In a development reminiscent of a move by an aggrieved Cell C customer last year, who erected a giant billboard against the mobile operator, an incensed Vodacom client has erected three banners after experiencing problems with his cellular signal.
An angry Vodacom customer in Fochville, a small farming and mining town in the west of Gauteng, has erected the banners after experiencing problems with reception. The name of the disgruntled client could not immediately be determined.
All three banners — photos of which were sent to TechCentral on Friday — have the word “Vodacom” emblazoned on them in large letters. One states: “Vodacom — The co. where the CEO (MSA) Joosub apparently does not answer letters.”
Another states: “Can not give signal coverage to this part of Fochville (those ads about coverage are probably bull…).”
The third banner says: “Vodacom — The co. where staff members do not answer phones or read letters.”
Vodacom spokesman Richard Boorman said the customer alerted the operator to his problem in April. “There are two base stations in Fochville which provide coverage for the area. This customer’s property in particular sits in the radio shadow of a hill, and it doesn’t have a great signal. This affects a very small portion of the town outskirts.”
Boorman said Vodacom offered to place a booster in the customer’s house, but this offer was rejected.
“We can understand the customer’s frustration, but at this stage there isn’t another short-term solution. We have a team heading out to his property today to see if we can determine the cause of the signal loss and to again discuss the short-term solution of a booster.”
Boorman said that if they could not find a solution, Vodacom would consider cancelling the customer’s contract at no cost to the customer.
Last November, disgruntled Cell C customer George Prokas erected a large banner outside the WorldWear Mall on the busy Beyers Naude Drive in Johannesburg. That banner has since been taken down, but not after Cell C took Prokas to court, a case which it lost. — © 2015 NewsCentral Media