MWeb Business sucks

11
Posted on 17 April 2008 Internet Rants

Update: Lerato from MWeb’s Business Division has just given me a call (as well Andre Joubert, the GM of MWeb’s business division has left a comment) and has apologised for them dropping the ball. Lerato is going to contact my Brother-in-law directly and help him get sorted out. So, kudos to MWeb for listening and responding almost immediately!

MWeb Business SucksMWeb as a whole are a totally useless and overpriced Internet Service Provider, but their business division takes the cake. Read on why…

My “Brother-in-law’s” job is his phone and email. I’m talking 300 emails a day type of email. Blackberry email is also probably the only way he can stay in touch with his clients as they are mostly international, and their spoken English is very bad compared to their written English.

I setup his new Blackberry Pearl on Sunday just before he headed overseas. Anyway, because of the traveling and not having being able to use his Blackberry, his mailbox limit was reached and mails started bouncing. He called me to help find out what the problem was, so I called MWeb’s business on 0860 100 154 to get help increasing his limit. The technical guy was only helpful enough to tell me he had a 200MB limit and that he would put me through to the sales division who would be able to increase the limit to 1GB.

Suffice to say, I waited on the phone for about 30 minutes and no one answered. I called their sales division directly on 08600 32000, waited around 15 minutes and still no one answered. I gave up and asked our technical guy in my office for a direct MWeb business number. (Our company also has had major issues with MWeb, but that’s another story)

I then got hold of their reception on 021 596 8300. The lady put me through to a “team leader” in the business division, who, after scrounging around on her desk for 2 minutes to find something, told me that only “Vanessa” could help me. (021 596 7163). Vanessa’s number went straight into voicemail, so I gave up on that avenue. I called reception again, pleading for some help, and they then put me though to Gillian, who also told me that she couldn’t help me and that I must call Vanessa. I told her Vanessa wasn’t answering her phone. She then said she would get Clinton to call me back the second he gets off the phone. She logged my name, number and query, and I told her this is urgent as my clients emails are bouncing! This call ended at 11am on Tuesday.

It is now 48 hours later. I am still awaiting with baited breath for “Clinton” to give me a call.

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  • Andre Joubert

    Jason

    Can you please contact me direct on 011-340 8150.

    Your contact me portion of the blog isn’t working, so I’ve got no way to contact you direct.

    Regards
    Andre Joubert
    GM: MWEB Business

  • http://www.houseintohome.co.za/category/coricraft/ Coricraft Reviewer

    Welcome to a typical business experience.

    Typical obviously because you don’t always hear the good things about companies. But when you hear BAD things, they are BAAAAAD!!!

    And if that really is the GM of MWEB Business (which I guess it would be), you’re lucky. Try getting a decent response from Coricraft!

  • http://www.jasonbagley.com Jason

    @Andre, Thanks for pointing that out! I did just receive a call from Lerato, who said he will get in touch with you if you want to give me a call.

    @Coricraft Reviewer, I am pretty impressed it took them exactly 20 minutes to respond. (Brandseye maybe?) and all has been sorted.

  • http://www.miasolutions.co.za/blog Henre

    Jason, blogs have the obvious benefits of “giving people a voice” which is so awesome, it’s not even funny. This is just another example of how blogging has served a consumer well and aided toward problem resolution.

    However…there’s something I just have to say and I’m sure many top notch commenters will be throwing their toys from their cots…or at me even.

    I’ve been doing a bit of research of late, because of poor service I’ve received actually and it came as no surprise that the majority of complaints that are published are those of large corporations.

    This comes as no surprise and I beg from consumers, especially those with the luxury of being in a position like we are, to spare a moment and ponder this:

    We as consumers have been “given a voice”, using blogs, social networking sites and whatever else to express our discontent about products, services and companies as a whole.

    This new media is a relatively new concept and we often lambaste companies for not getting the importance of this. However, we sit down in front of our computers as individuals, with only ourselves to consult before publishing complaints that have the ability to proliferate exponentially within minutes to reach thousands of wondering eyes.

    Many of these companies were built and managed for ages and change is not something that they can manufacture overnight. We were given an unfair advantage over these companies and we should be careful not to abuse it.

    As the coricraft reviewer above mentioned, we always hear the bad stuff, because no one ever publishes the good news. And the bad news is distributed among online networks as we see fit. The only reason I muti-ed this post was with the hope that it would increase Google results so that hopefully someone at M-Web would spot this and respond.

