Total Indifference

It is unfortunate that one has to use this platform to get the attention of DSTV (Multichoice) in terms of the service they provide to their customers. I signed up for the DSTV-Internet Black Friday promotion package in November 2022 @ R499, when it presented itself. I have a running debit-order instruction for a fixed amount since January 2020. However, at the end of December 2022, they inexplicably debited my account with over R800. There were numerous calls to various people, who commit to getting back to you, but never do. Frustratingly, you have to speak to a different person each time and you repeatedly have to explain your story. All that each of those people can do is empathize with you and apologize for the mess, that is it! It seems all scripted, as they presumably “Tick the Box”, and the responsibility is then passed on. On 30 December 2022, I had spent all of 92 min (1 hour, 32min), this can be verified, as I managed to get DSTV to call me back. I only lost 11 min of my own airtime on that specific call and the rest was on DSTV. My account was sorted-out and I got my refund for the overcharged funds back into my account. I am sure that my “Call History” should be on their system and reflect the above, should they choose to test the veracity of my claim. However, at the end of January, the very same thing happened, whereby I was again debited over R800. I was compelled to call in again to rectify the matter; however, this time had the misfortune of having to deal with a Novuyo, who had wasted an inordinate amount of time, by leaving the call each time to “enquire” about “something”, “somewhere” else. The call was then simply “dropped”, but by that time, I had spent over 20 minutes on the phone, which is average for their Call-Centre I never heard from Novuyo again and my matter was not resolved by the time of penning this complaint. Which begs the question as to how do DSTV “Unleash” their people onto the public when they are not properly trained? These agents seemingly have no care or concept of how much it costs to sit on the phone and not get proper assistance in the end. There seems to be no sense of urgency with any of them, as they take their own sweet time, because of course, you the customer, are paying for the call. I am of the opinion, that there is no incentive for them to care, as they are assured a salary regardless of the quality of service they provide. I have complained about their structures since December and then on this platform since January regarding a related matter, which has not been resolved to date. However, they still have the audacity to bill me for a service, which I do not have. I have also come to realize that DSTV is very efficient at collecting whatever they can from you, as long as they have your debit-order mandate, but extremely poor on service at various levels. I am curious to know; “How many other subscribers are subjected to similar treatment, but opted to rather not pursue the matter, because they might not have the fortitude to do so?” I do not purport to speak on behalf of other subscribers, but just feel that the conduct of DSTV leaves much to be desired and I, therefore, feel justified in bringing this unsatisfactory conduct to the broader public’s attention. In the greater scheme of things, this would be unacceptable to any normal person on the street. I would like DSTV to answer this final question; “Is it beneficial for me or any other person, for that matter to be a customer of DSTV when you are subjected to this atrocious level of service, or alternatively would the management of DSTV personally tolerate this kind of service were they in their customer’s shoes?”