Africa - Customer Service in South Africa

I was amazed at the quality of customer service in South Africa. I had expected my data bundle to last me a few days, but it used up not just my data bundle, but also all my airtime. I was left stranded in the middle of an e-mail.
I called customer service. Unlike i the U.S. where the weight is in tens of minutes and can be as long as three quarters of an hour, the call was answered almost immediately. The agents were very knowledgable. Instead of giving lipservice or company line, basically telling you there is nothing they can do, and being very ill informed in the U.S, the agents in South Africa were very sharp, and actually helped. The agents knew the layout of the city and were able to direct me to a a few places, within walking distance, that were open all night long where I could buy some more airtime. They did not ask me my zip code to look up in their list. All I told them was the intersection, not even an address. I was impressed.

Customer service in the U.S. is of very poor quality.

Those are pretty broad generalizations about one data point in one specific product area. There is good and bad customer service everywhere, particularly in the US and oftentimes within the same company or industry. That's why the market decides and we have choices how and where we spend our money and our time. Sometimes if you aren't satisfied with the answer or how you are treated, all it takes is hanging up and calling back to get what you need.

I have also noticed that customer service in developing countries tends to be of a higher standard than in developed countries, because people and companies are less concerned with the bottom line and still have their traditions of hospitality.

I know it is a generalization, but it is a valid one in many cases.

Really depends on the country, service and company as well as your plan or rate. While they may be more knowledgeable about products they may be less able to do anything about anything, which would require two levels of approval, where on the us this would be dove at the first level of tech support you encounter. In many countries there are no wait times because you're the one paying for the call

Considering that air time and data bundles is available for sale at every cornor shop, gas station and grandma's lemonade stand, it's not surprising that the agent could tell you immediately where to go.

My list of bad customer service is South Africa is ridiculously long. And the examples are equally ridiculous. For example, my credit card being denied at a CNA because the cashier didn't know which bank it came from. She wouldn't even try to swipe it.

Perhaps you have not attempted to stay in a 5-star hotel in SA. If you have, you'll find that customer service is not nearly what it should be. I've had unbelievably poor service at numerous properties there (Sun International, I'm talking to you!!)

Those are pretty broad generalizations about one data point in one specific product area. There is good and bad customer service everywhere, particularly in the US and oftentimes within the same company or industry. That's why the market decides and we have choices how and where we spend our money and our time. Sometimes if you aren't satisfied with the answer or how you are treated, all it takes is hanging up and calling back to get what you need.

Any thing said on this issue would be a generalisation as I don't know of any "scientific" study on this topic.
To be sure, what I stated was not a single data point. It was two consecutive data points. Superior service rendered on two calls in a row is not a statistical fluke.

The customer service even offered to help me unlock my T-mobile branded phone. If you are not a longstanding customer, I doubt a US provider will unlock a brand new phone. I had bought a barely smart phone without a contract from T-mobile and paid full price. Yet the T-mobile had the gaul to sell me a locked phone, which Vodacom South Africa offered to help me lock.
Subsequent to this post, I have had other experiences in three days, all very good.

The day after I posted the OP, I discovered that I could not access gmail, google mas etc on the T-mobile branded phone, even after it was unlocked.. The phone was still using default settings for T-mobile. I walked into a Vodscom shop, where I was seen immediately by a sales person (which could have been a fluke). His first response was, when he found out that I had bought the phone in the U.S., that it would not work on their network. I told him, I was pretty sure it would as their customer service had told me that once the phone was unlocked, they would send me the proper settings in an SMS. I suggested that he call their tech support (which they call data support). While he was calling tech support, he asked his co-worker, who concurred with him that most phones sold in the U.S. did not work in SOuth Africa, except for making and receiving phone calls, which is true as the 3G frequencies in the U.S. are different. despite being skeptical about my claim that the phone would support data services if it just had the right settings, he was deferential and polite, not combative. Tech support asked him what model the phone was and when he heard that it was a T-mobile phone, he suggested it would not work.
Now here is the kicker. The sales person was irritated at the tech support person and said "How come what you are saying is in conflict with what the information that was given to the customer last night by your people?" Instead of blowing me away, the guy tried to investigate the reasons for conflicting information. While he was talking to the tech support, an SMS came on the phone with the settings needed for the phone to work with Vodacom South Africa service. The sales person looked at the SMS and entered settings on the phone. Everything worked fine. Prior to this, I had been using the SIM in my other phone as the smart phone was locked. I had received settings for that phone in an SMS, but the phone was not capable for using them. Once I inserted the SIM in the smart phone after it was locked, Vodacom system recognised the phone and sent appropriate settings in an SMS.

