What does MTN do well, and where can it improve?

Explain my invoices in plain English.....
Stop sending special offers that expire in a few hours ...:eek:
 
They are really good at collecting their debit orders on time and that's about it. They could improve their data coverage, customer service, rates and contract packages.
 
MTN's data centre is a disaster. We just moved our company's server from them to another data centre last week. When compared to Vodacom or Teraco, the MTN data centre is a total mess. I will never use the data centre again.
 
MTN are GREAT at making airtime disappear..
Overseas, data OFF, no calls or sms's made and yet R57 disappears...
 
I was happy with MTN for a few years until I needed client services for the first time, then it fell apart in a big way. I have been MTN free for the best part of 10+ years now. What have they done well? Monopolize the market in Rwanda comes to mind, but that's old history - I think they had monopoly for 9 years there if I'm not mistaken. I honestly can't think of anything good to say about MTN. Sorry.
 
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Network is excellent
Support and general response to problems is terrible
Problems with billing cannot get resolved after MONTHS of trying
 
MTN is amazing at screwing their customers over, can't really think of much else.
 
Can't think of anything they do well as everything has slipped.

Improvement - the best improvement that they can do? Sell the company to someone with ethics as theirs are totally lost
 
Interesting comparing the Vodacom and MTN threads. The Vodacom thread was mostly people complaining about price, while with MTN it's mostly customer service issues.
 
MTN is very good to excellent at providing poor service support, and sorting out account problems ........
 
MTN should employ more people at their call centre and at the Insurance department.

I usually wait a few minutes to get through to their call centre.

Their insurance department is an absolute disaster. I have tried calling many times to be put on hold for almost an hour and the call gets cut. It's like they do no want you to insure your phone with them or be able to contact them if you have an insurance claim. Since March 2016 I am still waiting for confirmation for insurance on my phone. Even sending emails as they recommend usually results in no responses.

Their network reception has gone bad. In the areas that I used to get full signal, now I get only 1 or 2 or sometimes if I am lucky 3 bars of signal.

Their MTN Price Increase Notification I do not believe they have given sufficient notice as I only received an sms from MTN on 1 July 2016 notifying me of changes that take effect on 1 July 2016. I received a email about this MTN Price Increase Notification on 11 July 2016 which is already 11 days into the month telling me on changes that are effective from 1 July 2016. Sufficient notice would be at least 30 days in advance before the actual changes take place.

Once my contract expires with MTN I will be moving away to a better service provider.
 
Well MTN does very well with ignoring their Customers when they have any issues
Very few places is anywhere close to being as good as they are at making their clients sit and wait on the phone

They also do incredibly well with finding reasons to delay canceling accounts when requested to do so.
Even when the client gave them ample notice before hand.

They also do incredibly well at getting people to post on Hellopeter.
If you are a MTN user that have posted negatively on hellopeter they are incredibly good at getting you to keep on adding reports on there

Not much they can do to get better at ignoring their customers they already have that down to a art
 
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I lost all respect for MTN during the whole strike saga with the customers being the real losers. after having 2 concurrent contracts for 10 years plus, both are now on prepaid. Taking a chance and porting to Vodacom.
 
Their staff in the mall shops that I have been to is way better dressed than Vodacom staff. Professional and look like they want to help. If I know their network coverage is as good as Vodacom, I will easily switch in Jan when it is time for my annual upgrade.
 
MTN is extremely efficient at making sure customers don't use the data / airtime they actually paid for.

In fact rollover is now limited to 2 months - down from 5.

Soon to be ex-customer after 16 years (and 6 lines) as a result.
 
"Share your views on what you think MTN does well, and what you think it can do better."

Does well: Overcharge
Do better: Service [uptime, line quality, Help/Call centre, etc]
 
Former customer here, used them last in the beginning of last year.

What they do well:
- If I recall their cancellation fees are reasonable compared to the other operators.


Where they can improve:
- Customer service is shocking - there is no end to end call ownership. Culture of "not my problem". After that particular person has done the minimal required to pass the buck on. Took me 8 months to cancel accounts and get refunds. Had to escalate to ICASA/etc to get any action. Not acceptable.
- Dropped calls were a major problem especially while traveling (Gauteng) and even at times when stationary.
- Call quality was subpar to VC in the areas I work (Gauteng).
- Difficult contacting some of their support departments if you're not on the MTN network. This has happened to me a couple times.
 
Where can I begin? Perhaps close down. Get rid of the cobwebs. And spiders.

Then reboot. New system. New people. Everything you used to do? Do the exact opposite.

My experiences? First my pay as you go... Money just disappearing. I am talking about buy R100 airtime, and 500mb data on a Friday. And the Monday it is simply gone. That is me being on Wifi and making one single call to a mate lasting not more than 10 minutes.

