No stock at Telkom

We are the proud owners of a residential landline. Had it for years and was upgrated to a fibre when it was necessary. But for the last couple of months, we can not receive calls on it and we are basically only paying rent every month. So last week we went to the Telkom branch in Alberton City and was helped by a very eager (gum-chewing!!) lady who right-off told us we need to buy a new phone, no exchanges. She looked at our old device, removed the battery which is swollen and looks like a pillow (but she said there is nothing wrong with it) and tested the simcard and established it worked. She was willing to sell us a new phone (this one star is for that gesture), but then they had no stock! She referred us to Makro for a new phone, but as we are not from Alberton, we rather came home and tried Eastgate Telkom branch a day or two later, where we were, yet again, met by a gum-chewing lady. We got no further than the door and was told they dont keep stock. We must try other stores in the mall (like Game/Incredible Connection) which we did to no avail. We dont want to cancel the landline as we have an elderly person in the house, who is not tech savvy and battles to use a cellphone. I feel that Telkom is not looking after its customers. They are forever harassing one with offers and deals, but can not live up to their service promise to longstanding regular customers. And for the gum-chewing - a person who serves the public must not be chewing and looking like a *** out in pasture. Bad image to carry out!