[kictanet] Safaricom Attitude - Consumer Issues

Mon Aug 23 23:11:25 EAT 2010

No customer should be treated rudely. Obviously - that goes without saying (and applies to all customer relationships, not just telcos). But Edith's email contained different points, including a complaint that she can't send an M-PESA payment without an M-PESA account, and that it involves a set up (which, when you have your ID and the agent has SIM cards, really doesn't take long).  
-----Original Message-----
From: Solomon Mburu Kamau
Sent:  23/08/2010, 23:00 
To: andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Safaricom Attitude - Consumer Issues

On 23 August 2010 22:49, andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com <
andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com> wrote:

> Possibly. I may be dumb. If so, kindly explain it to me again so that I'll
> understand it.
>

I think the point raised by Edith was mostly revolving on the issue of cold
customer care when she used a rival company's line to call the CC.
The rest, I think are as easy as ABC to understand.

I might have not given the whole view of my understanding, but I think it's
logically wrong for the CC not to take the call from Edith warmly. After
all, wasn't Edith paying for that call? Methinks it's up to the respective
companies to instill some form of 'discipline' to their CC staff. I wonder
loudly, suppose I went to Safaricom's shop/outlet or even House with a shirt
emblazoned: ' Zain, Call A Wonderful World, for only 3 and texts at 1 across
all networks in Kenya', and vice versa: 'Niko na Safaricom' will I be shoved
off?

Just thinking loudly!

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Edith Adera
> Sent:  23/08/2010, 22:45
> To: Andrea Bohnstedt
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> Subject: RE: [kictanet] Safaricom Attitude - Consumer Issues
>
>
> Andrea,
>
> You are missing the point!
>
> Edith
>
>
> ________________
> Edith Ofwona Adera
> Senior Program Specialist
> ICT4D Program
> International Development Research Centre | Centre de recherches pour le
> développement international
> Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa
> Tel: +254202713160 | Fax/Téléc: +254202711063 | Skype: edithadera
> eadera at idrc.or.ke<mailto:eadera at idrc.or.ke> | www.idrc.ca<
> http://www.idrc.ca/> | www.crdi.ca<http://www.crdi.ca/>
> ________________________________
> From: Andrea Bohnstedt [andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com]
> Sent: 23 August 2010 22:43
> To: Edith Adera
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Safaricom Attitude - Consumer Issues
>
> Edith,
>
> Why do you find it so surprising that you can't send an M-PESA payment if
> you don't have an M-PESA account? Can you make Zap payments without having a
> Zap account?
>
> In a bank, you can pay cash into someone's account without having a bank
> account, but you need to go to that person's bank, and you can't make a bank
> transfer either without having an account yourself.
>
> Also, the need to register before you make any mobile money payments is, as
> far as I know, a banking sector requirement imposed by the Central Bank of
> Kenya (CBK), the Know Your Customer (KYC) rules to combat money laundering
> etc.
>
> That you need an M-PESA-enabled SIM card is an old story - that's been
> communicated since the beginning of the service, I think, even if it's of
> course it's regrettable that the agent you visited didn't have one.
>
> Many regards,
> Andrea
>
>
> On 23 August 2010 22:28, Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.or.ke<mailto:
> eadera at idrc.or.ke>> wrote:
> There's need for consumer issues to be taken VERY seriously in the Kenyan
> Telecommunication market. I believe CCK is listening and this should not be
> allowed to happen to any Kenyan consumer.
>
> As a non-user of money transfer services (I'm a proxy user), I decided to
> try the Mpesa service today as I did not have a 3rd party proxy to undertake
> the transaction on my behalf as I usually do. The last I tried to register
> for the service, I was informed that I had an old generation SIM card and
> needed to replace it yet the agent did not have the replacement SIMs. I was
> directed to follow a convoluted process of getting the replacement SIM,
> which I did not have the time for at that point.
>
> Today, I was rudely informed that as a non registered user I cannot send
> money by Mpesa (Prestige service provider) - never mind that I have a very
> active Safaricom line. This puzzled me as in the banking sector, you can
> always bank money into any account at a bank in which you're not a "member".
>
> So in search for an answer to this issue, I decided to call a Safaricom
> Officer (Ms Bernice - department that issues Short Codes) to get some
> assistance. I called her on my Zain line. As soon as she picked the call,
> she was very cold and retorted "for starters, you have called me from the
> wrong network - meaning from Zain - and secondly, you cannot send money if
> you are not a registered user".
>
> My issue as a consumer is - why should I be rebuked for using my Zain line
> to call Safaricom? Is it a Safaricom policy that no one should call them
> using a Zain line or lines from other network providers? what does the CCK
> regulations say about such issues? My little telecommunication background
> tells me that the "consumer is king" and that a consumer must exercise their
> "right of choice" in a competitive market. why should I be dictated to what
> network I MUST USE or NOT use to make calls? Is this a reflection of the
> interconnection issues that are currently hitting media headlines?
>
> I have taken this issue very seriously and demand an apology and response
> from Safaricom. I believe CCK will take appropriate action to ensure that
> this is not the modus operandi in the Kenyan telecommunication market.
>
> Edith
> Kenyan Consumer
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>
> This message was sent to: andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com<mailto:
> andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com>
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/andrea.bohnstedt%40ratio-magazine.com
>
>
>
>
> --
> Andrea Bohnstedt
> Publisher
> +254 720 960 322
> www.ratio-magazine.com<http://www.ratio-magazine.com>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>
> This message was sent to: solo.mburu at gmail.com
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/solo.mburu%40gmail.com
>

-- 
*Solomon Mbũrũ Kamau*

*****************************************************
*Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the
same way to the side of a hill!*

AND

*It is better to die in dignity than in the ignominy of ambiguous
generosity! *

http://smiley2.wordpress.com
http://mburu.sikika.co.ke