1 post tagged “idiots”

I felt the full force of incompetent bureaucracy on Friday. I was a little late on paying the electricity bill and so I got a letter telling me to pay R1400 or they would come around and cut off the lights. Being the good citizen and quite liking my heater I coughed up the amount they were asking for and more. 
However, on Friday, a nice man arrives at my gate while I am at work to turn off the electricity. Calling the Jo'burg Connect call centre connects me to someone called Siyabonga who tells me that even though the first amount outstanding had been settled an additional amount had fallen into arrears and apparently they operate on a one strike and you're out principle. So they warn you once and if you fall into arrears again then you get cut off, because they have already warned you.
Now this happens on a Friday afternoon and I get told that the earliest I can be reconnected is Monday, even if I pay the amount outstanding immediately.
So I pay the money and am very stressed about having no power for the entire weekend.
A little later I call the contact centre again and speak to another lady who is much nicer who goes and checks that the fax confirming payment has been received and then puts me into the queue for reconnection and tells me that the teams work until 10pm and if they get to my number on the list that night then I will be reconnected.
Very different from the other fool who said that the teams get given a list of reconnections at 3PM and  anyone that pays on Friday only gets put onto the list on Monday.

So I go home and wait and before the winter sun sets the guys arrive and reconnect the power, apparently they work until 11pm and on Saturday.

Not only was I incorrectly disconnected but I also had to deal with an idiot that not only didn't know what he was talking about but gave me attitude as well. I just wish I could fire the municipality, but until they up the output on those solar panel I will just have to take my cold porridge and eat it lumps and all.

I am still formulating my letter of complaint to the mayor.