South Africans Deserve Better – Why Do We Keep Accepting Poor Service?

South Africans Deserve Better – Why Do We Keep Accepting Poor Service? It’s genuinely disappointing to see the direction South Africa is heading when it comes to service delivery. We’ve reached a point where bad service has become the norm, and we simply accept it. That mindset is exactly why nothing changes. Take Vodacom as an example. They are one of the biggest players in the market, with a massive client base and constant promotions that draw customers in. Yet, when you look at their trust index and customer feedback, something is clearly wrong. In my case, Vodacom Business entered two mobile contracts using my FICA documents and bank account details — without my consent. The consultant submitted them purely to push the deal through. When I tried to correct the issue, I was told that it couldn’t be handled through Vodacom’s customer care channels and that I had to go back to the original branch — where management and accountability are nearly non-existent. I’ve called, emailed, used the chatbot, and visited branches — all with no results. I’ve been promised callbacks that never happen. Now, I want to cancel the contracts, yet they “cannot find me on the system,” while the debit orders continue to go off every month. This isn’t just about one company. It’s a reflection of a national culture of complacency. We’ve become too comfortable accepting poor service and excuses. We can’t complain about where we are as a country if we continue to settle for less and tolerate misconduct from large corporations. What happened to the simple principle of “treat others as you want to be treated”? If we, as customers — the very cashflow that keeps these businesses alive — keep staying silent, then we are part of the problem. I’m not talking about unreasonable complaints; I’m talking about basic, fair service. It’s time we start holding companies accountable again. If you’ve had similar experiences, stop “leaving it.” Speak up. Because our silence is what got us here in the first place.