Logic & service: not flowers that grow in Vodacom's garden

<p>Having noticed that I had almost depleted my recurring data bundle for the month March, I attempted to purchase some more on the Vodacom app in view of the double your data special. The app tells me that I am not the main account holder. On contacting Customer Care (111), explaining the whole situation and going through the entire security question check, I get put through to the Solutions Department from which none was forthcoming save for the logging of a service request for which absolutely no feedback has been received.</p> <p>Thinking that the last 10MB could last until tomorrow, I didn't purchase any additional but attempted again to do so this morning via the app, via the internet, via Standard Bank and via ABSA which each transaction being advised as being unsuccessful.</p> <p>Phoning Customer Care again was once again a frustrating experience. After explaining the whole situation to the agent and going through all of the security questions, I was once again advised that I needed to speak to the Solutions Department.</p> <p>The agent there, one Phumla, is certainly not one to espouse the value of customer centricity. I had to re-explain everything again from scratch as the original agent had failed to provide any of the this information to Phumla. When I refused to go through the security questions again, which had been completed some 2 minutes prior, she advised that she would be unable to help me. Even requesting to speak to her supervisor was preceded with, "Even they won't be able to help you if you don't go through the security questions". </p> <p>One can see why Patrick, her supervisor, is a supervisor and she, merely an agent, as he understands how to deal with a customer who is as irate as an exploding volcano. He explained that one of the attempts to purchase additional data was still processing in the system and that he would try to assist which he duly did. However, no feedback has yet been forthcoming in the form of an SMS or confirmationt that the additional data has been loaded.</p> <p> </p> <p>So as it stands, despite me being very willing to purchase a data bundle, Vodacom is not allowing me to do so and accordingly, I am being billed at out of bundle rates. Very convenient how they benefit from their own issues.</p> <p> </p>