According to the freedictionary.com, the definition for a bully is “a person who is habitually cruel or overbearing, especially to smaller or weaker people”. I am a firm believer that Vodacom has a sadistic approach towards their clients, otherwise known as bullying. There is a simple explanation for this and when I read the over 250 complaints within an hour to Vodacom announcing the down BIS network, it confirms that Vodacom has a don’t-care, I am holier than though attitude. This is a perfect example of how a client is trapped in a 2 year cage and the gate keeper is poking you with a sharp stick. We have no say, we are trapped, no way out, bullied, we are the weaker people.
If Vodacom claims that there is a problem with the BIS in Europe and it is affecting us South Africans, can someone explain to me why MTN and other networks don’t have the same problem? I get the impression that not only is Vodacom a bully; they have an external locus of control, in better terms, shifting the blame. Why can’t Vodacom be honest with us? I mean really, we’re trapped in a 2 year contract, it’s not like we can go anywhere? Or maybe they think we are fools? That could be the answer and this becomes more evident when they announce the network is down more than 3 hours after the initial break-down. Vodacom obviously thought we wouldn’t notice it. Could it be more evident, Vodacom thinks we are fools?
You see, this is typical of major companies. They have the key to the chain around our nuts. They have the final say. Heaven forbid my debit order doesn’t go through on time. I mean, we are the ones paying their salary and lining the pocket of Mohamed Shameel Aziz Joosub, Vodacoms chief in charge. I’m sure he is still on holiday so I’m assuming this open letter will cause no impact. I’m being a fool again; nothing gets to the CEO’s office except shares. But while we civilians came back to reality after the festive season to work, we get welcomed by the incompetency of the network, which is Vodacom. But who cares right, we are the fools. We openly placed the chain on our nuts and gave Vodacom a 2 year lease on the key.
Where do we as clients draw the line? I for one am not going to renew my contract, but is that enough? When are we allowed to invoice Vodacom for the lack of service and for the potential loss of revenue we as business people suffer? Heaven forbid we even think about that.
So, to conclude; I certainly hope that people read this and make a decision. Stay with Vodacom, or move? I personally would rather rely on a pigeon to convey my message than continue relying on Vodacom. But that won’t happen so come November, MTN will gain a new client and I will take as many people with me as I possibly can.
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