Worst customer service or complete lack thereof

<p>I am a long standing Vodacom client, who has been supporting Vodacom for many years and have always paid my account with a credit card.</p> <p>With my electronic statements, I also received a form to complete to update my credit card details for payment around April 2016. When I first enquired about updating my details telephonically, I was told that it is no longer possible to pay my monthly account with my credit card. In indicated that that was not true, as I had received written communication from Vodacom to update my details.</p> <p>I faxed through the completed form to update the credit card details in May 2016. After receiving an sms indicating that the account is in arrears, I again faxed through the form on 13 July, as per the instructions on the form received. After receiving another warning about the outstanding account, I again phoned client services on 20/21 July. This time I was told that I need to put a reference number on my faxed form, otherwise it will not be dealt with. The reference number I received is 1- ********** 1538, which I wrote on the update form and faxed with a copy of my ID document on 22 July 2016.</p> <p>On 28 July 2016, I was informed by my wife and daughters that their services had been suspended. I again phoned the client services to try to get the matter resolved, without success. Eventually I made an EFT payment on 28 July and was told that the service would be reconnected within 4 hours. Nearly 24 hours later I again had to phone client services to get the lines connected, which then happened after half an hour or so! On 29 July I was also phoned by a Vodacom representative to request my updated details, which was provided, which I then assumed would resolve the matter.</p> <p>However, on 16 August at 14:00 I was informed by my daughters that service had again been suspended. I went to the local Vodacom shop in Potchefstroom to get their assistance, without any success.</p> <p>On the morning of 17 August I drove from Potchefstroom to Midrand to have the matter resolved once and for all. I cost me a day out of office, as well as the travelling costs, but after talking to the client services manager at Vodaworld, Mr Bhekinkosi Sibeko, he appointed a lady to assist me, and the matter was resolved within approximately 20 minutes.</p> <p>My frustration is that I spent hours on the phone, trying to engage with a customer services supervisor or manager to get their assistance, but every time I was blocked by the call centre staff, refusing to transfer me to a supervisor and bouncing me from customer services to accounts and back.</p> <p>On 17 August I lodged a formal complaint with the Customer Service Centre at Vodaworld. Within hours I received an e-mail response from a Service in Retail Specialist, Juanita Scholtz, who indicated that I am a valued customer of Vodacom and thanked me for my continuous support. She also sincerely apologised on behalf of Vodacom for the delay and indicated that she has escalated the matter to higher management.<br />By 8 September 2016 I sitll have not had any further response from Vodacom, not from the customer care department, nor the Service in Retail Specialist or the higher management.</p> <p>This is the worst customer service or complete lack thereof that I have experienced in a long time. However, call centre and customer care staff probably receive regular bonuses for keeping the customers away from the people who can really resolve matters. Similarly, higher managers probably also receive bonuses for resolving customer complaints.</p> <p>Yet still nothing changes! And there are no effective mechanisms to resolve any complaints.</p>