Vodacom will call you back within an hour

[Dave A]

At 9.06a.m. I called Vodacom to query why their debit order taken from my bank account yesterday does not match my statement amount. After holding for account queries (let's say about 15 minutes) I got the option to hit # and a representative will call back within the hour.

It is now 10.57a.m. and you'll never guess what hasn't happened yet...

[Martinco]

Dave, You are too old to fall for this 1 hour cr*p !

[daveob]

Actually, my hat off to AfriHost - they have a system whereby you send a 'help' sms on weekends, and twice I used it - twice I got the call in less than an hour

[Dave A]

Dave, You are too old to fall for this 1 hour cr*p !

Yep - but this time it's going on record.

Still no call. Time is ticking, Vodacom.
And that's before we get into why I called in the first place.

[Martinco]

By the time they call you back, you have forgotten what it is all about !

[Mark Atkinson]

In situations like these I always suggest making use of http://www.hellopeter.com. This is the one place where companies/organisations actually pay attention to their customers because bad reviews on Hello Peter = bad publicity.

A couple times I've had issues with a company and couldn't get hold of them via phone or email. One little rant on Hello Peter and they were practically begging to help me!

[Dave A]

We're now up to 6 hours and still no call back

Here's what stuns me. After being on hold for 15 minutes (or thereabouts - it felt like an hour so I reckon about 15 minutes) the queueing system prompts you with this call back option.

Now I had no expectations as to how long it might take for Vodacom to call back when I hit the # key. I just knew I'd had enough of being on hold already, and at the time I thought "they'll call back sometime during the day, I guess."
But when I selected the option, it was at that point that the voice goes "We'll call you back within an hour."

If you can't deliver, why make the point?

[Dave A]

Prospects of a "same day" callback are diminishing....

I'm heading towards shocked right now.

[Arogon]

If you think Vodacom is bad wait until you have to deal with UNISA, They take the cake with the cherry on it!

[Mark Atkinson]

If you think Vodacom is bad wait until you have to deal with UNISA, They take the cake with the cherry on it!

My registration with UNISA was actually quick and effortless this year. I was amazed!

Oh and I think Dave may have a lot of waiting to do until he has to deal with UNISA. (Perhaps waiting until another life maybe?)

[Dave A]

Oh and I think Dave may have a lot of waiting to do until he has to deal with UNISA.

My daughter's registration with UNISA went pretty smoothly this year

As for Vodacom - we're now up to 23 hours.

I think we can safey call this a VodaFAIL.

I'm now in the call centre queue - and the stop watch is ticking.

[Dave A]

Call answered after 11 minutes - no option of hitting the # key for a callback was offered in that time.
I think my estimate of the option being given after being in the queue for 15 minutes is about right.

Is it just a call backlog flushing mechanism?
The lass who took the call didn't have an answer. But then she's there to handle account queries, not silly customer call centre experience questions.

[Dave A]

Well, I have arrived at the conclusion that Vodacom will not call you back, even if you have managed to get a call reference number and you are definitely "in the system."

Since that call referred to in the post above, I have followed up twice without success and despite assurances from the customer care call centre supervisor (Greg, that would be you) that he would make absolutely sure that the matter would be escalated and I'd get a response - no joy.

And calling accounts didn't resolve the situation either. There could be a reason for that, but the telling of that story deserves another thread.

[ChrisNG53]

I can confirm that hellopeter.com worked wonderfully in two instances for me ... but SA Express don't give a sh#t ... bit then, does government not bail them out?

[Dave A]

The problem with Hello Peter in my view is it doesn't change the system - it only helps slap on the make-up.