Poor Service, Unresolved Issue and rude treatment from Katlego Mabusela (Telkom Agent)

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding the appalling service I have experienced following a network outage in the Sandton area on 18 December 2024. The outage prevented me from working for three days, yet despite numerous attempts to resolve the matter, I am no closer to a resolution.

On the day of the outage, I contacted Telkom and was issued reference number 13BRK181224, with the assurance that the fault would be resolved by the following morning. However, come morning, the fault was not resolved. Upon calling again, I was repeatedly transferred between agents with no progress. Eventually, I spoke to Tshepiso Segobela, who promised that his manager would contact me. It is now nearly a month later, and I am still waiting for this “manager” to get in touch.

During my conversation with Tshepiso, I mentioned requesting a refund for the downtime, and he directed me to the billing department. I immediately contacted them and was told I could only make the request around the second week of January 2025. On 10 January 2025, I followed up as instructed, and the experience was nothing short of a nightmare.

I called multiple times (approximately 6-7 times) only to be told each time that the system was down. Eventually, I reached Katlego Mabusela, who was not only rude and unprofessional but also claimed that the reference number I had provided did not exist. However, with this same reference number, she was able to trace that I had spoken to a Prince on the day of the incident. She then incorrectly stated that crediting accounts is handled by the technical team and not billing.

Katlego kept me on hold for over 35 minutes, asking irrelevant questions and providing no resolution. Her tone was rude and dismissive, and her responses made it clear that she lacked the necessary training and professionalism required for her role. When I requested to speak to a manager, I was told none were available.

Out of frustration, I visited a Telkom store, hoping for better assistance, but to no avail. Staff at the store were equally unhelpful, merely dialing the customer service line and handing me the phone. The line disconnected mid-call, and no one bothered to call me back.

Later, I spoke to Phumelele Ndlovu, who informed me that systems were offline once again and reiterated that no manager was available. At this point, I had spent an entire day trying to resolve a simple issue with no success.

The following points summarize my complaint: 1. Unresolved Issue: Despite contacting multiple agents and visiting a Telkom store, the refund for the three days of network outage has not been processed. 2. Unprofessional Service: The behavior of agents like Katlego Mabusela was rude, dismissive, and ***********. 3. Lack of Accountability: Promises to escalate the matter or involve a manager were never fulfilled. 4. Systemic Failure: Your call center, billing department, and technical team seem disjointed and incapable of providing coherent support.

As a paying customer, I find this level of service completely unacceptable. I demand the following: • Immediate processing of the credit for the three days I was without service. • An apology for the poor service and the unacceptable behavior of your call center staff, particularly Katlego Mabusela. • A discussion about the cancellation of my services, as I cannot continue to tolerate such inefficiency and disregard for customer care.

Telkom’s handling of this matter has been nothing short of disgraceful, and as a long-standing customer, I am deeply disappointed. I expect a response to this complaint within five business days, failing which I will escalate further.