering a move to Vodacom, just because their service is better.


----- Snip ----

Hi there

I have been trying to get hold of your Pinelands branch for days now, to find out what my upgrade options are. At first I dialled 808 from my cell phone and spoke to the consultant who was quite helpful. Since I am based in CT, she gave me a number to call at your Pinelands branch - 021 401 7399 - so that I can find out what phones are available on my contract.

I have tried repeatedly to call that number but I just get disconnected after a single ring, time and time again. So I called 808 again and got given another number that I can try - 021 401 7300. I called that number and went through the IVR system but every time I try to get through to an operator it drops the call. This has happened a number of times now and I've had enough.

All I want to know is what my upgrade options are but nobody seems to be able to help me and your damn telephone systems are ABSOLUTELY ****ING USELESS. If you care at all about customer service (which your web site assures me is very important to you), please give me a number I can call to sort this out once and for all.

Thanks,

......

 

[andres101]

i've actually had a lot of problems with MTN SP as well. they never answer their emails/messages sent via website.

when you phone 808, you have to hold for 15 minutes before you can speak to someone... except when you phone on a friday afternoon, then you are lucky if anyone answers your call within an hour.

as soon as number portability kicks in, i'm going to vodacom!

thanks for the post!! i understand that this is probably out of your control...

 

[johnjames]

SP Service

i've actually had a lot of problems with MTN SP as well. they never answer their emails/messages sent via website.

when you phone 808, you have to hold for 15 minutes before you can speak to someone... except when you phone on a friday afternoon, then you are lucky if anyone answers your call within an hour.

as soon as number portability kicks in, i'm going to vodacom!

thanks for the post!! i understand that this is probably out of your control...

The SP Customer Service could take some serious pointers from your 1023 service (Best implementation out of any network so far, that I know of globally.) Corporate Services is awsome, and your Business Solutions and Telemetry Service Departments are world class.

As for the number portability, it all sounds good but was due last July. It is technically cross platform, not possible yet (Love that one). It requires that a central database of mobile subscribers to be maintained. Chances (which network will allow another network to view all subscriber numbers and who is going to host it....HA HA), moving to VC no chance.

Great Idea ICASA, Cell C to benefit the most, but what an implementation of note.

 

[asmith]

They should let one see what handsets are available for upgrade online and allow one to order them online!

 

[MTN SP (CIC)]

mtnsp (cic)

Good afternoon to you all guys

ive been following these e-mails and i can fully understand where each and every one of you are coming from. i like the point that EDGE made regarding his inability to get through to pinelands. this is a subject this i find truly inspiring, and im definitely going to approach management on this issue. we consolidated our numbers a while back so that there would be a message stating that we have done so and advising to phone the call centre. the reason we did this is that clients were dialling these service centres (who pride themselves on being walk in centres as opposed to call centres) for things like balance enquiries and sim swaps and all sorts of things that they cant assist with. now bear in mind that when this happens, a person who has a job card because his phone is broken has to wait a lot longer than what is necessary. therefore the consolidation had to occur so that at least we could determine if the call merited to be put through or if we could possibly help. this has understandably put tremendous strain on our call centre, which brings into light the entirely valid reality that it does take some time (as andres101 has surmised) to get through to us. with regards to this, we are in the process of obtaining and training new agents to deal with the influx of clientele correspondence, be it verbal or via e-mail. i hope this in some way is a slightly more visible explanation of what occurs on this side. i do ask your forgiveness aswell as your patience, because i promise we are working on it

Gareth
mtnsp(cic)

 

[asmith]

I think you need to look at better IT systems, its useless having more people if they cant get the information they need. Branch stock availability, as well as job repair status should be available to any call centre agent at the click of a few buttons (and without slow responses that seem to plague call centre IT infrastructures in general). I am sure there is lots more information that could be made available if you research what customers are asking.

 

[sbloomer]

I think you need to look at better IT systems, its useless having more people if they cant get the information they need. Branch stock availability, as well as job repair status should be available to any call centre agent at the click of a few buttons (and without slow responses that seem to plague call centre IT infrastructures in general). I am sure there is lots more information that could be made available if you research what customers are asking.

It's not about better IT solutions but showing the inclination to provide that information both to the staff and the customer. The one thing I hate is IVR but what irks me even more about MTN SP (and MTN) is the lack of information on their web for just about anything. Pray tell where do I find data price plans on their web-site? To do that I had to do a search on Google!!. When the Nokia 6630 appeared on nokia.co.ZA, no-one at MTN SP knew about it - even to the extent I was told by one person at the Pinelands branch that there was no such phone!!

MTN lost a friend of mine (only today) to Vodacom simply because he could find out more about their GRPS/EDGE/3G offerings on their web-site.

I still believe when compared to telecoms operators globally, MTN is lagging very far behind others in terms of information availablity. Even Telkom is better at this!! MTN BBB has admitted that MTN is playing service provider, but please tell us more about the services and products you are offering

 

[mc721221]

Hi MTN SP,

It is possible to add a data bundle to a SMS (messenger) only contract?

Nashua Mobile says it's not.

 

[Edge]

Hi MTN SP

Thanks for your response. It looks like you've got your work cut out for you, but at least you're getting the right kind of feedback from this forum.

One of your comments deserves more attention, I think. You mentioned some of your branches, like Pinelands, which "pride themselves on being walk-in centres as opposed to call centres"? I don't see that being a positive thing at all. In fact, I find it an absolutely backwards notion. You're a cellular provider, but you're throwing away the obvious advantages (to the customer as well as yourselves) of telephones? This makes no sense.

If MTN was really forward thinking, they'd be planning ways to keep customers OUT of their call-centers, not force them to come in! I agree completely with what asmith and sbloomer were saying - you guys really need to "get with it" in terms of your systems. I have long since given up on trying to find any useful info about MTN's offerings on the website. I too have had to resort to Google to find out what MTN was planning WRT EDGE and 3G. In fact, the only reason I ever came across this forum is because it had more useful info about MTN than the MTN site itself does.

Anyway, I don't want to rant, but being an IT person myself I know what technology can do if its used properly and it frustrates me to see that it's not happening. It frustrates me even further that, in this year 2005, I have to physically drive to Pinelands to find out if a phone is even in stock. Alexander Graham Bell is turning in his grave...


PS. If you want to really impress your client base, you'll start delivering phones instead of making people come to your branches. When I upgrade my cellphone and sign a new contract, I'm pledging to give you another year or two of business. It would cost you very little to get a kid on a scooter to drop off my new phone and pick up my signed papers - that service alone would guarantee that I stay with MTN. Cellular providers in other countries are already doing it so you're going to have to do it eventually anyway. Why not beat Vodacom to the punch on this one?