NOT JUST A BAD NETWORK, BUT ALSO BAD MANNERED

<p> </p> <p>On Thursday morning last week, i walked into the Cell C store in Musgrave Centre to purchase memory cards for my parents. Being in a bit of a hurry, I paid no heed to the price and simply allowed for my card to be swiped. Much to the disappointment of both my parents, the 8gig memory card was grossly overpriced at R199 each, and they decided they didn't want it. I called the store the same afternoon to find out if I could come and return the untouched items, accompanied by the till slip. I was told that the store does not accept returns.</p> <p>My mother decided that she would go into the shop the next day. She was met with an incredibly rude and disrespectful manager. Not only does Cell C expect us to throw around money like it falls from the sky, but also they employ staff at management level speak to their elders as though they are little children. I was personally angrier at the way my mother was spoken to than the fact that I paid R398 for 2 8gig memory cards. </p> <p>It is, in my opinion, simply a basic human right to be spoken to with dignity and respect. These are qualities that every person from every race, every culture and every religion should have. Whether you are the customer or the manager, respect is a basic human right.</p> <p>Some of the words that went around sounded like this: </p> <p>(Keep in mind that my mother is probably as old as her own)</p> <p>1. Manager: how would I know that this product was not bought from elsewhere and then brought to return here?</p> <p>Mother: today is Friday, I would not lie.</p> <p>(We are Muslims and therefore our big day is a Friday)</p> <p>Manager: oh so you don't lie only on a Friday? We don't lie every day.</p> <p>Yet she then claimed that I had made a phone call to confirm before purchasing the memory cards. This in itself was a lie, which Cell C can easily prove, as they have access to my call records and I have proof of the time on the till slip.</p> <p>2. Mother: There is nowhere on the till slip or the shop that states there will be no returns, no refunds and no exchanges.</p> <p>Manager: Go to any cellphone shop and find this statement for me.</p> <p>3. Manager: I will explain for the THIRD time as it is difficult for you to understand.</p> <p>After airing our concerns on their Facebook page, Cell C took over 24 hours to contact us. On Sa****ay my mother was called by the manager of social media and was asked to allow time until Tuesday for the matter to be addressed by higher management. However, we have received no joy and there seem to be no higher powers that be for us to speak to. We have called other branches, we have called the customer care line, only to be told that theysimply provide a service and have nothing to do with the stores. While the stores may be individually owned, they still represent Cell C as a whole.</p> <p>Simply put, we have a right as humans, and we have a right as consumers. Both these rights have been violated.</p> <p>So, Cell C, my question to you is, are you going to force us to keep a product we no longer want? Are you going to force us to spend our hard earned money on a product that you could easily resell? And what kind of staff do you employ, at store management level, who lacks simple manners? What kind of company do you call yourselves, that consumers have nowhere to complain?</p> <p>Just as easily as our family have joined Cell C, you can be sure that you have lost a good lot of us. Sorry, network. Blame the Musgrave manager.</p> <p> </p>