Appalling Service from Woolworths Financial Services Call Centre

Unfortunately, I have experienced the most appalling service from Woolworths Financial Services call centre today. I was attended to (much lack thereof in all honesty) by a lady named Nobomu Myabe who reports to a Team Leader named Promise Rakodi.

I phoned into the call centre on behalf of my elderly mother who unfortunately used the wrong reference number when making payment into her Woolies account at an ABSA ATM. I made the means to get her proof of payment via Whatsapp and email it through to Woolies for allocation. In order to rectify the issue, I created a conference call with my Mom and WFS - upon the call being answered, I explained to Nobomu that I have my Mom on the line and am trying to help her get her payment allocated.

She tried conversing with her and complete security questions when they had a communications breakdown. I tried to intervene to explain what is being asked since I could pick up that there was a struggle. Nobomu responded with arrogance cutting me off saying I cannot interfere in the vetting. I am utterly flabbergasted at the fact that she did not realise that I am assisting to ensure ease for my Mom and also get the account rectified. Instead of that, she totally disregarded it and engage in a verbal exchange with me...wasting very valuable airtime and time. She put the phone down on the side on two occasions without saying a word. I kept on speaking to say that she should transfer our call to someone else if she is unable to assist us - she did not. She probably thought we would run out of airtime and get disconnected.

She showed that she could not be bothered about a customer's well being and an elderly customer at that. To say this is appalling service is an understatement.

We held the call in silence waiting for assistance. She eventually realised we were not hanging up and got her Team Leader, Promise Rakodi to take the call. Within 5 minutes, Promise Rakodi had done her checks with me and my Mom and advised that the proof of payment sent through was not clear enough and we should resend in order to get the assistance.

Why am I utterly disappointed? Because the call was a total of 43 minutes long! As I said it was a conference call which means double billing for me. All of this to only leave without a resolve.

Nobomu had the audacity to casually say the customer should go to the store. So now, my mother will have to spend money on fuel and pay toll fees - all as a pensioner and in such a tough South African economic climate!

What dismal service. We have technology available that could have helped in resolving this easily and have convenience passed back to the customer. This was all disallowed by one call centre person that just does not care. Nobomu Myabe (not sure of spelling) is one weak link for Woolworths Financial Services. I would have expected that a customer service person would know that you do everything possible to assist customer's at any given opportunity.