How to lose a customer by Voda"con"
<p>I have been a customer of vodacom's for probably 15 years and I spend around r3500 to R9000 a month on my cell phone bill depending on my travels. I will attempting to close my account and switch to MTN asap, but giving my pakcage the buyout is quite high so in a way they've locked me into their terrible service.</p> <p> </p> <p>The problem started when took my Iphone 6 in for repairs. The battery had been giving me problems, the phone wanst charging properly and taking forever to charge and after a couple months just stopped charging together. I must have bought 3 chargers thinking perhaps it was the charger. The phone is only about 6 months old so its within warrantee and I was assured it would be sorted out within 10 days.</p> <p> </p> <p>2 weeks later I call to find out whats going on becuase I have not heard anything. I get a long story about sms's etc and then eventually realise they gave me the wrong job number and we werent even talking about the same phone. Eventually I managed to get the correct job number but this must have been after speaking to atleast 6 agents - all unempowered and you may aswell be talking to a voice prompted computer.</p> <p> </p> <p>Then the stories begin...</p> <p> </p> <p>1. I must pay R4500 becuase the phones scrathed.</p> <p> </p> <p>After I explained thatsimpossible becuase its been in a cover since I first got the phone from vodacom and I have the invoice, the next story came on board:</p> <p> </p> <p>2. Theres external damage</p> <p> </p> <p>after I said thats impossible and that it could not and if it where it must have happened in transit I was told to go into the store to "escalate" the problem and explain the damage must have happened in transit.</p> <p> </p> <p>By this stage my blood is boiling nad dealing with unempowered and imcompetent people for hours and proabbly a dozen already that simply cant think for themselves or are literally slaves to the system, I was fuming.</p> <p> </p> <p>I go into the store (canal walk) and escalate the problem and get promised to be copied in on the email. this never happens. so I make another phone call and Im told I need to escalate and send an email. I do so. no response. I go on the face book page and send an email and post on the vodacom wall. no response. anotehr week has gone by.</p> <p> </p> <p>I call in and I am told that the phone has been sent back. I ask was it fixed and get response something along the lines of we dont fix Iphones!!! So why would they send my iphone to the repair centre? I dont get a response. then the penny drops... Vodacom send the iphones to their repair centre to find a reason not to replace them!!!</p> <p> </p> <p>i call the store and speak to a girl and ask is my phoen ready. she says yes and I can collect it. I ask her if its fixed at first she says no, then I explain but I've been speaking to a dozen people between your call centre, your branch and your store about th issue which was escalated. She goes away for a minute and comes back saying Im sorry sir it her ready and its fixed.</p> <p> </p> <p>I think to myself, why did this have to be so difficult.</p> <p> </p> <p>I landed tonight form Johannesburg and went into the store to collect my phone. Low and behold, its not fized. I aks why?</p> <p> </p> <p>3. Story number 3 - theres "corrosion"</p> <p> </p> <p>I look at the girl and say, look, lets just ge treal ere, the phones 6 months old, its been in a cover the entire time and there something wrong with the battery becuase it wont charge... she thens says</p> <p> </p> <p>4. story numebr 4,"it must be liquid damage"</p> <p> </p> <p>Ahh the infamous liquid damage, the go to excuse, placing all the blame on the owner becuase its an easy out. The probelm is ther is no liquid damage and Im simply not having it. She calls her "superior".</p> <p> </p> <p>Another girl with serious attitude comes out and says...</p> <p> </p> <p>5. The charge pin is missing</p> <p> </p> <p>Now Im getting really annoyed and basically tell her this is unnacceptable adn they need to fix the phone or repair it becuase its within warrantee and that they've literally gone through evey excuse they can and I wasnt born ysterday, the repair centre doesnt fix I[hone and its really just a big con - the eye got really big becuase they know thats the truth.</p> <p> </p> <p>She bluntly said," we are not fixing nor replacing the phone"</p> <p> </p> <p>Just like that they wont accept any responsibility they have as my cell phone provider nor fix a phone thats in warrantee.</p> <p> </p> <p>Now lets look at the consequences:</p> <p>1. Im sure Im no the only customer they are losing so the problems more than liekly bigger than just little old me.</p> <p>2. If I spend on avergae R4500 a month and Im in my early thirties thats a lifetime customer no lost so good buy R2.7M worht of todays value in revenue. never mind I'll never use them for my business nor refer them to anyone I know in my relatively large circle.</p> <p>3. Im writing this post... but dont worry after all my emails, posts and calls I dont expect a response.</p> <p>4. I need to control my anger becuase after speaking to a couple dozen people, spending hours on the phone and not getting anywhere, its infuriating... I wish I could charge them for my hours.</p> <p> </p> <p>Tomorrow Im going to MTN to see if they can buy out my contract its the only problem I have because the last time I had an issue with vodacom (They charged me R13k for data when I took the bst possible package and was assured my bill would never be more than R3999) I had to pay something rediculous like R50k to get out of the contract.</p> <p> </p> <p>One way or another they will lose my as a client and I guess I'll go to Ifix and get my phone fix for probably a hell of lot less than R4500 they wanted from me.... then again they got that from me every month... never again.</p> <p> </p> <p>Regards,</p> <p> </p> <p>MTN soon to be new customer</p> <p> </p>
