Can’t stomach putrid service

I HAVE reached the end of my tether at the extremely shoddy service (to say the least) provided by the Voyager Companion booking department.

At noon I phoned Voyager, with the aim of making a companion booking. After being on hold for 30 minutes, I asked my secretary to fax Voyager explaining my frustration at the lack of response to my call – while still being on the phone. Another 15 minutes elapsed but again there was no response – at which point I put the phone down. Then at 2pm I tried again and, after waiting another hour, I hung up.

I made another attempt at 5.30pm and had to hang up after 40 minutes because of a lack of response. A further attempt was made at 7.10pm – to no avail after waiting for 25 minutes. A final attempt was made at 8pm and it was once more an exercise in futility, in spite of waiting for 30 minutes. All the while I had to listen to some boring music. In the end I had to abandon the entire exercise.

Voyager’s letter to me glibly mentions that the Companion ticket would be obtained by phoning 0860 003 145. I even tried the alternate number (011 978 1234), to no avail. What the Voyager team failed to state was the extreme frustration one has to face in order to attempt to speak to a consultant and that one may have to abandon the process due to a lack of response.

There is little doubt that, based on this terrible experience, the Voyager team epitomises incompetence, inefficiency and a shoddy work ethic.

At this juncture I am reviewing my Voyager credit card status because I find it difficult to stomach such putrid service as has been shown by the Voyager team on October 12. Mahomed AK Omar

Georgie: SAA was investigating the matter and promised to respond but comment hadn’t arrived in time for publication.