There are a lot of unhappy customers out there.
Arme consumers are getting ripped off 24/7.
There’s a sucker born every minute, but doesn’t it feel like there’s a scammer born every minute too?
And it’s not just con artists like “Bishop” Antonio Martin who prey on unsuspecting clients – like the Bridgetown couple who paid R80 000 for a house that wasn’t even for sale – who you have to beware of.
People are regularly being cheated out of their hard-earned money because of poor service.
Every blerrie day in the Daily Voice, you’ll read about people buying a pre-owned vehicle that packs up after a few weeks.
Then, after hounding the client to sign the papers, the dealership suddenly plays hard to get when it comes to taking responsibility for the defects.
There’s the mechanic who holds onto a car for months, all the while requesting more money for additional parts and labour.
Then there’s the dissatisfied take-aways customer who finds a cooked kakkerlak on their pizza, or mould on their KFC chicken.
Or the wedding party whose tailored outfits don’t fit and catered food that didn’t live up to the catalogue pictures.
Another common complaint is contractors who don’t finish jobs, or deliver substandard workmanship.
Once the money exchanges hands, they stop answering the phone.
They promise to come back and fix things, but don’t get around to it because they’re “busy with other projects”.
Like the story of the Blue Downs home owner who paid over R20 000 to have new windows and sliding doors installed, only for it to come unstuck.
And the guy who paid R150 000 to have a rock pool built in Simon’s Town, but five months later and the job still wasn’t complete.
There’s a lot of poor service in the public and private sector, among big corporates and small business alike.
The Daily Voice is here to fight for the consumer who has been given a raw deal, and to hold the service providers accountable.
(Disclaimer: This does not include spiteful people looking to name and shame businesses)
Contact us at dailyvoice@inl.co.za.
Yes, we dispense the usual sensible advice, like paying 50% at the start of the job and the rest upon completion.
And the obvious “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”.
We are also here to promote small and informal business in our communities – the backyard mechanic, the builder, caterer.
Many do deliver good service.
Yes, any business can also make mistakes. The key here is how you respond to complaints and callbacks.
Here’s some advice for you too: Don’t ignore the client, go missing or throw them out of your shop.
Good customer care means dealing effectively with after-sale complaints.
Give your client a fair deal and good customer care before they come running to the Daily Voice, please.
taariq.halim@inl.co.za