Safaricom Dissapoints Customers on Its 19th Birthday

Leading telecommunications company Safaricom is celebrating its 19th birthday this week.

Subscribers have already enjoyed ‘goods’ from the company but according to Safaricom, the free airtime and data bundles were not the gift to subscribers. In a message to all its subscribers, the telco said that each of its customers can hear directly from the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Joseph.

Safaricom customers are to call 133 in order to hear directly from Michael Joseph. However, the telco’s approach to this offer is quite wanting to say the least. Customers called the number hoping that it will be the only chance to have a chat with the CEO.

On calling the number, there is no chance of directly talking to the CEO as all the customer gets is an audio speech by the Safaricom boss. Even though Safaricom is a multi-billion company, the quality of the audio does not match the customer’s expectations.

“Thank you so much for being our customer and for your continued support. As we mark our 19th birthday this week, I’ll like to re-affirm our commitment to serve you better and to make Safaricom better,” Michael Joseph says in the audio.

It is fair to say that the ‘Mteja’ audio by Maggie Wazome is way better than the recorded speech by Safaricom CEO. The mteja audio does not bring good news but Wazome’s voice makes up for it. This is not the case for Michael Joseph’s audio.

In introducing the line to hear from the CEO, Safaricom was targetting to show customers that the company is simple, transparent and honest. Obviously, the company couldn’t create a line to have customers call Michael directly but the audio idea has not been received well by consumers.

The audio from the CEO lacks a conversational toe that would engage the listener. As much as it is impossible for the telco to provide a line to call the CEO, the audio could possess a conversational tone rather than a plain speech that it is.

However, Safaricom’s customers have paid little attention to the number the telco gave them to listen to the CEO. Quite a number of these consumers were swimming in millions worth of free airtime and data bundles that they got thanks to a technical glitch at the company.

The company also introduced new No Expiry airtime and data bundles. The introduction of this service provided the glitch that saw the telco lose billions as consumers acquired the airtime and data bundles without paying a single cent.

It was the second time that Safaricom’s customers benefited from the company’s technical glitch.

editor [at] businesstoday.co.ke