One star, because there's no option for zero stars?

We are in the process of dealing with Telkom, regarding a fault and complaint that they refuse to resolve to any level of satisfaction. Our business is located in Newton Park, Port Elizabeth. Towards the end of last year, FrogFoot technicians were in our area, laying fibre network cables. During this process, the Telkom line was apparently damaged by this work. Since we returned from our annual leave on 6th January this year, our dedicated Telkom line has been severely compromised. We are only able to make calls from our landline to cellular phones and cannot connect with any landlines. Similarly, we cannot receive calls on our dedicated Telkom lines. Being in the recruitment industry, the nature of our business and our primary source of income is wholly dependent on our being able to perform the following functions:

1. Make telephone calls to clients in various business sectors, 2. Receive calls from clients in need of our services, 3. Receive calls from, and make calls to, prospective candidates/ job applicants

Naturally, without being able to fulfil any of these functions due to connectivity issues, our ability to perform our duties in the workplace has been compromised and our overall productivity has practically ground to a halt. We have logged innumerable complaints in this regard. One technician visited our premises last week and advised that the fault was as a result of the fibre installations (as mentioned previously) but we have not had any follow- up since then. We have called to escalate the matter, which Telkom refuse to do, for reasons of their own. We have called for feedback, which they cannot provide. We have received a range of responses to our requests for information and assistance, as below:

1. “Why don’t you just migrate to the new system, at a higher fee?” 2. “There is no copper cable in South Africa, so we can’t advise.” 3. “Someone will get back to you but the fault will definitely be repaired on Monday/ Wednesday / Friday” (has never happened) 4. “The technicians we sent out aren’t competent to deal with the matter” (why don’t they have qualified technicians?)

I understand that Telkom representatives have been canvassing other businesses in Port Elizabeth to promote and sell migration to the new wireless system, and certain business owners have been told that it’s a case of “migrate or nothing” because Telkom will not be replacing or repairing damaged cables. Our problem with this is twofold:

1. Why tell us repeatedly that the problem will be repaired in a timeous manner, if it won’t be addressed at all? Is Telkom peddling different information (truths vs. untruths) to different clients in Port Elizabeth? 2. Holding people ransom to migrating to the wireless network is completely ********* and should be addressed by yourselves and the Competition Commission. There is absolutely no cause for our business, livelihoods and families to be compromised in order to suit Telkom’s proposed new business model. We pay a monthly fee to have this “dedicated” Telkom line and will be expected to pay for it again this month, which is totally out of line. We are haemorrhaging money, losing lucrative business, and enduring significant trauma as a direct result of this, not to mention our now- compromised credibility, which is a slap in the face for a business that has been run very successfully for the past 30 years. January is traditionally proven to be our busiest time of year and our business is at a standstill, all due to Telkom giving us inaccurate information and dreadful service.