SAfm interview

Robin was on The Talk Shop on SAfm, on 27 November 2012, discussing 'Suing for Service'.

Listen to the interview here:

The Talk Shop - Robin Wheeler - Suing for Service

How to build credibility

I was invited to speak about the 'Suing for Service' campaign on the Let's Talk Possibility Network on 19 November 2012, under the topic of 'How to build credibility: For brands and individuals'.

Also in the discussion is journalist Khadija Patel from The Daily Maverick, plus hosts Telena Simpson and Mongezi Mtati. Banks, retailers and cellphone networks all come up:

You can watch the conversation here:

MTN Update 3

After their letter in update 2, I wrote back to MTN on 21 November 2012 with what's below. Predictably, I have heard nothing more from them, which, along with the rest of the evidence, speaks for itself:

Dear Fusi and others

Your email suggests that you feel I have harassed some MTN staff. I am interested to hear how. I called Dawn and politely requested follow up from the people I had emailed. The email you refer to is polite and legitimate, too.

My legal advisers tell me that harassment can only be claimed where the person on the receiving end has no obligation to the other. In MTN's case, you have extensive obligations to me as your customer of 18 years. It is possible and probable that you are in breach of the Consumer Protection Act.

It is my right as a consumer to expect to receive updates from you on the issues I have raised. I have received no updates from:

• Karel Pienaar, to whom I wrote
• Bridget Bhengu, who committed to following up in her email but did not do so, even after I had to write back to her
• Eddie Moyce, whom someone named Roberto said he would speak to some months back and get back to me
• Fred, the operations man for the region my local store falls under, who said that he had escalated my complaint
• Mariano, the store manager at Bedford Centre.

I expect not only professional solutions from you as a service provider, but common decency from all individuals as human beings. For example, I called Dawn to speak to Karel. I said that whomever she spoke to and got to contact me, I still expected to hear from him, as it is to him that I took the time and effort to write.

I have in no way and at any time threatened the safety of your employees or customers, and nor will I. Your threat of legal action is not only unfounded but indicative of your lack of understanding of and engagement with all the writing I have done to address this and to help you. It is a defensive reaction that reveals cause for concern, in terms of you respecting me as a customer and human being, in terms of your business competence and legal expertise, and in terms of suggesting that you have something to hide.

Your co-operation will be appreciated. It is your organisation who works for me, not the other way round. Somehow, you seem to have got this mixed up.

The aforementioned Roberto said that I would receive a R1000 refund on the account for the Home Owners' Association that I represent. This has not been put into effect and has never reflected on the account. Again it is left  to me to follow up, when that is your duty.

Roberto said that he gained value from our lengthy phone conversation, at the beginning of which I explained that I offer such input for a living. He further expressed interest in my services and explained that he would speak to his superior, Eddie Moyce, and get back to me to arrange discussing my helping MTN further. Neither he nor Eddie got back to me.

Please note, in case it is not clear to you, that my goal here is a win/win situation. It is not adversarial, and in no way ambiguous. I have rights as a consumer and you have obligations as a service provider. I am one of those customers who does not walk away, and does not succumb to threats, but who cares enough to feed back to you what you need to hear to get better.

Further, I am an even more rare case, in that I am uniquely skilled at helping businesses fix such problems, innovative to the point of being visionary. Any threat you feel is from your side, not from me. I am simply and uncompromisingly committed to making this work for everyone, namely shareholders, management, employees, customers and the community at large.

I am enthusiastic about making this an exemplary case, and would, as I have said repeatedly and with persistence and versatile patience, appreciate your co-operation.

All best wishes
Robin

Siemens Update 3

After writing to the Bosch Siemens Home Group Chairman/Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer in Germany on 5 November 2012, and hearing nothing from them, and after receiving the dismissive letters from the South African operation's firm of attorneys, Erasmus De Klerk inc, I received an email from these attorneys today, which is included below.

It is an unsolicited and therefore questionable email, addressing me as their client, and showing that they have added me to their newsletter mailing list without my permission. Does this suggest that they are:

• trying to attract me as a client (which would seem odd considering their disrespect for my work)
• managing their database with little if any discretion
• prone to poor synergy between departments
• intent on maintaining humour in their otherwise humorless dealings with me
• subject to the web of cosmic justice unfolding
• in need of my help as much as their client BSHG
• simply unaware?

