Appalling Service

The Manager

AVBOB LIFE

Dear Sir/Madam

I would like to register my dissatisfaction with regards to the manner in which my death case was handled at AVBOB.On 05 August 2021,I visited your offices in Johannesburg Central with a specific aim of claiming money that was due in respect of my policy.

After I had waited, my turn came and I was initially attended by Abulele and later referred to Thuli. Thuli convinced me to change my mind because my policy is comprehensive in the sense that it covers Repatriation, a coffin and other benefits. I left the office convinced that my brother would be granted the dignity, he deserves. I did not realise that this was the beginning of a journey that would add to my grief and make my life a living hell. At the time of consulting Thuli, my brother was with Sopema funeral undertakers. The first thing was to arrange for the transfer of the Corpse from Sopema to AVBOB.At least the process of transfer was smooth and took place with minor issues.

Management and communication of Crucial information by JHB Cental Office I am perturbed by the manner in which Thuli handled my matter. She appear to be uncaring and lacks communication skills .I started to make follow ups and she would make unfulfilled promises that she would call me back and not fulfil the promise.I exhausted my telephone bill trying to reach her and she would only speak to me upon intervention by Head Office.It took me six days trying to establish whether everything is in order and finally, I think Thuli was overwhelmed. She called me and indicated that everything is in order and that I should not worry.

This matter paints a very bleak picture about how Johannesburg central office is managed and I seem to believe that Thuli is a power unto herself because I called Head office more than once and Thuli still continued with her lies until I arrived in Eastern Cape KOKSTAD on Thursday 12 August.

Communication of Crucial information as required by the client I arrived in Kokstad and we drove to the AVBOB there. I met with a huge surprise where nothing had been done except emphasing the debt on my policy. I acknowledge the debt but the important thing that we had to deal with was the burial and make arrangements to deal with the debt.I have been paying AVBOB for many years and in the end the manner in which I was treated was very bad.

The gentleman in Kokstad by the name of Zabakho stated explaining the process and explained the benefits and the shotfall I needed to finance in order to have which benefits. The presence of my daddy assisted me because he paid an amount that was even higher than my benefit.Zabakho was so helpful and I wonder what the problem with the JHB Office is. I received the crucial information I required which the JHB Office failed to provide. I am of the opinion that Thuli from the JHB office needs to be taken for customer service course.I need not rate the overall customer satisfaction but if called upon to do so I would rate the JHB office 0 out of 10 and give credit to the Kokstad Office with a 10 out 10 rating because Zabakho went beyond the call of duty and gave us crucial information that we required and we were successful in our bid to reach finality and close the matter.

I am very perturbed by this and believe that I had entrusted my life to AVBOB for many years and when I needed help, I got mediocre standards.I do not think that AVBOB is an end in itself because there are many competitors and maybe it is worth giving them a try. Unless AVBOB gives a good reason why I must not cancel this policy, I cannot withstand mediocrity in any way.

Yours faithfully Thembeka Gogoba