Upgrade disaster

<p>In the age of online shopping convenience, I decided to take Cell C up on their Cell C Direct over the phone upgrade facility. No more waiting in queues in a Cell C store to know what I want but then that store does not have stock of the phone I would like.</p> <p>I will admit that the initial upgrade process over the phone was painless. Then came the key question to which address should the phone be couriered, given that it will take three to five working days. As the initial phone call took place on a Wednesday, I thought this through, and given that I was on leave the following week, and I did not want any time wasted during my leave, I specifically indicated that the Monday will work best for me at my home address. The next question was which number to contact me on, to which I indicated my personal number which was being upgraded. I reiterated that I would be at work and no-one available at my home address prior to the Monday.</p> <p>That personal admin done, I continue wrapping up matters before my leave to spend time with my five year old daughter during her holidays, starting on Monday 11 July 2016.</p> <p>Monday 11 July 2016 arrives and I call Cell C Direct to reconfirm that the new phone will be delivered today, as I had planned to spend the day around the house with my daughter, and the rest of the week planned with many activities away from home. To my confusion, the Cell C Direct call centre operator (Sharon) says that the courier, RAM, arrived at the delivery address on Thursday, 7 July 2016 and no-one was there. My first thought was, wow efficiency, but then the lack of following a simple (well at least I thought it was, and still is) that no-one would be at my home address until Monday 11 July 2016. A little frustrated I then relay the facts and ask whether RAM would then be able to deliver in the afternoon. To which the response was no, it takes 24 hours for RAM to dispatch the parcel again. Trying to keep calm, I note to the call centre operator that I have a week planned with my daughter and it would be difficult to be at home for the courier to deliver to me. After speaking to the Cell C supervisor, who once again reiterated the 24 hour dispatch notification for RAM, to which I noted that none of this is my problem and they need to make a plan to provide some form of reasonable service to a loyal client of about 15 years.</p> <p>After wasting about an hour of my day, speaking with Sharon and her supervisor Mahlembo, which could have been spent with my daughter, we came to compromise that Cell C would arrange with RAM to have the phone delivered to the Cell C store in Blue Route Mall on Tuesday 12 July 2016 at 09:30 sharp, as I was taking my daughter to a 10:00 movie. This strict arrangement was also confirmed in a courtesy call from RAM on Monday evening, 09:30 sharp otherwise I will not be there.</p> <p>So Tuesday morning arrives, and at 09:00 Cell C (Mahlembo) phones to confirm that the delivery will be made at 09:30 sharp. In my punctual manner I am at the Cell C store in Blue Route at 09:25, and 09:35 I get a nonchalant call from RAM notifying me that the driver will be about another 15 to 20 minutes. I in turn notified the lady that this is unacceptable as the arrangement was 09:30 sharp and I could not wait any longer, at which point I left the Cell C store and took my daughter up to the movie. On route to the movie Cell C (Sharon) called me to apologise and indicated that they will make sure the phone is delivered to me today still. I said they must leave me a message on my phone to indicate what plan they had made.</p> <p>After the movie, I check my phone and nothing. I give Cell C some time and by 14:30 nothing. So I try to call Cell C (Sharon) but then get given the run around to no less than six different people, none of which were Sharon. I then decide to call RAM direct, at which point I realise Cell C had not given me any tracking numbers etc, so I called in with my name to try and locate the package. The RAM consultant advised me what I knew that the courier arrived at Cell C Blue Route Mall at 10:10 and I was not there, funny that. I advised her of the arrangement I had made with both Cell C and the RAM consultant on Monday evening of 09:30 sharp. The RAM consultant assured me that the package would be delivered after 18:00 this evening, as it is 19:15 as I type this note, clearly I will need to prepare myself for some more frustrating calls tomorrow (which I will be spending out and about Cape Town with my daughter).</p> <p>Cell C and RAM, you have partnered to try and provide something called service, I suggest you look up this definition, not in a South African dictionary, and see what you have missed. Cell C you may blame RAM for this, but you need to remember that I am your client and you have sub-contracted a service you are offering, so at the end of the day it comes back to you.</p> <p>I would like to receive some feedback on this matter first thing tomorrow morning, before 09:00 to resolve this matter.</p> <p>I have yet to receive any phone handset to finalise my upgrade request, and if I do not get it tomorrow morning, I will be cancelling my upgrade request, seeing out my contract as well as my wives (just because it is not financially viable to terminate early), and terminating all contact with Cell C going forward. And yes, my recommendation to my wife mother to change from Vodacom to Cell C, revoked.</p> <p> </p>