Telkom Direct stores #EpicFail
MyBroadband recently tried to get more information about Telkom Mobile’s LTE service after the company’s website announced that “LTE is here”. What followed revealed shortcomings in Telkom’s retail channel.
To describe the challenges faced when trying to order a Telkom Mobile product, a blow-by-blow account of what transpired is provided below.
- A banner on the Telkom Mobile website promoted the company’s new LTE service, stating: “LTE is here. Move into the fast lane with Telkom Mobile”.
- The website did not have full product pricing available, and the next logical step was to contact Telkom Mobile’s help-desk for more information.
- The help-desk agent could not provide any details about the “LTE at home” service listed on the Telkom Mobile website. She said that the best option would be to visit or contact a Telkom Direct store.
- The closest Telkom Mobile store was situated in Centurion, but the Telkom Mobile agent could not find a number for this store. She suggested contacting the Clearwater store, and provided a number for this store.
- The number supplied for the Clearwater Telkom Direct store was not answered. The mailbox was also full, which meant that it was not possible to leave a message.
- In an attempt to find more information about Telkom Mobile’s LTE service, we visited the Telkom Mobile website again to find a Telkom Direct Store which answered their phone. We listed all Telkom Direct stores in Gauteng alphabetically, and started to call them one after the other – all unsuccessfully.
- We gave up after number twenty (20). It was not possible to successfully contact a single Telkom Direct store, using the official information from the Telkom Mobile website.
Telkom Mobile (aka 8ta) has numerous attractive mobile products, an excellent network, and great marketing campaigns.
However, all of these positives are quickly ruined when a potential customer finds it challenging to deal with the company to buy one of the products.
Vodacom, MTN, and Cell C have made it very easy for South Africans to buy cellular products.
Unless Telkom Mobile can improve its retail channels, it may lose many potential customers – not because they do not offer competitive services, but because it is too challenging to deal with the retail channels.
Telkom Mobile MD Attila Vitai told MyBroadband that it is good that this problem was brought to his attention.
A list of Telkom Direct stores which we tried to contact
- Alberton City – No answer, with a full mailbox which cannot accept any messages.
- Benoni – No answer, with a full mailbox which cannot accept any messages.
- Brooklyn – No answer.
- Bryanston Shopping Centre – The wrong number listed on Telkom Mobile website.
- Carletonville – The number listed on the Telkom Mobile website does not work.
- Centurion – No telephone number listed on the Telkom Mobile website.
- Clearwater – No answer, with a full mailbox which cannot accept any messages.
- Cresta – No answer.
- East Gate – No telephone number listed on the Telkom Mobile website.
- East Rand Mall – Wrong number listed on the Telkom Mobile website.
- Festival – The number remained engaged, despite multiple attempts to call the store.
- Fourways – No telephone number listed on the Telkom Mobile website.
- Fourways Mall – The Cell C number supplied on the Telkom Mobile website was not answered.
- Greenstone – The number remained engaged, despite multiple attempts to call the store.
- Hatfield – No answer..
- Heidelberg – The number listed on the Telkom Mobile website does not exist
- Irene – No telephone number listed on the Telkom Mobile website.
- JHB City – No telephone number listed on the Telkom Mobile website.
- Key West – No telephone number listed on the Telkom Mobile website.
- Kolonnade – No telephone number listed on the Telkom Mobile website.
- Lenasia – No telephone number listed on the Telkom Mobile website.
More on Telkom Mobile
New Telkom Mobile broadband deals
New Telkom Mobile data prices, LTE launched
Free “unlimited” WiFi from Telkom Mobile
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