One can only wonder, or perhaps come one's own conclusion...


Dear Client,

You are currently subscribed to our monthly newsletter mailing list as you have done business with our firm in the past, have received correspondence from the firm, have made an enquiry on our website or have previously subscribed to our monthly newsletters.

On a monthly basis we send out a highly informative newsletter to all our subscribers that include:

• Interesting legal articles & court cases that affect all of us.
• Handy and relevant legal tips.
• A focus on the latest legislation relevant to business and the general public.
• Firm related information.

Our intent is to keep our clients and acquaintances informed with need-to-know legal information that is both informative and of relevance to you. Please feel free to provide us feedback or to comment on any of our articles so that we can customize our approach to satisfy your needs. We hope you enjoy and value our monthly newsletter.

Should you however be in the position that you do not wish to receive our newsletters on a monthly basis, please click on the opt-out link below.

Kindest Regards,

Erasmus De Klerk Inc.

MTN Update 2

After hearing nothing further from MTN, I called today to speak to the CEO, Karel Pienaar. I wanted to share how distressing it is to not get a response and still have so many unresolved issues with them.

I spoke instead to his PA, Dawn Abrahams, who said that she would speak to Karel and various others and get back to me. I have just received this letter instead:

Dear Mr Wheeler,

I refer to your attached e-mail, the contents of which we have noted. Please note that your e-mail has been forwarded to me for response. MTN is a responsible corporate citizen which has made customer centricity and excellent service delivery core to its customer value proposition. In instances where customers are not happy with the service they are receiving from MTN the customers are entitled to complain to the Consumer Department of The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) or to the National Consumer Commission or to approach any appropriate court of law for assistance. We understand the approach you have decided to take with regard to MTN and accept that you are entitled to exercise your freedom of speech. However, MTN will not hesitate to take legal action against you should you behaviour anyway threaten the safety of its employees or customers. We would, in this regard, plead with you to stop phoning or harassing any MTN employee and that if you have any complain with MTN you lodge a complaint with the relevant regulatory authority mentioned above or institute legal proceedings with the appropriate court of law.  Your co-operation will be highly appreciated.

Yours sincerely

Fusi Mokoena

GM: Commercial Legal

Commercial Legal Department

MTN (Proprietary) Limited

Tel: +27 11 912 3583

Mobile: +27 83 214  6084

MTN Update 1

After I posted the first MTN story on this blog on 5 November 2012, I sent the following email to the CEO of MTN, Karel Pienaar, and General Manager Group Communications, Xoliswa Vaphi, via their personal assistants:

Dear Karel and Xoliswa, c/o Dawn and Lenka

This is to let you know about my campaign, 'Suing for Service', launched last month, in which I am taking corporate service providers to task in the media and, if necessary, the courts, to ensure that they deliver on their brand promises.

One of the companies from whom I have personally had ongoing bad service is MTN, and the introductory story is on the 'Suing for Service' blog here: http://www.suingforservice.blogspot.com/ 

The blog also contains the press releases and other campaign exposure, with other cases of bad service and solutions.

My objective is a win/win outcome for all stakeholders, and I have a solution that will help internal operations and external branding and communications.

I look forward to helping you get much better at what you do. One way or another, I am committed to achieve this, so I hope that we can work together sooner rather than later.

All best wishes

Robin


I heard nothing from either person but received this email on 8 November:

Dear Mr. Wheeler

MTN would like to thank you for alerting us to your ‘Suing for Service’ campaign and we certainly respect the fact that you have taken the time to contact us directly and share your blog and personal experience with us.  As always, MTN takes this type of feedback very seriously and will treat it with the consideration it deserves.

As a first point of departure, an MTN representative will be contacting you shortly to discuss your concerns and suggestions in more detail, to allow us to fully understand the nature of your experience and undertake our own internal investigation as to the context around your experience complaint.

Alternatively, please feel free to place your concerns in writing and forward them directly to me, to ensure I am able to manage this and MTN will fully investigate the nature of your complaints and revert with a response reasonable to all parties concerned.

As a customer, we value your input and feedback and once again thank you for your mail.

