Why is the Telkom Call Center so useless?

DrJohnZoidberg

DrJohnZoidberg

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Why does nobody ever know what is going on at the call center?

I am talking about Business services here - I'm trying to find out if my lines can get upgraded to VDSL.

First woman I can hardly hear, she talks and then pauses for like 10 seconds - sounds like she is calling from the space station. Then she says she'll transfer me to the person that can help me and says I should use the 10217 number with option 2 then option 2 again.

Second guy has nothing to do with DSL and cannot help me, he says he'll transfer me to somebody that can help and tells me I should use the 10217 number with option 1 and then option 3.

Third woman is no longer the business center and I have now been transferred to the consumer division so she cannot help me. I hang up before swearing at her.


How difficult should it be to find out something so simple!!? I am literally trying to throw money at their feet and they refuse to help me.


/rant over

Share your Telkom Call Center horror stories here.
 
Last edited:
Tried to upgrade my 2Mbps uncapped to 4Mbps in March via 10210 as I heard they had undergone special training for the new uncapped offerings, gave up after a futile debate with a "Pinnacle" consultant (yeah, believe it or not Telkom assures me I'm special :D) who claimed I was already on the fastest offering because I have a 6Mbps line) :mad:

Eventually gave up in despair, drove to the Walker Drive Telkom Direct shop and got it sorted in 10 mins :)

They should outsource 10210 to the sub-continent where, I reckon, Indian staff could give a better service in all 9 of our official languages.
 
Simple, they are all utter idiots and are very poorly trained. The whole call option thing is only there to slow you down..
 
DrJohnZoidberg said:
Why does nobody ever know what is going on at the call center?

I am talking about Business services here - I'm trying to find out if my lines can get upgraded to VDSL.

First woman I can hardly hear, she talks and then pauses for like 10 seconds - sounds like she is calling from the space station. Then she says she'll transfer me to the person that can help me and says I should use the 10217 number with option 2 then option 2 again.

Second guy has nothing to do with DSL and cannot help me, he says he'll transfer me to somebody that can help and tells me I should use the 10217 number with option 1 and then option 3.

Third woman is no longer the business center and I have now been transferred to the consumer division so she cannot help me. I hang up before swearing at her.


How difficult should it be to find out something so simple!!? I am literally trying to throw money at their feet and they refuse to help me.


/rant over

Share your Telkom Call Center horror stories here.
Click to expand...

Aaah so you supposed to hang up before swearing??? I got that wrong then.
 
Had another lovely conversation, well it was a monologue actually, with a call center lady yesterday. It was after hours so I couldn't rely on the social media contacts.


* Telkom holding music *
* ring ring *

Agent: "Hello, Telkom dsl technical support."

Me: "Hi there, I have .... bla ... bla.." (explain my issue).
Me: "Can I give you the order reference?"
Me: "Hello. Hello..... Hello."

* Long silence *
* Some more silence *

* Telkom holding music *


The woman actually completely ignored me and just transferred me to somebody else without saying anything. Redialed the exact same department after this and was thankfully helped by somebody else.

I think anytime I have to contact the Telkom call center I am going to record the calls just so I can have a laugh afterwards (after the extreme anger).

/rant over.
 
I know the feeling. I had exactly the same experience when trying to sort out my billing issue. 3 people transferred me right after they heard my question without saying a single word. :mad:

DrJohnZoidberg said:
Had another lovely conversation, well it was a monologue actually, with a call center lady yesterday. It was after hours so I couldn't rely on the social media contacts.


* Telkom holding music *
* ring ring *

Agent: "Hello, Telkom dsl technical support."

Me: "Hi there, I have .... bla ... bla.." (explain my issue).
Me: "Can I give you the order reference?"
Me: "Hello. Hello..... Hello."

* Long silence *
* Some more silence *

* Telkom holding music *


The woman actually completely ignored me and just transferred me to somebody else without saying anything. Redialed the exact same department after this and was thankfully helped by somebody else.

I think anytime I have to contact the Telkom call center I am going to record the calls just so I can have a laugh afterwards (after the extreme anger).

/rant over.
Click to expand...
 
Wackyza said:
I know the feeling. I had exactly the same experience when trying to sort out my billing issue. 3 people transferred me right after they heard my question without saying a single word. :mad:
Click to expand...

Maybe Telkom has a new employment program for people with mutism.
 
I had excellent experience with them, spoke to someone who conversed well and was quite friendly and kind. Luck of the draw really
 
Vengeful said:
I had excellent experience with them, spoke to someone who conversed well and was quite friendly and kind. Luck of the draw really
Click to expand...

I have extremely bad luck with their call center. I think I've maybe had a competent person on the other end of the line maybe two or three times.
 
Last week I had to explain to one of their consultants about the difference between a KB and a MB. I'm not joking.
Their service is absolutely pathetic
 
Conversely - came home on Tuesday evening, and found all my ADSL router settings completely reset. After 20 mins of waiting (this was at 20h30) for their Technical support, was up and running again after another 20 minutes... granted, not the most complex thing to get right - but I was expecting the worse, so was pleasantly surprised...

Regarding call centre service in general, I too have had a few duds - but generally find that with a little patience, and at all times maintaining a calm approach, I've always had everything sorted - including several credits on my account. Guess I have been kind of lucky.... [touching all kinds of wood now! :) ]
 
Cassady said:
Conversely - came home on Tuesday evening, and found all my ADSL router settings completely reset. After 20 mins of waiting (this was at 20h30) for their Technical support, was up and running again after another 20 minutes... granted, not the most complex thing to get right - but I was expecting the worse, so was pleasantly surprised...

Regarding call centre service in general, I too have had a few duds - but generally find that with a little patience, and at all times maintaining a calm approach, I've always had everything sorted - including several credits on my account. Guess I have been kind of lucky.... [touching all kinds of wood now! :) ]
Click to expand...

have to agree, a bit of a cool head, goes a long way....Telkom use to push up my BP and improve my art of cursing...no more, it is what it is...ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....lol
 
When calling ADSL tech support

"We'll call you back. *hangs up*"

"You need to dial the activation department ...*gives number and options for the tech support I'm currently speaking too*"

Or that time I tried explaining latency to their ADSL tech support...dear god.

Best was the conference call between multiple Telkom departments though. Only took like 1.5 hours to get it through their heads that they need to coordinate their sht. Marketing can't sell something for R499 and then billing decide R620 just because. Every bloody department does their own thing & if you call them out for their sht then its always "department XYZ need to fix it their side".
 
It's a hit and miss really. Sometimes they're a dream ( rarely), but sometimes, strike that most times, lemons ! Get competent people on your call centers Telkom !
 
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