Safaricom launched today what they billed as “end of the month offer” but it turning out to be End of The Month Chaos at most retail centres. It was a wise idea to sell the old stock at half or upto 80% cheaper but it ws wrong to do that without preparations at all.

I started my journey from Buru Buru centre and asked for Blackberry 8900 and HTC Touch HD both which were available but the Supervisor at the centre, a Ms Susan, told me that Buru Buru is a new shop and was not under the promotion.

I asked them to see which retail centres had any of the two and they were cagey.

I left the shop and moved to Moi Avenue whose line stretched past Kenya Cinema doors. They had only 10 or 20 pieces of each phone. I couldnt get what I wanted. I asked why the other advertised phones were not there and I was promised that we will get them tomorrow (Saturday) morning. I called Safaricom retail centres HQ and spoke to a Ms Patricia. She said that it was a clearance sale and depended on stock availeability. She couldnt explain why the phones will be available next day if it was a stock clearance. The retail centres should have been fully stocked so that we dont get such a dissappointment.

A friend I just met in his office told me that he got his phone by calling someone working at Safaricom  HQs who was able to deliver him his phone.

And what is wrong with Safaricom management? They are never at their desks. All their phones ring until they are transfered to the voicemail.