MTN spectacularly fails its customers during massive network outage
by Sure Kamhunga,
2016-02-18 05:48:43.0
MTN demonstrated on Monday how not to treat customers. Or, better put, how to mistreat customers. Well into Monday night, up to 1-million customers reportedly could not access, nor use, their data, which meant their smartphones were reduced to receiving and sending text messages, or making calls.
They could not send e-mail, communicate via WhatsApp or access social media or news sites. In short, customers were back to the stone age of mobile technology, when text messaging was the most modern way of communicating. MTN issued a brief statement of apology, promising that its engineers were working to restore services "ASAP".
That "ASAP" took more than 10 hours, leaving one to wonder whether whoever wrote that apology knew what he or she was promising, or if he or she had an idea of what was wrong with the network. It also raises the question whether there was constant communication and feedback between network engineers and the customer-facing department.
Ironically, oblivious to customer anger, someone on the MTN Twitter handle was glibly tweeting about some promotions to do with handset sales. The fact that MTN did not provide further regular updates, such as progress in resolving whatever was wrong, letting customers know exactly what was wrong and what was being done to resolve it, or further apologising for the inconvenience, demonstrated an insular approach to customer care and empathy.
This was the time for senior management to take charge of this crisis, and become the face of the company, interacting with customers and providing the media with relevant updates and commentary. Contrast this with First National Bank (FNB) when former CEO Michael Jordaan took charge of a crisis when the bank’s internet banking failed. He was on site, tweeting updates and constantly providing feedback to customers. That alone earned him and the bank respect, making customers momentarily forget about high bank charges.
FNB demonstrated that it had a crisis communication plan, which was activated the moment the bank flew into turbulence. Another example of constant feedback is the City of Johannesburg. The city has become an example to both private-and public-sector organisations on how to keep customers updated on water, traffic lights or electricity outages. It uses its social media presence, particularly Twitter, to maximum effect — often to the point of annoyance, but it works.
A big, listed corporate such as MTN should do better. It operates the second-largest mobile network in SA based on customer numbers, and has the means to communicate with customers, either via social media or text messaging. Why it took a back seat during the data outage is a mystery. Apologising for an inconvenience without providing material updates that give hope that something is being done, will not work.
MTN is expected to be a leader in customer service, show best practice and be seen to have empathy towards customers, many of whom are already complaining about high data charges and poor network performance in some areas.
Fed-up customers, when treated with a backhander like that, have choice, and that is to move to competitors. The best advocate for any brand is its customers, not what the brand says or promises to deliver. Customer experience is the lynchpin of any business, and MTN spectacularly failed to deliver on its promise.
One hopes that valuable lessons have been learnt. If not, it would be a sad day for such a leading continental and global brand to fail where it matters most.
Unfortunately, one cannot help but juxtapose the data outage experienced with MTN’s embarrassing woes in markets such as Nigeria, where tardy implementation of regulatory directives led to a record fine of $5.2bn, now reduced to a still contested $3.9bn.
While the problems experienced with its network in SA cannot be compared to, nor linked with, its troubles in Nigeria, it unfortunately creates a negative perception of a company that seems to have internal issues.
• Kamhunga is a public relations adviser
MTN's head office in Johannesburg. Picture: EPA/KIM LUDBROOK
MTN demonstrated on Monday how not to treat customers. Or, better put, how to mistreat customers. Well into Monday night, up to 1-million customers reportedly could not access, nor use, their data, which meant their smartphones were reduced to receiving and sending text messages, or making calls.
They could not send e-mail, communicate via WhatsApp or access social media or news sites. In short, customers were back to the stone age of mobile technology, when text messaging was the most modern way of communicating. MTN issued a brief statement of apology, promising that its engineers were working to restore services "ASAP".
That "ASAP" took more than 10 hours, leaving one to wonder whether whoever wrote that apology knew what he or she was promising, or if he or she had an idea of what was wrong with the network. It also raises the question whether there was constant communication and feedback between network engineers and the customer-facing department.
Ironically, oblivious to customer anger, someone on the MTN Twitter handle was glibly tweeting about some promotions to do with handset sales. The fact that MTN did not provide further regular updates, such as progress in resolving whatever was wrong, letting customers know exactly what was wrong and what was being done to resolve it, or further apologising for the inconvenience, demonstrated an insular approach to customer care and empathy.
This was the time for senior management to take charge of this crisis, and become the face of the company, interacting with customers and providing the media with relevant updates and commentary. Contrast this with First National Bank (FNB) when former CEO Michael Jordaan took charge of a crisis when the bank’s internet banking failed. He was on site, tweeting updates and constantly providing feedback to customers. That alone earned him and the bank respect, making customers momentarily forget about high bank charges.
FNB demonstrated that it had a crisis communication plan, which was activated the moment the bank flew into turbulence. Another example of constant feedback is the City of Johannesburg. The city has become an example to both private-and public-sector organisations on how to keep customers updated on water, traffic lights or electricity outages. It uses its social media presence, particularly Twitter, to maximum effect — often to the point of annoyance, but it works.
A big, listed corporate such as MTN should do better. It operates the second-largest mobile network in SA based on customer numbers, and has the means to communicate with customers, either via social media or text messaging. Why it took a back seat during the data outage is a mystery. Apologising for an inconvenience without providing material updates that give hope that something is being done, will not work.
MTN is expected to be a leader in customer service, show best practice and be seen to have empathy towards customers, many of whom are already complaining about high data charges and poor network performance in some areas.
Fed-up customers, when treated with a backhander like that, have choice, and that is to move to competitors. The best advocate for any brand is its customers, not what the brand says or promises to deliver. Customer experience is the lynchpin of any business, and MTN spectacularly failed to deliver on its promise.
One hopes that valuable lessons have been learnt. If not, it would be a sad day for such a leading continental and global brand to fail where it matters most.
Unfortunately, one cannot help but juxtapose the data outage experienced with MTN’s embarrassing woes in markets such as Nigeria, where tardy implementation of regulatory directives led to a record fine of $5.2bn, now reduced to a still contested $3.9bn.
While the problems experienced with its network in SA cannot be compared to, nor linked with, its troubles in Nigeria, it unfortunately creates a negative perception of a company that seems to have internal issues.
• Kamhunga is a public relations adviser
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