No care at Ekurhuleni’s customer centre – Residents say

The lack of customer care service continues to affect residents daily.

Primrose residents were left frustrated and powerless as the customer care centre in Germiston failed to assist with a power issue for four weeks.

Two households have been without electricity for nearly a month, with no clear resolution in sight.

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“We have logged a call and received a reference number, but after two days the call gets closed without the matter being resolved.

“We then come here to explain what is happening, but we are not given answers or reasons why the call is closed even though the issue remains unresolved,” said Ian Venter.

An investigation by Germiston City News visited the centre with the residents to investigate what really happens when residents request assistance.

The centre’s operations revealed a shocking level of neglect, inefficiency, and disinterest from staff members.

“Upon visiting the facility to observe service delivery, I noted that employees showed little to no urgency in assisting residents. Instead of offering solutions, many staff members appeared disengaged, ignoring complaints or offering vague reassurances without action. Only three staff members were assisting residents,” said journalist Busi Vilakazi.

According to residents, they have been making repeated visits to the centre to get the matter resolved, but with no success.

“We have been without power for weeks, and every time we come here, they say they will send a technician out, but nothing happens.

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“We are losing food and living in complete discomfort, but no one seems to care. We have to take cold baths and we have children. It’s not fair,” said Venter.

The visit by the newspaper did not go unnoticed by the employees. Staff members displayed a sudden shift in attitude when they realized they were being watched.

However, this change was short-lived, as normal operations quickly returned to their inefficient state once the journalists left the premises.

The lack of accountability and urgency has left residents calling for immediate intervention from higher authorities.

“The city needs to step in. This is not just about inconvenience; this is about people’s livelihoods and well-being.

“Residents can’t be constantly complaining about the same issue with no action being taken,” said Vilakazi.

The newspaper spoke with Sivuyile Ngodwana, MMC for Corporate Shared Services, regarding the issue of customer care centres failing to serve residents. The MMC acknowledged that there is a crisis in the centres.

“We have noted that training is needed for staff members in terms of customer service.

“We have seen staff members showing a lack of interest in their work, and the city is working on correcting the matter,” said Ngodwana.