EDITOR – I am appalled by the shocking service and lack of interest that a Telkom customer receives when trying to get a prepaid phone landline fault sorted out.
The only means one has to elicit any help is to call 10210 where you are usually cut off, referred to someone else, put on hold and finally when you do get to tell someone your problem, you are still left waiting for over a week with no resolution.
Our nightmare began when our domestic worker mistakenly pulled the wires out of the wall jack when cleaning my elderly parents’ granny flat on our property. They were instantly disconnected. My parents are aged and my father is not well at all and as such, they are completely dependent on this phone for communication with family members when they are in distress. Our first call was on 30 July to 10210 and I have made several since then, even threatening them on a two occasions that if the phone is not repaired, I would go to Hello Peter and the local media which I have now resorted to on 11 August.
To date, after several calls to 10210, and the same problem detailed over and over again with explanations as to the exact nature of the problem, they inform you that they have tested the line and it is fine.
I was informed on 10 August that my task had been assigned to a technician, and yet nobody came to the house. Day 12 of no phone for my parents has come and gone, almost two weeks since the first call to report the matter.
I have never in my life received such poor performance from any company I have dealt with and it is unacceptable that a person has to go to these levels and wait this long to get a simple matter attended to.
All my calls should have been logged on our reference number which I will not share publicly.
Lastly, if there is any retired Telkom person or phone technician who knows how to connect the phone and which wires go where, I would be very glad for the assistance as I now have no other means of having this phone restored. You just do not win with 10210 and I am exhausted and completely frustrated after trying and getting nowhere.
ANDREW SMITH
