EDITOR – I write to you only because I have run out of all other options and hope that by perhaps publishing my complaint, or even better, by forwarding it to someone at the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) who actually has the capacity and competency to assist, that I might finally be able to obtain the service I paid for five months ago.
On September 20 last year I applied for the installation of two pre-paid electricity meters at a townhouse complex in Edenglen.
On that same day, I obtained clearance certificates to authorise the installation and paid in full for the meters and their installation.
I was told they should be installed in around six weeks, but no more than 10.
I heard nothing for eight weeks, so took time off work to physically enquire at the municipality.
A man in the office who did not bother with actually talking to me, simply pointed at a scruffy note stuck on the wall that said installation took eight to 10 weeks.
November 29 marked the end of 10 weeks, so I enquired again. Nobody could help me, but I was given two phone numbers.
Over the course of the following almost three months since then, I have taken time off work to enquire at their offices at least three times and have lost count of the number of times I have phoned, left messages on the EMM’s website and at the service desk.
Every time it is the same; I either cannot get hold of anyone because nobody answers the phones, or they are engaged or I am cut off as soon as soon as someone picks up the phone.
On the rare cases where I have been put through, I am told that they cannot help me because this person is sick, that person is on leave, out of the office, their cellular phone is off, the system is down, the contractor is not available and so on.
My last physical interaction with at the municipal offices was on February 4, again taking time off work, where I was promised the meters would be installed by February 7.
Not surprisingly, I never heard another word.
I do not know where else to turn to obtain the service I paid in full for, five months ago.
I have left two complaints with the service desk and in both cases, an e-mail was sent requesting that I be assisted, but I have still not had any feedback whatsoever.
DALE TOWERT,
EDENGLEN.
Letter received on February 26.
EDITOR’S COMMENT – The letter was sent to the brand management and communications department of the EMM for comment – the letter was sent on March 3 and comment was requested by March 7.
At the time of going to print, no comment was received.