Kind Regards,

Bridget Bhengu

Public Relations & Communication

MTN SA

It doesn't look to me like she has even read the blog that she claims to take very seriously. I have not received their call yet either.

Siemens Update 2

Three weeks after my last letter to Siemens' head quarters in Germany, with no response, I wrote this email to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer on 5 November 2012: 




Dear Mr Gutberlet and Mr Ginthum

I will get straight to the point. As you may or may not be aware, BSH South Africa is providing bad service here and doing the brand significant damage. I have had dealings with them for nearly 3 years now, with ongoing problems.

The latest news is disrespectful lawyers letters to me after my ingenious attempts to help, and retailers no longer stocking the products owing to the after-sales service.

I have launched the 'Suing for Service' media campaign here in South Africa to ensure that companies live up to their brand promises. Siemens is one of the cases I am addressing as part of the campaign. You can read about it all here: www.suingforservice.blogspot.com.

I sent an email to Mr Fridolin Weindl on 16 October 2012, informing him of all this. I have not received any response. I am making you personally aware of it and giving you the opportunity to, with the right approach, turn in your favour.

I will not, however, be deterred by your silence, or by lawyers letters. These will only inspire me to take this further, until there is a desirable outcome for all parties, namely the brand, its customers (that's me!) and the broader global consumer community.

All best wishes
Robin


I received read-receipt notifications from both men on the day I sent the email, but I have heard nothing from either of them. On the morning of 6 November 2012, however, the day after that, I received a courtesy call from Lerato from Gaggenau service department following up on the call I logged months back for the faulty fridge (#5).

She explained that she was doing research into my satisfaction with the service received. She said that on her system, there was no record of the outcome of the call out, or any of the events since.

I explained briefly that:

• the repairs had cost me another day of my time
• the fridge had not been fixed
• the repairmen had dirtied my kitchen and dining room with soot from the repair work
• the fridge had been returned
• I was busy suing the company for this and the rest of the service
• all aspects of the service, from the call centre to the technical assistance were very poor.

I explained also that her contacting me with no awareness of the outcomes was further evidence of the incompetence of the company.

She undertook to take notes on all I said, report it to her supervisor, and get back to me. I have heard nothing since.

General Motors Cresta Update 1

Good Afternoon Mr Wheeler,

Please accept my humblest apologies for the incident relating to the SMS’s you received this past weekend and be assured that our intention is not to upset or aggravate anyone but simply to allow you the opportunity to take part in our offer should you so wish to do so.

We have previously requested that your details be removed from our database which has obviously not been done and I have personally requested this to be done again today and will send you confirmation once this has been actioned.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to address your concerns and we will endeavour to try and improve our standards of service.  

Regards

Raymond Thomson

Dealer Principal

I replied as follows but have not heard from him again:



Hi Raymond

I understand your intention but you do not seem to care for what I have spelled out clearly for you. It is wrong, as are your business practices. Your apology means less than nothing as does your claim to endeavour to improve your standards of service.

I sent you an invoice but you did not acknowledge it or the email. Do you think I was joking? All my effort for you to ignore it? Did you read my blog where I described my experience with your company? Do you think that will just go away?

I asked you to call me repeatedly. Do you think your email is an acceptable substitute? It's polite but totally dismissive. You are surely going to continue with your SMS campaign.

I can see that further and firmer action is required.

Best wishes
Robin

General Motors Eagle Canyon Cresta

On Saturday morning 4 November 2012, I received an unsolicited SMS from General Motors Eagle Canyon in Cresta. It was advertising a car, inviting me to test drive it, and telling me to reply with 'STOP' to unsubscribe.

I replied with 'STOP' as well as a call to their receptionist, who told me that the dealer principal was unavailable. I left a message for him to get back to me so that I could confront and advise him on what he certainly already knows is shady business behaviour.

I did not get a return call but I did get a second SMS that afternoon, this time saying that I could have my Opel, Isuszu or Cherolet serviced for R699 and win an iPad. I didn't reply with 'Stop' this time but I called again to find the dealership closed. I left a voice message for them to call me back, making it two messages.


Follow up

Today, which is Tuesday 6 November, I had to call them again, as I had heard nothing. I told the receptionist that I was going into a meeting and that I wanted the dealer principal, and only him, to call me back. I got three calls during my meeting from the sales manager.

