Dear Alan Knott-Craig,

As much as your ‘inspirational and visionary’ (sic) letter to your staff may have increased brand awareness, decreased staff turnover, initiated radio interviews and so on, it sets a standard and a vision which your own organization cannot support.  So before you tell people not to pack for Perth, why don’t you put a bit of energy into understanding how your own organization contributes to the negativity that South Africans feel.

I have been having problems with ADSL and Telkom for an extended period – no surprises there.  In a huff I thought I might as well go to iBurst for ‘Instant Internet’.  After all for less than R300 per month why not have another bandwidth backup to complement my existing MTN data card backup mechanism?

A quick visit to iburst.co.za left me thinking that it didn’t seem all that instant, what with all the forms to fill in and whatnot.  Besides, I don’t have (or need) a printer, photocopier or fax machine – if it can’t be done via email and Internet it hardly seems worth the effort.

I work just up the road from the iBurst offices and since I would have to collect the modem anyway (delivery is not instant – obviously) I thought that I might as well go to iBurst and if there was a sales office there get my ‘Instant Internet’.  Not having a printer I downloaded three months’ bank statements from the Internet and copied them to a USB disk – if they really want hard copies they can print them out, and I always have my ID with me.

I couldn’t help thinking that this seemed a lot like a credit check, which may not be ‘instant’ and hardly seems worthwhile for a paltry R289 per month.  Why, I thought, can’t I just slap down the credit card and buy a 24 month subscription (not contract) up front, in cash?  Why not let my bank, who has already checked my credit worthiness, deal with collecting the R6,000 from me?

On arrival at the sales office at iBurst house, the not so helpful iBurst representative informed me (quite bluntly and without trying to understand my needs) that I needed a copy of my ID, three months’ bank statements and proof of residence.  The website lists the following requirements:

Individual Subscriber: 24 month contracts

It says nothing about a proof of residence.  Why do I need to give it to you?  Is it for FICA – how much money laundering can I do with R289 per month?  Is it for a credit check?   I don’t want credit from you, bill me in advance and cap my bandwidth - please.  With all this paperwork, back and forth for ‘Instant Internet’ where is the instant part?  At least Telkom, who are probably the worst in telecoms service do not require banks statements, proof of residence and DNA samples – they do it over the phone.  Vodacom SP (who you had some dealings with) would take a gold credit card as a credit check – produce the card and you have a contract... instantly.

So while you appeal publicly to your staff to cheer up and not pack for Perth, why don’t you fix the problems that you have control over to make the average South African’s life easier?  Why don’t you offer ‘Instant Internet’ as advertised and develop products that people want and need.  One reason why people are leaving is because they are fed up with degrading service levels, unhelpful staff and pointless processes – and your staff, management and executive are perpetuating that perception.  Never mind the cost and availability of bandwidth as a reason for leaving – something which I think you could influence.

What major economic cycle do you blame for your staff saying different things from your website?  More like mismanagement, bad communication and lack of leadership.  If you do consider yourself an Internet company, why are there forms to fill in – by hand!?  Why can I not go to your website, fill in my credit card details and get ‘Instant Internet’?  Come on Mr Knott-Craig, show a bit of the innovation that put Vodacom on the map.

Maybe you have, with your past successes become isolated from consumers.  I assume that you have a fancy house with a big generator in a secure estate, private schools, SUV’s and a PA to sit on hold for you at Telkom.  Perhaps it is those sorts of things that have numbed your understanding of why your staff are packing for Perth.  You are not a South African ‘business visionary’, you are a South African capitalist stuffing your Perth-bound Louis Vuitton luggage with as much cash as possible.

Simon Munro