Disgusting Incident at Telkom Cornubia Express

The staff at #TelkomZA #Cornubia Express obviously don’t understand the importance of consistently developing a positive association with the #TelkomZA brand. It’s Brand Management 101, and they clearly have no concern of the critical business practice to remain relevant in the minds of consumers. Instead, in my interaction with them, they have repeatedly and successfully created bitterness and damage to what should be a pleasant customer experience. They do not know that their brand should inspire positive perceptions. They do not realise that they are influencing the type of support that the customer has with the brand. No! They do not believe in the integrity of association that the customer is developing with the brand, and as you walk into the Telkom store, you are clearly nothing more than just the ticket number you receive at the door. So, what really is inspiring this bleak account of interaction with the very unenthusiastic staff at #TelkomZA #Cornubia Express. During the last week of January this year, I called the #TelkomZA #Cornubia Express branch to query the availability of a Laptop-Router deal (Dell Core i5, 1TB, with free Software packages).

The store assistant, Sli, indicated that it is available and I could come through to complete the paperwork. My understanding is that such deals have the devices available in store, and you would literally get approval, sign the contract and leave – no Hassel if all goes well. But you should be so lucky if this actually happens at the #TelkomZA #Cornubia Express branch. I went through on the 29th January with all the documents to complete the relevant paperwork. When I queried whether I could get the items immediately, Sli said it was available, but getting it was subject to eligibility to qualify for signing up. The systems were however offline, and I was told, only once it’s online, the verification could be done, and I could receive the devices immediately. She soon changed her story (once I completed the application) saying that only once the verification is done, the laptop could be ordered, and would take 2 to 3 days to arrive which would be the Friday (1st February) or Tuesday (5th February). I indicated that it was urgent, as I was flying to Pretoria and needed the laptop for setting up a business, and not having it could impact on my ability to operate efficiently. I told her if it was not possible to obtain it by the 5th, they should let me know, so I could get it elsewhere as it was urgent. She also told me she’ll keep in contact with me. By 5th February I didn’t hear anything from the store, so I called on the 6th of February, and Sli told only told me then that the Laptop arrived but their systems are offline again, so she couldn’t call me. At this point I’m wondering if the technology used by #TelkomZA is that unreliable. She also indicated I could come for 5 minutes that Friday (8th February 2019) and collect the laptop, as all my paperwork was previously completed and captured. When I called the store, another assistant told me Sli wasn’t in, and I should come in on the Saturday instead.

I went in on the Saturday around 2pm, and only then did Sli start capturing the information on the system. I waited over 1 hour and 10 minutes, only for her to tell me that the laptop serial number cannot be picked up on the system, so I cannot leave with either the laptop or the router. At this point I actually held the laptop box in my hand, so I know that the laptop was in the store. She then said she can’t do anything because the people who were in some other office were not working on the weekend. The relevance of this is beyond my understanding, as I’m dealing with #TelkomZA #Cornubia Express branch and not some other unknown remote store. I was annoyed by now, because had she completed everything prior to my arrival between Tuesday and Friday of that week, I would have merely done the fingerprints, and signed, and gone in 5 minutes as I explained to her. She called the store manager, who wasn’t in (Raj), and he seemed uninterested on the telephone, indicating that they should just sort it out on Monday. Sli said because we completed all the finger prints and all other tedious paperwork, all that was left was for me to come in and collect the laptop and router, once the serial number scanned. Again, I told her I needed to have this before my trip, but it didn’t interest her nor the store manager. I told her I would have already left KZN on Monday, and I couldn’t leave without the laptop and router. Again, very disinterested and unmotivated to help, I saw no point in expecting miracles from anyone at this store. So, I explained that I expected that it would be resolved by Monday and I expected a phonecall to say it was all sorted. I again left very despondent, reserving any comment on the dismal service. By Tuesday I still didn’t receive a call from Sli, the manager or anyone else at the store. When I phoned on Wednesday, surprise surprise, Sli was not working (or was she just not answering the phone, who really knows?), and I was assisted by another store staff member. I indicated to her that the laptop was reserved for me, and Sli understood that I’d only be collecting it now after I returned on from my out of province trip on that Friday. After I explained my situation to her, she asked the manager (Raj) if the issue was resolved, and in the background I heard him say everything was sorted and I could come in anytime on Friday. The next day (Thursday) Sli calls me in the afternoon to tell me that their systems are again offline and the serial number is still not scanning. Really, Telkom lines are offline again?? Should I really believe this story, and if there’s any truth to that, then it’s a reflection on the really unreliable technology used by #TelkomZa. I’m confused at this point. I explained to her that I already had confirmation from the manager that everything was sorted and told her I cannot entertain this delay. It’s unprofessional, and contradictory to what was already communicated to me. I told her to check with the manager, and she can expect me on the Friday at midday, and whatever miscommunication there is with the store manager and herself needs to be sorted, as I wasn’t going to listen to any further excuses. I then called 15 minutes prior to my arrival at the store, while travelling back in an Uber.

