Moving on…

Despite a massive backlash from Vodacom customers , the great V-toll  juggernaut rumbles on regardless.

I paid a visit to Vodacom’s Facebook page to see a plethora of complaints about this fee increase and the standard response from Vodacom was …well, see for yourself below.

Here’s another one..notice the response pattern..

Basically a redirect to their website where you can see the terms and conditions and information about the price increase.

Well, that’s a bit of a “F#%k you” isn’t it Vodacom?

No time take to personally explain the situation , or any kind of empathy at all, just – “Take a look at the website…”

The marketing continues unashamedly , but nothing on the price increases..

Listening to Highveld this morning, I heard adverts from Vodacom offering the new Galaxy S6 and S6 edge to the first 100 customers and you get a free something or other..and then the tagline – “Vodacom , Power to you.”

Well, that is DEFINITELY A LIE.

If that was true, then Vodacom would seriously stop it’s sales marketing and focus more on addressing the mass misery their fee increase announcement has causes within their client base.

But no, not a public word on this at all!

Time to change that tagline Vodacom , until it’s true again.

It would seem that it is more important to sell more phones and keep up the positive “rah rah’ about that, than to openly and honestly address a strategy that in all likelihood is going to spurn many long term loyal Vodacom clients.

Here’s another thought. The ICASA enforced ‘connection’ fees – the fees that mobile operators charge each other to connect on their networks was cut to make consumer costs lower..this is one of the reasons cited by Vodacom for the increase.

Also, Vodacom declared profits of R9 billion at the end of the last financial year..not bad Vodacom, not bad at all.

Yet, the strategy for these increase was almost surely planned months ago,  I would guess BEFORE the end of the last financial year!

 

They have known this was coming…for months!

So they have known this was coming LONG ago and yet , we as their loyal clients ( the ‘power to us’ people) were notified by sms and email – the coward’s way out.

Considering the massive media spend and presence this company has in South Africa , would it not have been more respectful and to a big campaign in mainstream media telling us about the impending price increases?

Maybe offering US a chance to respond and comment?

I guess we , as the customers , aren’t worthy of such investment.

Let’s look at this another way.

A relationship between two people , like a marriage , where there is a contract in place. The one party is going along merrily , believing that their relationship is full of trust, integrity and honesty and they are actively keeping up their end.

The other party is ‘appearing’ to do so , while secretly planning to cheat or break up the marriage.

When the time comes to execute this plan, do they take the time to sit the other party down with the respect they deserve and explain the situation ?

NO.

They send the party an sms saying,” Hi, just thought I’d tell you , I am leaving you,breaking our agreement,changing the rules to suit me! Hope you don’t mind and tough if you do….have a nice day…and if you want to know why, you can find the reasons on my blog.”

All I know is , that divorce settlement would be HUGE!

Did you enjoy THAT experience?

Now, with all these big telecommunications companies , they spend millions every year on understanding and improving the ‘customer experience’.

And when I say millions , I mean millions and they go into great detail about designing and implementing the best possible customer experience they can , so that you can stay loyal to them.

They have a core strategy that wants you to have a great experience with their brand…mostly..except when it comes to raising their agreed contract prices, then it would seem , the customer (or their experience) doesn’t really count.

Where was the ‘customer’ in this ‘experience’ Vodacom?

But , as long as we (the ‘power to us’ ones) have a great experience spending our money on the new Samsung Galaxy S6 on a great new package , or top up or data, or tablets – all is well in the Red Land.

So Vodacom, when we loyal (“power to you”) people , take our ‘power’ and decide NOT to renew our contracts with you, will you enjoy that experience?

And that’s the Joburg Truth.