When I asked the hotel receptionist about the shell gas station where I was told, I could buy airtime all night, the receptionist sent one of his assistants with me, as he felt it would be safer for me to have an escort.

The following day, I was searcxhing for the bus station and asked, a person, who I thought was a police man, but was actually a security guard at a shopping arcade, which was closing for the day. He assured me he would help me. He asked several people but no one seemed to know. Finally he said "Would it be too disrespectful of me to suggest you ask a police officer? There are some across the street".

I believe, I have sufficient data points to state what I did in my OP.

Really depends on the country, service and company as well as your plan or rate. While they may be more knowledgeable about products they may be less able to do anything about anything, which would require two levels of approval, where on the us this would be dove at the first level of tech support you encounter. In many countries there are no wait times because you're the one paying for the call

I am not talking about every country. MY comments were about South Africa. I was not a high paying customer. I had bought a prepaid SIM for 1 ZAR (about 12.5 U.S. cents) and bought 29 ZAR worth of airtime, the first time, which I had used up, and 29 ZAR the second time. Sum total of revenue that Vodacom South Africa had received from me, was ZAR 59, about US$ 7.
I was not paying for the call I made to tech support. I had no credit left when I made the call.

Considering that air time and data bundles is available for sale at every cornor shop, gas station and grandma's lemonade stand, it's not surprising that the agent could tell you immediately where to go.

My list of bad customer service is South Africa is ridiculously long. And the examples are equally ridiculous. For example, my credit card being denied at a CNA because the cashier didn't know which bank it came from. She wouldn't even try to swipe it.

In the middle of the night at 2 .a.m? I had failed to mention the time of the incident. :)

I have had that happen to me in the U.S. for a U.S. issued card. The person who swiped the card wanted me to enter my PIN. I told her it was not a debit card. But she insisted that I needed a PIN.

Perhaps you have not attempted to stay in a 5-star hotel in SA. If you have, you'll find that customer service is not nearly what it should be. I've had unbelievably poor service at numerous properties there (Sun International, I'm talking to you!!)

I did not stay in a 5 star hotel. Tye service I receved at my hotel was pretty good. The hotel receptionist always offered to send someone to escort me if I wanted to go out late at night to get something to eat or, as already mentioned, to buy airtime at 2:00 a.m.

Although if you want to get a 3G setup in South Africa you need to buy 3 separate parts, one of which can only be paid for in cash, one only by card, both from different places.

It's impossible to generalise, but doing so US customer service is amazing and South African really is incredibly bad. I speak as a Brit who understands what British customer service is all about.

...British customer service...
I don't think you can put the first and the other two words in the same sentence :).

Although if you want to get a 3G setup in South Africa you need to buy 3 separate parts, one of which can only be paid for in cash, one only by card, both from different places.

It's impossible to generalise, but doing so US customer service is amazing and South African really is incredibly bad. I speak as a Brit who understands what British customer service is all about.
yes, it's impossible to generalise. Customer service in the U.S. was excellent in the seventies and even eighties. There has been a steady decline over the last four decades.
I am not sure how recent your information is or whether it applies to all all providers.
I found the procesure to be very simple. You buy airtime, and then split your airtime credit between Data, voice and SMS/MMS. You can do that from your phone without having to talk to anyone. It was very simple, pain free and straightforward.

You could purchase airtime using your bank account, credit card, or cash. You can even borrow airtime. I did not try that as I didn't think a new customer could borrow.

Moving this thread to the Africa forum. Thanks for your understanding.

Jouy31
TravelBuzz moderator

It's impossible to generalise, but doing so US customer service is amazing and South African really is incredibly bad. I speak as a Brit who understands what British customer service is all about.

Really?

I think SA customer service is generally very good (and genuine) but can sometimes be appalling in a way that US customer service never would be.

Sadly I also know about British customer service. :rolleyes:

Superior service rendered on two calls in a row is not a statistical fluke.Statistically, it may very well be a fluke.

Sun International, I'm talking to you!!Talking to them? Really? Something tells me you are wasting your time.

I generally receive excellent to outstanding customer service in SA, at least where I am a regular customer of long standing (decades, in some cases). If mistakes are made they are immediately correncted and compensated, when called for.

I can, however, also give examples of exceedingly poor customer service. AVIS SA comes to mind.

Johan

I love South Africa, but I'd hate to generalize about customer service - I have experienced customer service ranging from inefficient and uncaring to superb and excellent. Then again, I have had such ranges of service in many other countries as well. ;)