Telkom Mobile - a lesson in patience, or S&M

[johncgalloway]

Hi guys


I was looking around for a handset deal that was affordable and came with a controllable contract. After fishing around, and reading some responses on here I decided to go with Telkom Mobile. That was a month or so ago.

BIG.


EFFING.


MISTAKE.




I have never EVER gone through what I've gone through in the last few weeks... holy sheeeeeeeeeet! You have NO idea.
Or maybe you do. That's maybe why you're with one of the other SP's.



I wish I could go into detail, and maybe I will once my blood pressure and mental state post Telkom Call centers will allow me to do so. But until then I will simply summarize.



So here we go: I tried getting someone from sales on the phone... but the (apparently) SOLE person working there isn't always interested in picking up the phone... I mean EVER interested in picking up the phone. So eventually I got someone from 081180 to help me. I was informed that money would be deducted from my bank account but it would be credited back.
So, R500 gets deducted, but never returned. I phone them, eventually get through to someone and they explain to me that
the money would be credited against my TM contract / account, which I have, because I have been approved. Okay, so when do I get the phone. No they can't say, but they will get back to me.

Anyway, that's the basic story / reply circuit for the last couple or so weeks. I've had some contact where I was explained that there is no stock, I was promised delivery before the 16th, and from the latest contact - which might have been a prank call- that it will be in stock this coming week. I have also taken the whole thing to the online reps here and on twitter, I've basically only gotten replies from them, from earnest sounding interests in sorting out my problems (the most of which comes from a rep called Msindisi) to the latest aforementioned, a call from one of the most asleep, uninterested women I have ever had the honour of speaking to on a phone WITHOUT getting an effing heart attack. I wish I had made a recording of THAT call, it was comedy gold material.


Long story short... DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT Seriously consider Telkom Mobile. You will suffer unholy torment, to say the least.

 

[RedhotNeo]

Go to telkom store and cancel. Then take out contract at store who has stock of the phone u want

 

[supersunbird]

Yes, I would never buy online from them, the horror stories abound.

Got a Huawei T1 tab from them last week, went to store. But first make sure they have stock, or else one will wait.

 

[cpu.]

Yes, I would never buy online from them, the horror stories abound.

The horror stories AND the DRAMA...

 

[Heebs]

Ya I agree. Telkom mobile needs a huge kick in the ass. Luckily I only needed a pre-paid card (sim zonke). That took 3 trips to the mall to sort out.

While every other cell shop is pumping with customers, Telkom mobile shops are almost empty!! Short staffed, staff is basically not interested, no live phones to look at just those fake replicas.
In the short time I sat in the shop (Greenstone mall) I saw many customers walking out in frustration.

Basically state owned business, state owned service, they just don't have customer service values or training.

 

[Sinbad]

Strange. Not had any problems with getting a simsonke, 3 Sims on an internet5, and a free SIM swap to nano on the sonke at the cresta telkom shop on various occasions.

 

[johncgalloway]

I have a friend who worked at company A that was part of a bigger umbrella company / parent company. Before that she used to work at a "smaller" company (company B) that is more streamlined but actually competes quite well with Company A. She used to be sooooo frustrated with the way A worked, but it was quite obvious why they worked the way they did. As long as daddy is there to bail you out, no worries, no commitment to responsibility. In the end she left them and went back to her old job.

Telkom is the same, no commitment to responsibility, no need to really make money as they have a nice safety net with tata Zuma.
If they seriously want to become a success, they need to streamline themselves and start cutting the fat from their sides.

But I doubt that will ever happen.

 

[3WA]

Go to telkom store and cancel. Then take out contract at store who has stock of the phone u want

Spoken like one who has never tried to cancel a Telkom Mobile contract. I'm currently three phone calls, two store visits, and two emails into the process. I still don't know what the termination fee is.