Yes yes MTN claims that I am "subscribed to services" which is BS. Look at every single post on their page. These are not my comments:

"You are bunch of thieves."
"MTN they will continue Ripping you off"
"Mtn staff are stealing our money , sim swap fraud is a daily practice"
"How can MTN South Africa put up "inspirational quotes" when all you do is steal your customers money? Absolutely disgusting"

2 minutes and that is what I found already.

1. OK. So fact is money disappears, data depletes. Thieves! (I didn't say that, but I agree with the couple of other 1000 saying that)


So I moved to Cell C, all of the sudden my R200 lasts 2 months. Even with my data depleted and eating into my actual airtime. The usual worries. Speed of internet and quality of calls and area of reception. But rest assured. 5 months later. And it is not better, not is it worse. In fact I have nothing to complain about. Oddly, my area of reception has grown though. Bonus point to Cell C. Area of reception will not be point 2, simply because I reside in Western Cape, you will have the exact opposite in Gauteng, perhaps KZN, who knows.

So about 16 months ago I signed a data contract which includes a tablet. After this mess above I thought to myself... Hang on when it the last time I used it? Opened it up and sim was blocked. OK... Made a couple of calls.

1. They changed my debit order, to who knows what. My account was given over to Collections at a legal firm. 2 seconds away from being blacklisted I managed to stop the process and EFT the account.
2. They seem to have reverted ALL my account details to a contract I had in 2001. Email address, telephone number, postal address, the works.
3. Finally I got that "sorted" so that I can pay my accounts, but now it is a cash account, they can't fix the debit order)
4. My accounts stop arriving. Again, they have changed my postal address. Again sim blocked, same process followed. I really am trying my best to pay my account, MTN, I really am!
5. They changed my number to something I had in 2001. Good luck trying to call me on that number!
6. "But we called you on your contract number" - I forget how many times I had to explain - "It is a data contract. With a data device"

2. MTN is in financial crisis after Nigeria. Yet they make it impossible to pay them.

3. And for being idiots - they can clearly see what contract I have - and that you cannot call a tablet / modem / router

4. Updating / reverting contact details as they please, with no prior warning

Now trying to log a problem is impossible - see the screenshots on their page? 30 minutes waiting, and some instances even more. When you get through, finally, you will speak to someone who might or might not have the intellect to comprehend your problem. In my case I was always but always very unlucky in that regard. But that is fine - if you cannot manage a problem you'd escalate to a manager, yes? The answer is no. Not MTN. Fact is - there is zero escalation of problems. You speak to the first line support, and pray to whichever god you pray to that hopefully your problem is solved by itself, or you simply accept your demise.

5. No escalation of problems

Now the logical thing would be to get out, run away, hide - if the enemy is unapproachable. Quick read up on the Consumer Protection Act... Hmm, you can get out of almost any contract:

1. one month calendar notice - tick
2. of course you are responsible still for the full outstanding financial charges of your phone - tick

What you would not expect is this...

1. If a device is worth say R5000... Then over 24 months that means R208, which means say over 12 months and you cancel, you would owe one month of contract fee, as well as R208 x 12. That comes to R2496. And it sound great because your contract is in any case R260 a month. Right? Nooooooo so so so wrong.
2. "The device is R9500. So it is R9500 / 24, and x12 for remaining months. So you owe us R4749, plus contract x 1."

6. MTN super-inflates the device value on day of cancellation

At every point MTN is taking bits from their clients, some may notice, some may not. I mean it took me 30 years to realise that the way ABSA treats me is not normal, and that every other bank out there is better.

I think that covers it. What MTN does really well is messing with my patience. This is not an isolated event either. There are thousands of others on their Facebook, on HelloPeter. I am not even angry anymore I am simply "slightly" humoured by all the negative attention they are deservedly getting.

I am now just counting the days until I can get rid of the worst connection.

I mean - here you have a mobile network that has not RICA'd Nigeria for close to 10 years, perhaps more. The whole reason for RICA is that unlawful activities can be stopped. All those 419 scams, all those pesky calls from insurance companies who you find out later is fake, they are just trying to steal your money, all those 3 in the morning SMS messages of you winning 2 million - yes they ALLLLLLLLL come from Nigeria. And yes they are ALLLLLLLLL MTN contracts, which has not been RICA'd.

7. MTN is not just pi$$ing their own clients off, the are messing with every person with a cell phone in ZA.

Your 7 year old daughter is scratching in Mommy's wallet? Because the nice "Oom" on the cell she answered wants your credit card number? Yep - blame MTN for that.

I will leave that for you to ponder on.
 
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