We are currently on day 4 of fighting for our internet connection. For those of you who aren't up to speed with this story it has got rather confusing with everything that has happened now.
On Friday night our service provider cancelled our line in error. mistakes happen so fix the problem and move on. Apparently no one works at weekends so the line could not be reinstated. With this poor service we decided to move as the line was now free having been cancelled. We told them as much and there was nothing they could do.
Sunday night we contacted our old provider and everything was set for a quick handover and set up. The new provider then said there was a connection fee which we have thus paid in the meantime. Following up this morning they mentioned that the line was no longer free and that it was active.
I then phoned the service provider who messed us around to ask them what the story was and they said I needed to submit a letter to cancel the line. I took off at them as how dumb is this. Yesterday we received an sms stating the line was free and ready for migration to the new provider.
What it looks like is they don't want to lose the business and are trying any tactic to keep the line with them. We have paid the re connection fee with the new provider so there is no going back. They tried to bill us this morning via direct debit which we blocked as we guessed something like this may happen.
Today I have spent the morning trying to get this resolved and feel as though I have been talking to Forrest Gump's friends. I am struggling to find someone smart enough to actually help and am praying on a lady in the accounts department at this current moment.
Why should something so basic and easy be so complicated. This shows the caliber of personnel that they have working for them and why they make mistakes like they do. Someone on their side cancelled the line originally without consent and god knows how many more things they are cocking up.
The last call I have had with them is the line will be cancelled tonight and handed over tomorrow plus the double billings that happened will be credited. A total of 61 phone calls has taken place to get to this point which in all honesty should have been one highlighting their error and rectifying the situation. If you employ idiots then you can't blame the failings of the business.
Living in South Africa has it's challenges and this is one of them as there is no service here any more. I know living in the UK service was also disappearing and it should remain the most important part of any business. Cutting costs by removing essential customer services is not the right way to go as you just become like any other company out there. A company that provides good services with decent staff will never have problems as just by word of mouth they will grow.
