Poor email support from broadband providers

[rpm]

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Broadband/936.html

 

[Alchemist]

rpm, what about the smaller guys, the like of OpenWeb, ODS, Web Africa etc? Collectively I'm sure they have a substantial user base. It would also be interesting to see how the smaller guys fare against the bigger bullies.

 

[Tns]

I am still waiting for a response from sentech , was inquiring about their vsat. sometimes the big "boys" don't care

 

[CathJ]

I've never received such good service from vodacom - yes, you get an automated reply right away, but then I generally only get a reply the next day. And I've found (although other people haven't) that each reply just goes back into their support pool - no tracking number, and it takes another day to be answered.

I had a particular problem with vodacom customer care this past week - mailed them about a network problem, they mailed me back asking a bunch of questions. I emailed them answers, even to the irrelevant questions, and they emailed back saying I didn't give them enough info. I mailed back saying I answered everything, and what more do they need - and they mail me back with the same list of questions I'd already answered! With a day's delay between each reply, of course.

Contrast to WebAfrica and Axxess, who always reply within hours and actually have useful answers

 

[rpm]

Hi Alchemist

A full ISP survey is in the pipeline where you guys will rate your ISP/s. Should be ready in August...

Regards,

RPM

 

[theStudent]

I have learnt the hard way that MTN has no customer service.

Unfortunately Im in a 24 month contract with them and can only swap next year to another Service Provider.

I never got a reply from MTN's complaint section on their site when I had a problem. And Hellopeter site, MTN repond with blunt, unhelpful answers without a care in the world for your problem.
MTN didnt ever care that they will lose 4 contracts because of me, and that we had been with them for over 8 years!

Oh well... hopefully there will be a jacked up SP next year (wont be mtn)

 

[quovadis]

ummmm is it just me - or wasn't vodacom's quick initial response just an automated email?

 

[naeem]

wonder if MTN bothers answering email?

I mailed them last week Wednesday to ask about their MyCall100 Contract. Stating i'm a vodacom contract and considering switching to MTN.

no reply. guess what, i'll stick with vodacom.

 

[vodacom3g]

ummmm is it just me - or wasn't vodacom's quick initial response just an automated email?

You should get an immediate, automated response just to let you know your mail did not end up in a black hole.

Then you should get a human response within 24 hours (the SLA). In rpm's test, it came within 6 hours.

Typically you should use e-mail support for questions that's not critical, i.e. that can be resolved in the 24-hour timeframe.

For more critical questions, you should call 155. Current stats show 80% of calls are answered within 20 seconds.

Also, remember the online, selfhelp system.

 

[CathJ]

You should get an immediate, automated response just to let you know your mail did not end up in a black hole.

Then you should get a human response within 24 hours (the SLA). In rpm's test, it came within 6 hours.

Typically you should use e-mail support for questions that's not critical, i.e. that can be resolved in the 24-hour timeframe.

For more critical questions, you should call 155. Current stats show 80% of calls are answered within 20 seconds.

Also, remember the online, selfhelp system.

Not a criticism of vodacom specifically, because a lot of companies do this, but I wish people treated email as high in priority as phone calls. If I phoned in, I'd get a response; why not if I email in?

And why, oh why, do people phone you in response to an emailed question? If I wanted to use the phone, I'd have just phoned them in the first place. Seeing as I didn't, odds are I want an answer via email. (And this one is aimed at vodacom, together with a lot of other companies).

Sorry, hijacking the thread to go on a personal rant here But as you may have guessed, I dislike using the phone, and really dislike being forced to use it for internet-related support - after all, if anyone is going to use the net for communication, IT companies should be the ones doing it!

 

[OhGats]

Ha! Nowire does not believe in even reading email, neither do they send out statements, and Sentechs mail has had an "unassigned network address" error now for nearly a month! Nope, the concept of email support is not in the nowire/sentech "how to keep your customers" manual

 

[emmanuel]

I've never received such good service from vodacom - yes, you get an automated reply right away, but then I generally only get a reply the next day. And I've found (although other people haven't) that each reply just goes back into their support pool - no tracking number, and it takes another day to be answered.

I had a particular problem with vodacom customer care this past week - mailed them about a network problem, they mailed me back asking a bunch of questions. I emailed them answers, even to the irrelevant questions, and they emailed back saying I didn't give them enough info. I mailed back saying I answered everything, and what more do they need - and they mail me back with the same list of questions I'd already answered! With a day's delay between each reply, of course.

I concur, this is also my experience. I'll go as far as to say their email support is non-existent. I get the idea from the response that they're mechanically responding but not addressing what is being asked. Thus keeping me on a treadmill like those trapped pets, running the wheel and getting nowhere.

For instance with VC recent email fiasco, where a mission critical service was down for more than 24 hours and their email help desk not responding timeously, they in fact aggravated the matter.

 

[ProDataPro]

rpm, what about the smaller guys, the like of OpenWeb, ODS, Web Africa etc? Collectively I'm sure they have a substantial user base. It would also be interesting to see how the smaller guys fare against the bigger bullies.

These guys are only resellers, not providers...

 

[j4ck455]

These guys are only resellers, not providers...

Irrelevant point there since those guys probably also provide email support to their customers, and can have the quality of their email support tested

 

[jhart]

"...whilst MTN failed to respond at all..."

What did you expect from MTN? An anwer maybe? That will never happen! I could've told you that when you send the emails!

MTN stays ever so true to themselves! Lowzy service and products...

MTN is a disgrace!