 

[johncgalloway]

Yeah, I mean the level of incompetence at the SALE stage says it all. Cancelling the damned thing now, with money already deducted, still having to wait and see if the money is again going to be deducted this month... or as the "sales rep" who phoned me said, in FEB... making me think they know the stock will only be replenished in Jan... is what worries me. Because it is QUITE effing obvious that it is not just one hand not knowing what the other is doing, but rather the joints in one finger doesn't know what the other ones are doing, nor what the finger is up to, who is getting fingered and ultimately - and on a larger scale - who is getting fisted.

 

[Kilgore_Trout_Redux]

Go to telkom store and cancel.

This is a joke. The Telkom Store in Cavendish flat out refused to cancel my contract.

 

[johncgalloway]

So I got a call from them yesterday, and the day before by two very worried ladies. They agreed with everything I said, totally understandable. You know, the usual rote reply to irate customer number 346901 for the day.

So far, no follow up on WHEN, and HOW I am getting the handset.


Any y'all know where I can get cheapest quotes for billboard ads?

 

[johncgalloway]

Sheesh, another call last week. PROMESESS, PROMESSESSSSS.

But no follow up.




TELKOM MOBILE = ****tiest company I have EVER dealt with.


PERIOD.

 

[Edwe]

I had a similar experience with the physical branch in Canal Walk. After my upgrade contract was approved and everything, they didn't have the handset for weeks. Phoned every day for a fortnight and was told "the phone is coming tomorrow" every day. Eventually went back to the branch.

Employee: "We don't have the handset and don't know if we're going to get it in".
Me: "You mean never?"
Employee: "No, we can't say for sure"
Me: "But you told me earlier today that it's coming tomorrow."
Employee: "No, someone else here said that."
Me: "So what happens with the upgrade contract now?"
Employee: "No, it's just hanging"
Me: "And...what now?"
Employee: "It's just hanging"
Me: "Can I cancel it then"
Employee: "No it's hanging"



Definitely aborting my contract when it runs out in March.

 

[maumau]

Strange. Not had any problems with getting a simsonke, 3 Sims on an internet5, and a free SIM swap to nano on the sonke at the cresta telkom shop on various occasions.

It might depend on when you go. I almost punched a sulky, ignorant staff member there on my 3rd visit after walking out twice.

Word is that like other useless places you should go in about 15 minutes before closing time.

 

[Roelie]

I just took out a TM contract, apart from a bit of frustration of waiting 2 days for my phone and then another 2 days to get my sim ported to my old number I've had a surprisingly easy run. The one real concern was that I spent a few days on a farm near Coligny with 0% signal, at least with Cell C I managed to get a signal if I climbed on the roof.

 

[johncgalloway]

Nah, written the sales people an email, making it clear I want the process cancelled and the money they've taken so far credited back.

And so, my anus* horribilis begins.







*on purpose!

 

[sammyboi69]

Nah, written the sales people an email, making it clear I want the process cancelled and the money they've taken so far credited back.

And so, my anus* horribilis begins.







*on purpose!

You need to do the following if your issue isn't resolved:

1. Go to the store that processed your contract and ask for the managers details or the owner of the store.
2. Inform them that you will hold the store accountable ,as they have processed a contract and didnt make any plans to supply you with the device.
3.Make it known to the store that you will be serving the manager or owner of store with a document from a small claims court(it will only cost you R100,apparently).Address it to the sale assistant if they are not open with manager/owners details.
4.Sit back,relax and watch them shyt themselves.

Here are links for the small claims court stuff :

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/680007-I-took-Vodacom-to-Court-and-Won!
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/338001-Small-Claims-Court

Good Luck

Edit : this link gives you details of stores in south africa : http://www.telkom.co.za/coverage/

The email address that they provide you with normally belongs to the store manager.

 

[supersunbird]

I just took out a TM contract, apart from a bit of frustration of waiting 2 days for my phone and then another 2 days to get my sim ported to my old number I've had a surprisingly easy run. The one real concern was that I spent a few days on a farm near Coligny with 0% signal, at least with Cell C I managed to get a signal if I climbed on the roof.

You should enable roaming on MTN