With the Uber idling in the parking lot, I went to the store, where Sli said to me at the door “the systems are offline”. Now, this is not something I want to hear at this point. The words “The Systems Are Offline” are now becoming synonymous with “I don’t feel like working today, you can come back when I feel like working”. And what unreliable systems does this store have that it’s constantly offline? Besides, if I did the paperwork already, signed, scanned my fingerprints and all Sli needed to do between that Wednesday and Friday was scan the serial number, then even if the “System was offline” all I needed to do was pick up the devices (router and laptop). But I asked for the Marketing Director and Managing Directors numbers instead. Sli quickly and disrespectfully disappeared to the back of the store and 5 minutes later, knowing I have an Uber waiting, comes out with the Assistant Store Manager, Tola, because I shouldn’t be surprised that Raj isn’t in again. She now explains to me that the laptop was sold, even after the store manager confirmed that I could pick up the items on that Friday. The excuse: Telkom has a policy not to hold onto items for more than 2 days and if someone else comes in and required the items, even if it’s reserved for someone else, it should be given away. Apparently they received a “broadcast” which attested to this! And even if this was the case, why did they not tell me this on the Wednesday, Thursday, or even when I called to say I was on my way on the Friday, that I was even **** to at the door of the store by Sli, when she said the “Systems are offline”. Tola then said, that between Wednesday and Thursday, #TelkomZa has changed the rules for stock. Really? Am I supposed to buy this unbelievable and outrageous lie?!

Seriously? Having waited so long for the laptop and router (almost 2 weeks), and waited so long for the “serial number to scan” and all my patience with the “systems going offline all the time”, and “Sli or the manager not being available because they were not in”, or “waiting unnecessarily each time I came into the store”, and even with me explaining initially that if I couldn’t get it from the #Cornubia Branch I go elsewhere, they still eventually sold the laptop to the first person who walked into the store even though they knew it was reserved for me and that I confirmed I would pick it up?

Your staff are completely oblivious to the damage to the brand, or do they just not care? Whatever it is, it’s very disconcerting. Are constant lies and deception part of inculcating the brand understanding for #TelkomZa? Or are the misrepresentations justifying the greed to sell just another contract to the next customer who steps into the store, with utter disregard for the promise made to the customer who had patiently waited for the devices and re**** on the word of the store staff? This is a demonstration of pure incompetence on delivering on a product and promise, and ignorance of the damage to the brand promulgated through lies and deception. Do you want the differentiating factor of your business to be dismal, deceptive and blasé customer service? How unmotivated are the staff at this branch that the customer experience is this upsetting - that they don’t seem to care about what happens, that they quiet imaginatively come up with more and more excuses on why the item is unavailable?

To what extent, as the senior decision makers of the company, do you see this of any importance? Your response, whether generic or otherwise, will demonstrate the significance with which YOU value your customers. And if it’s anything like the response that I’ve received from the #TelkomZA #Cornubia Express branch, then I can understand why these staff members behaved the way they did. I would like to know how you are going to remedy this situation. I will wait to hear from you, as well as expect feedback on how this matter will be resolved both with the delivery of the items to me, compensation for this unacceptable and deceptive behaviour, the waste of my time and the disregard demonstrated to me by the staff at the #TelkomZa Express #Cornubia branch.