    Why? Because it’s obvious that when they do, the author might not consider the importance of publishing the great effort of M-Web.

    Now the bad news has spread beyond comprehension (also partly due to me), the problem is resolved quickly but 95% of the reach of this post doesn’t know because the same effort aren’t paid to distribute the good news.

    Yes, you did mention the quick response from M-Web on twitter, but twitter is a market dwarfed by blogging and Facebook platforms.

    Are we surprised that corporations see consumers as arrogant?

    Are we surprised that some corporations view bloggers as their enemies?

    Are we surprised that corporations turn a blind eye to our efforts in educating them, while the same hand that feeds them slap then silly with complaints?

    Peter Cheales had an idea on how to make extortionate amounts of money by blackmailing companies into problem resolution. It was revolutionary at first, but the problem in the model was soon demonstrated.

    It took someone like getclosure! quit a while to get onto their legs and perfect that model. Shouldn’t we have been more focused on building an online platform like getclosure! where companies have an equal and fair ground to pay attention to their consumers?

    Congratulations to getclosure! for their wonderful efforts thus far. I’m sure there are thousands of consumers who would be delighted at the outcomes you’ll be facilitating.

    [You're more than welcome to make this into a blog post if you wish]

  • Pingback: The case of DataPro and the Twitter | Paul Jacobson

  • http://www.getclosure.co.za Emma Donovan

    Henre, thank you for your support of getclosure! and for raising a number of valid points in your response to Jason’s post.

    Getclosure is an independent online complaints management portal that assists with the DISCREET resolution of customer complaints. In essence, we put the consumer and supplier in direct contact with one another and then track the complaint process on behalf of both parties. We have had a phenomenal response from both consumers (for whom the service is free) and suppliers who are keen to resolve complaints before they are named and shamed in public. In fact 332 are actively using our service and FNB, CellC and PicknPay are all subscribers!

    Check out our website at http://www.getclosure.co.za/index.php (new home page going live soon!) and our blog at http://getclosureblog.co.za/ which has been created to increase consumer awareness and stimulate debate about relevant consumer issues and service delivery in South Africa. Our aim is to educate South Africans on how to complain constructively and by doing so, building a stronger and more positive service ethic all round.

    A stat to ponder: Surveys indicate that 60% to 75% of customers who complain to a supplier about a product or service will use it again if their complaint has been resolved and 95% will do so if the complaint was resolved quickly. Considering how simple and time effective the Internet can be, it’s a great way to lodge a complaint and get a timeous response if the person you are complaining against is notified in time.

  • http://imod.co.za Chris M

    I have a post just like this one coming up in the next few days to due with a vehicle company. It’s almost as bad as your experience!

    I love it that blogs give us the ability to speak out, as well as really reach out to the masses!

    I hope you come right bud.

  • Peter

    Amazing.

    Just sitting stewing over total lack of response from mweb to a business technical glitch.

    Over past weeks have been referred from pillar to post after interminable waits while the same shit music repaets itself.

    Have genuinely spoken to 10 + people, a couple who souded sincere and trustworthy when I asked them please, please, please to ensure the right person phoned me back.

    Needless to say, nothing!!!!

    Finally called again and got a guy, Noel ( after a couple of transfers and approx 45 mins ).

    Definitely established that I have a problem, like I didn’t know, but he could not fathom it.

    Was an absolute priority and would get the main guy to phone me. Please promise I said. Of course he did.

    4 days later sent him an e-mail on his mailing address he hed given me to test my fault. What’s up? No response. 2 further e-mails a few days apart each begging for contact or help.

    That was a few days ago.

    Heard absolutely zilch.

    To phone again is out of the question.

    SO….. I search “m-web customer complaints ” and find this.

    Checked out MD Andre number and tried dialling. No answer. Is he real?????

    definitely esta

  • brent

    ppl only complain about the bad service but never the good!!!!

  • http://www.jasonbagley.com Jason

    @brent, I disagree with you. People complain about the bad service and compliment excellent service.

    There is no need to compliment a company on the basics of their service offering. When they go above, or below what you are paying for, then you have every right to complain or compliment.

  • hentie

    i have bean having problems logging into my games i am realy upset and disepointed in MWEB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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