Council blames Post Office for incompetency
The article on how to pay your water and lights account was quite amusing.
ALBERTON – For months we have not received any statements from the council, which is really frustrating and very annoying.
The Council blames the Post Office for their incompetency.
I have been a rate payer for 34 years in Alberton and I have never experienced anything like the current operation.
My first step, months ago, was to register at Siyakhokha. What a catastrophe. Various attempts to get me into the system, to register, failed. Eventually I was registered but then the password used was not accepted.
I did not receive my August statement, the wheels started turning and over a period of five days the following happened:
The next step is to phone the customer care centre. Needless to say, close on R100 airtime later no phone was answered.
The only people I could call, and they answered their phones immediately, was the call centre. I requested the person to give me my outstanding balance. They replied and said that they are not allowed to give me any information. Good, accepted.
I took time off and went to the customer care centre, which is disastrous. The queue of rate payers does not move. I went back home and returned the following day, ready for a long wait. Slowly but surely I reached the front desk and explained my dilemma: no statements received or any SMS received, and last but not least, I cannot go online. A lady assisted me and within minutes everything was sorted out and I had a copy of my statement. It was a surprise to learn that the September statement already had a final warning amount of R92.34 included.
The spokesperson, Themba Radebe, must surely take a walk through this customer care centre to see what is really going on. They are quick to blame other parties and add interest to your account, but they fail completely in their approach to client care.
Simple example: Refuse bins to be emptied in Brackendowns on Tuesday. It is Thursday today and not a sign of the staff to empty the bins. How can we get these people to look after our interests as rate payers?
Blackie
