Telkom still can't sign up new customers - no matter how good the deal

Telkom's running a promo for a Smartbroadband Wireless Service offering a free device to the first 1000 customers. This deal was listed on the Telkom website yesterday 21 September, and reported on on Mybroadbandband.co.za.

I should know better than trying to sign up with Telkom, but it is a very good deal. The last time I tried to sign up to a product on Telkom's website they only called me back 6 months later - about 5 and a half months after I made another plan with the service I required.

Knowing this, I went into the Cape Gate Telkom Store. After waiting in the queue for 30 minutes (in a queue of all livid with Telkom incompetence) - I was told that no, the advertsied deal is online only, and it only starts next week in anyway.

I then did the online application - and got a call from ********** 88 a short time after, but the call dropped within a few seconds. Suspecting that they would most likely never try again, I called Telkom sales on 10213. Here I was told that the deal only starts tomorrow and I should call back at 8am in the morning.

I got another call from ********** 88 later in the day - this time I head a voice on the other side, but again the call dropped. They then emailed me, saying that I should email them or apply again.

I sent ********** an email, explaining that the call drops every time they call.

This morning I called 10213 again - mobile sales couldn't help me and tried to transfer me to Smarthome sales - but I gave up after waiting 20 minutes listening to hold music.

I then tried calling Telkom Sales - enquiring about my "Online Order" Option - but the operators couldn't find my details - and only try and send an email again ********** .

They did try to call again, this time it sounded like the call might work, but it disconnected again. Note that they're calling me on a Telkom Mobile number with good signal strength - and I have no problems with inbound calls from other callers.

It is again shocking how helpless, hapless powerless the call centre staff are. Nobody takes reponsiblity for anything - and you're just sent in circles with escalations with nothing happening.

I hope the CEO Sipho Maseko can see these complaints and realize that is completely futile to try and turn the business around with good deals if the Telkom staff and systems aren't capable of actually signing people up.