instead of a BlackBerry! Woe is me, I have made every effort to avoid dealing with Maroc Telecom since spring, 2007. When we introduced live webcasting to our Rick's Cafe website it was necessary to up our broadband capacity to 20MB. There is one division of Maroc Telecom that is excellent - marketing. Unfortunately the infrastructure, engineering and technical side lag far behind actually backing up the marketing hype. We didn't know that at first, thus, when our 20MB never exceeded 5, and averages 3, we approached the problem as something that could be remedied. After several months, technicians visiting so often they were on first name basis with our front office staff, rerouting of the line, even headquarters in Rabat weighing in, nothing changed and we waived the white flag and accepted the status quo. I was a stronger, wiser person when I decided to get a BlackBerry. A call to a 3-digit number gave me the range of models and prices, and I was told I could order it though our commercial agency. Last Monday I set out with the driver at 12:30, everyone assured me that the agency had continuous hours. Not exactly, they were closed, but one of the glass doors didn't work so there was a harried sales agent rudely telling people to come back at 2:30. I asked her to please just tell me they were equipped to help me order a BlackBerry if I came back - she said yes. Returning at 3pm I saw two agents working, clients standing at their counters, but nothing seemed to be happening. I asked one why the service number machine wasn't operating, he said because the network was down and nothing could be processed. I told him I wanted to place an order, he said he could put it in the system and they'd activate it when the network came back up...but when I told him it was for a BlackBerry he said it must be ordered through an "Agence Enterprise" - special sales office for companies - and he gave me two locations. I went to the closest. Sitting down at one of the desks I waited until the agent finished with her client and then explained my mission. She left her post and went to check somewhere in the back, came back and said I should wait for a "commercial agent." After waiting 15 minutes I asked if the agent was still with a client, she replied, "Yes, but she's on her way back." Only then did she tell me the woman wasn't even in the building. I asked her to please call to see how much longer it would be (it was 4:45 by now). Instead she wrote out the woman's mobile number and handed it to me. I waited another 15 minutes and asked her to please call her, Mme Marrakchi, she sighed, called and Mme Marrakchi said she's right outside. I was ushered right into her office, but then had to listen as she called another man in to yell at him, berating him for something, the only non-Arabic word I discerned was "BlackBerry." I suspect she was sent to a big company, thinking it was something very important, and all they wanted was to order a BlackBerry. That didn't make her too receptive to me, but at least I'd come to her! She was very businesslike, took all my information, informed me of the best plan and then ticked off the documents I needed to bring the next day to effect the order. We set the time - 5pm. Tuesday I was there promptly at 5pm with the papers. She was still "helping" someone else, a young man with a new phone, not BlackBerry. She left him and was gone several minutes. While gone her mobile rang several times, a ring tone of an Arabic religious song, and vibrating at the same time. I asked him if he knew what she'd left to do - he shrugged. It was then I focused on the screensaver of the computer facing me on her desk: MAROC TELECOM - A new world calls you: *Respect for agreements * Satisfaction of clients * Culture of quality * Spirit of teamwork * Ethics * Respect for the environment. She eventually came back, took a phone call, finished up with the young man, and it was my turn. 5:30. My dossier was all in order and she said the phone would be in the next day or the day after - that being Wednesday or Thursday of last week. She had my number and would call me. I waited until late in the day Thursday to call her. She was not pleased, and said she would call me when it arrived. "But you said yesterday or today..." It was no use. Undaunted, I let Friday go, but called Monday afternoon. This time she was mad! She said I could go to another Agence and start all over again. I explained I had no intention of doing that, but simply wanted to verify if the phones were actually in stock in Morocco, and what was a realistic time to expect it. She used what must be their standard response for cutting off any further attempts to get a clear or transparent answer: "they're at Customs." |
