Telkom Direct stores are an Epic Fail

[kingrob]

As a business you really put yourself in an unfortunate position when you make it impossible for potential customers to buy things from you.

But this is the thing, they are state-owned and don't have to make a profit.

When times are tough, just go and stand with open hands in front of government and let them bail you out.

 

[b@nD]

Joey's -- WTF

But this is the thing, they are state-owned and don't have to make a profit.
When times are tough, just go and stand with open hands in front of government and let them bail you out.

Too true
However
From personal experience -- and only speaking local I have always had friendly and helpful service
They may not always have been able to help me but they were always willing
Sometimes one or two of them have even gone the "extra-mile"
Never tried to phone them though

You peeps up in "Gangsters Paradise" seem to have the most problems
Perhaps when they change the name to Tshwane ( or whatever ) things will improve ? ......
Still
Never had much time for that part of the World -- the ostentation is too much in your face -- the social discrepancies are HUGE !

 

[colinlam]

I have only excellent service from Bayside Telkom Direct and a friend of mine says the same about TYgervalley

 

[Allin]

Even if you do get through to them you are wasting your airtime. The person I spoke to was clearly a few beers short of a six-pack, but not too dumb to understand when I asked that he put me through to someone with a brain. He promptly disconnected the call - clearly there wasn't anyone qualifying in the shop!

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

Well in Bloem, there is always a queue, and it takes you 3 hours to get helped.

Their network is dead slow, so it takes them 45 minutes to log on to your account and get your info on the screen in front of them, then another 30 minutes to make the adjustments, to your account, then another 15 minutes to log of the system so they can help the next client, then start, all over again ... , for the next client ...

 

[Bar0n]

Hmm. So far I've only had good service from Telkom.

Went to the local branch last month and applied for an ADSL and telephone line. The lady behind the counter was very friendly and efficient. I was done within 40 minutes. Within 3 days a technician was at my house (after they called me and made an appointment) and installed my telephone line; and he did not leave until everything was activated and working.

Well in Bloem, there is always a queue, and it takes you 3 hours to get helped.

Their network is dead slow, so it takes them 45 minutes to log on to your account and get your info on the screen in front of them, then another 30 minutes to make the adjustments, to your account, then another 15 minutes to log of the system so they can help the next client, then start, all over again ... , for the next client ...

My story is w.r.t. the Bloem branch.

 

[kingrob]

Do businesses/companies still lock the Telkom technician inside the building, until the work has been completed?

Used to be like that in the past.

 

[MagicDude4Eva]

So you can consider a retail store an epic fail when the only thing you tried is to phone them? I am not saying that the walk-in experience would have been any different, but the article is very unbalanced, since you will face the same issues with MTN, Vodacom and CellC.

All the SP's face the challenge of a franchise model and the SPs being unable to train the franchise staff (and perhaps they do, but the staff is not interested) - either way, you will find it difficult to walk into any SP store and get detailed answers from staff (in most cases they just help you page through a brochure). Hardly anyone has knowledge of handsets and their features. Most of them are incapable of assisting customers setting up a phone.

 

[Tns]

the adsl part works but rest sucks

 

[Electron1]

This is after all probably the only telecommunications company in the world that withholds the telephone numbers of it's customer service centres - from it's customers.
To find out if a telephone product is in stock, they expect you to drive from store to store.

Lol so sad but true. And the policy of not answering the phone in the store - yet they are a Telecoms company?:wtf:

Two years ago when I applied for a 8ta contract at Telkom direct/8ta in Stellenbosch there also wasn't a number I could call them on. After waiting a week to hear about approval I went back to the store. They couldn't find my application

So they wanted me to apply again. :erm:
I promptly left the store...
snip

Funny - I ordered an upgrade form Vodacom Corporate - they also lost the application, no record of it, yet the forms were faxed through to them. Clearly incompetence is not unique to Telkom.

Do businesses/companies still lock the Telkom technician inside the building, until the work has been completed?

Used to be like that in the past.

Haven't done that, but I know a customer who insists all the lines are checked before the Telkom tech leaves the premises as inevitably they switch a faulty line with a working line to clear the fault.