When I called him back, I got the receptionist again, and I told her how she had not listened to my instructions. I asked to speak to the sales manager, Dieter Ehlers, and she put me through. I explained all of the issues to him. He apoligised and explained that he did not know how my number got onto the system. He undertook to take it off.

I explained that apologies without change are worse than useless, and that my number should not be on the system in the first place, so he was being of no help. He asked then what I want him to do. "Run your business properly," was my sharp reply.

He explained that he is only the sales manager, and said that he would get the dealer principal to call me. I asserted that this was my original request four phone calls ago. I explained, too, that I would have to explain everything to him again and that I would be invoicing them for the interactions. Dieter said that would be fine. So that is what I have done (see below).

The issues are:

• unsolicited text messages are not good business practice
• incorrect data and shoddy database management cause brand damage
• not returning calls is bad business
• not listening to instructions is bad business
• not researching the people you send messages to is bad business (I live across town and am not in line for any of their products, probably ever)
• sometimes your customer, who you treat like a number on a list, is more of a CEO than your CEO. If I can be available four times to their zero, they are in need of fixing.

When they pay, maybe they will be more respectful of my time and suggestions.
____________________

Dear Raymond

I left two messages for you on Saturday and called twice today. The rest of the story is on my blog, which forms part of my 'Suing for Service' campaign: http://suingforservice.blogspot.com/.

Attached, please find an invoice for my time and services, as discussed with Dieter. A consultation with you is included, so I look forward to your call. You may even be able to talk me into including a talk to your team.

All best wishes

Robin

MTN

I have been waiting for an incident to precipitate the integration and articulation of all my MTN experiences over the years. It has just happened.

Walking through my local mall, Bedford Centre, I passed in the concourse the store manager of the MTN outlet. He looked me in the eye then looked away. He did the same last week when I walked past him.

Today I called back to him, asking, ”Mariano, don’t you greet me?”

“No,” was his reply as he continued on in the opposite direction.

I turned around and briskly made my way over to him to ask why. His answer was that he will greet me in the store as a customer but not anywhere else.

“That’s strange,” I said. “Once I know someone, I always acknowledge and greet them wherever I see them.”

He carried on walking away.

I dealt with Mariano extensively in May after I had signed a 2 year renewal of my contract and, therein, purchased a new phone. This phone needed a software upgrade within weeks of purchase and MTN wanted to take it in for up to 20 working days. This was, of course, unacceptable for a new phone that is integral to my daily life and business.

I had, in May, gone to the main repair depot across town and got the phone fixed on the spot using my own ingenuity. When I had returned to Mariano's store, he didn't even ask how my problem was. He just repeated that it was his way or no way. I informed him, after he had further demonstrated his incompetence, that I had already fixed it. I then gave him and some other staff a copy each of my book.

They never thanked me for these or gave me any feedback. Their attitude did not change.

The big uphill climb

Today, immediately after seeing Mariano, I called the MTN call centre and waited through the 7-point automated selection menu. When I got an operator, he gave me a number to call for complaints. He could not put me through or send me the number. I had to walk into the MTN store to get a pen to write it down. Thank goodness for old-fashioned technology! I called the number but the ‘call failed’ repeatedly. The network...

Then, walking through the mall, I came across another staff member from the MTN store - someone else I had dealt with a few times and, like Mariano, given my book. I told her my story and went back into the store with her. Deadpan and seemingly emotionless, she gave me another number to call but the network was still failing, in the store as I stood there!

This didn't seem to bother or amuse her, or even draw her attention. When I pointed it out, she told me that all the networks are like this. I told her that that did not make it acceptable.

She told me that she did not have numbers for her superiors. I said that someone should take ownership of the problem, not leave it with me. She then wanted to see my phone. I asked her what she was going to do with it. She did not answer as she took it. I asked again, confronting her on not answering my question. She explained what she was doing as she entered another number. 

Eventually the call went through, and she handed me my phone, but I had to asked her to whom she had made the call. It was a man named Fred.

Understanding

I spoke to Fred, the operational manager for the area, for over 30 minutes, all at my expense. He agreed that Mariano’s behaviour was bad and said that he would talk to him, but said that there was little he could do. I made it clear that I want a good experience in my local mall and that if Mariano contributed to a bad one, one of us had to leave and it isn’t going to be me.

