[kictanet] why safaricom has no competition

[Mark Mwangi]

I totally agree with you Robert. its almost as though the other
providers actively try to annoy and push you away. You just need a
special brand of patience when dealing with Airtel and Orange.

On 2/3/12, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> We are always giving Safaricom flack on all issues including the lack of
> rain but today I have realised that they are still the better option.
>
> I read on the Airtel
> website, http://africa.airtel.com/kenya/choose-your-number-148, about a
> service that allows you to choose your own number directly from your phone.
>
> So I dashed to the nearest Airtel Shop to purchase a SIM card, I asked the
> attendants whether this service is available and they said I should go to
> one of the customer service centres.  This already indicates that the
> information on the web site is obsolete, how much does it cost to update a
> website, I wonder.
>
> So off I went to Kimathi Street service centre and for a minute I thought it
> was a classroom as there where rows of chairs facing the front, of the
> class.  Any customer service centre that has more chairs than a post Michuku
> Matatu definitely has serious problems.
>
> As I had 10 minutes to kill I decided to pick a ticket just to go through
> the menu and there was no option for SIM card services so it seems that
> stopped offering this service and since there where more than 14 people
> already seated in the queue I decided that this was an exercise in futility.
>
> I decided to humour myself by buying an Airtel SIM card and try following
> the instructions on the web site, alas to no avail.  The instructions do not
> correspond to the menus on the phone, then after cycling through a few
> options I get the correct one just to get the message that I cannot change
> the number because i have a pending "Kopa Kredo" balance and that I need to
> clear it before proceeding.
>
> Note that this is a brand new SIM card so does it mean that on purchase the
> SIM card already has a debit balance?
>
> I then go to the "Kopa Kredo" menu option and receive the message "dear
> customer the kopa kreda system is currently unavailable".
>
> After spending 30 valuable minutes on this exercise I got a flash of
> brilliance and instantly went into a trans.
>
> I felt an inner force in me remove the SIM card from the phone, fit it on my
> thumb and flick it into the direction of the bin where it bounced off the
> edge and went straight in, what a feeling of relief.  I then put back my old
> trusted Safaricom SIM card and continued with my day.
>
> Now I understand why Safaricom had no issues with number portability as they
> say in Harlem "Once you go "green" they is no going back".
>
> Enjoy a connected weekend
>
> Regards
>
> Disclaimer: This post reflects the feelings of the writer and has been done
> without any monetary or other kind of incentive from the mentioned
> organisations.  The tests where done under an impartial and controlled
> environment, you are free to try the same at home.
>
> Robert Yawe
> KAY System Technologies Ltd
> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
> Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696


-- 
Regards,

Mark Mwangi

markmwangi.me.ke