Unacceptable Service and Lack of Professionalism from Intercape

Unacceptable Service and Lack of Professionalism from Intercape

I am beyond disappointed with the poor service and unprofessional conduct I experienced with Intercape on 28 January 2025. My son, had a confirmed bus ticket (***) for a trip from Bethlehem, Free State, to Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, scheduled to depart at 12:30 PM.

We arrived at the Engen Garage terminal in Bethlehem at 12:22 PM and waited until 14:45 PM, but the bus never arrived. Upon returning home, I called the Intercape call center at 16:02 PM to find out what had happened, only to encounter unhelpful and unprofessional service from their staff.

Here’s what happened:

I was told by the call center manager, Julia, to email ***, but when I asked for her surname to ensure clear communication, she refused, stating that she was the only Julia in the call center.

Multiple follow-up calls were made, during which I was either told Julia was busy, in a meeting, or unavailable. One call was even dropped mid-conversation, and I was later told it was "knock-off time" for the staff. At 16:45, Intercape claimed they had tried calling me earlier in the day, but I have call records proving otherwise.

I was eventually told that my son's ticket had been forfeited, and I would need to purchase a new one without any acknowledgment of Intercape's failure to communicate or offer a solution.

This entire ordeal forced me to purchase a second ticket (***) for my son to ensure he could reach Durban in time for work on 30 January 2025. Additionally, I incurred R300 in extra fuel expenses due to the unnecessary round trip to Bethlehem and back.

The lack of professionalism, accountability, and empathy from Intercape’s staff, especially Julia, is appalling. How can someone go from being "on the phone" to "in a meeting" within three minutes? The dismissive attitudes and refusal to assist were unacceptable.

My Concerns: Intercape sent an SMS about a delay to an unrecognized number ***) instead of my son's actual contact number.

The call center staff provided unprofessional, rude, and dismissive service.

I was forced to pay for a second ticket and extra travel costs due to Intercape's errors.

My Requests:

A full refund for the first ticket (***), as it was not our fault that the bus was missed.

A review of the call center staff’s professionalism and customer service practices.

This experience has left me incredibly disappointed in Intercape. I trusted your service and was met with nothing but frustration and financial loss. I urge Intercape to take responsibility and resolve this issue immediately.