Fred told me that there are labour laws and that he couldn't fire Mariano from one complaint. "Well, we will have to fix the problem, then," I said, as if it was some strange suggestion. Mariano can get over his childish issues, embrace the learning opportunity, and make it a positive outcome for all involved. MTN can get their business right. Their behaviour is simply unspeakable.

When I see Mariano, I see MTN, wherever that may be. The network for which I pay is not confined to his store. Plus, MTN is part of my business and life, a partner, and they need to conduct themselves accordingly. At the moment, they are a bad seed in my business, and their so-called competition are no better and, thus, not an option.

I shouldn't even have to say any of this. I have been with MTN for 18 years. How about some appreciation for my loyalty? How about some basic manners and respect? How on earth can they behave this way?

I told Fred about the ‘Suing for Service’ campaign, my previous experiences with Mariano and the store, and the overall MTN experience. As I was describing the unreliability of network, we were cut off! Still, though, Fred had the approach of someone mystified by my points, as if hearing them for the first time from someone making them up.

Then Fred asked me to put all of this in writing. I told him again, having done so already, that I am a consultant and professional writer and that I will charge him a consulting fee, as a lawyer would, for writing this out. He withdrew his request, but did not seem to apply the insight to his overall arrogance. 

I told him that I would write, though, for my blog and the media as part of the campaign. I told him to look out for it and sent him the URL for this blog. 

Pinpoint

After Fred asking me what it is exactly I want him to do, following his explanation of how little there is he can do, I realised that he has a point. I mean, what exactly did they all do wrong, anyway? Nothing was out of keeping with the technical specifications of their jobs. They all followed the rules. I almost felt crazy for all the fuss. Fred couldn’t help. Mariano was adamant. Why was I so upset?

Maybe I should just give up. Maybe I am making an issue when there isn’t one. Maybe I am in the wrong and, to make things worse, rude on top of that.

What, exactly, am I complaining about?

Well:

• the network does not work properly, which is a fundamental violation of MTN’s contractual obligations
• service is generally despicable, hardly reaching minimum standards at the best of times (when you take the customer's perspective into account, as MTN seem more than happy to assert it)
• basic human decency is absent
• blatant emotional violence is prevalent (ignoring, dismissing, walking off, subjecting customers to call centres)
• customers can’t get through to anyone with any power
• no-one takes responsibility for getting customer-oriented results
• MTN is caught up in an international corruption case, suggesting that the business that makes billions in profits is fundamentally dishonest. 

That sort of thing...

Issues

Anyway, let’s all just forget about it, shall we? I’m worn down now from stating the obvious to people who don’t want to hear it. I can’t even get to the real issue because they pretend not to get the basic premise.

Let's just forget that:

1.       Big corporate structures like MTN are inherently corrupt because they are geared to keep customers away while taking their money. Signed contacts are one sided, defined by the corporation. Customers have little if any recourse to anything but acceptance of these unacceptable terms. The way the system is structured makes it practically impossible to get anywhere. For this reason alone, the ‘Suing for Service’ campaign applies fully to MTN. If they make big money from us for providing an essential service, they must fulfil their obligations and role as in the consumer community.

2.       Basic human decency falls into their social responsibility and brand promise. This applies inside and outside of stores. Does Mariano think my network coverage doesn’t extend beyond the walls of his shop? Does he think he can be that rude and passively aggressive and not get a fitting response from me?

3.       Generous customers who have the wherewithal and courage not to be crushed must be welcomed, heard and satisfied. Their suggestions must be incorporated and the results demonstrated openly to the whole customer base. And these generous customers must be paid for their help.

4.       I will use all experiences to fuel this campaign.

Someone named Roberto was in touch with me from the head office some time back about another problem with MTN (there have been many). After discussing the solutions at length over the phone, and him saying that he benefited from the discussion, he undertook to set up a meeting with the head of his division to look at bringing me in to work with MTN. 

As yet, I have heard nothing. 

Thanks to Chai FM 101.9, who interviewed Robin Wheeler about the 'Suing for Service' campaign on 1 November 2012.

Listen to the 30 minute interview below:

Robin Wheeler - Suing for Service - Chai FM.