A minute is a curious length of time.
It can feel like an eternity when you're waiting for your crush to reply to a message. A minute seems a lifetime when you're 29 minutes into that half-hour run, when you're eagerly anticipating the end of a tiring day at work, when you're waiting for the traffic light to change, or holding the line for the next available operator.
On the other end of the spectrum, a minute just seems to fly by when you're on a rollercoaster, in great company, when you're eating a delicious meal, watching a gorgeous sunset, or when you're embracing someone you love.
According to stats from 2012, the average South African will live just 56 years. That amounts to 29 433 600 minutes. Which may seem like quite a big number but when you simplify an entire lifetime down to 29 433 600 single minutes I actually think it seems like a rather small amount of time.
Why am I contemplating the worth of a minute?
Well, I was recently given a free minute. From Vodacom.
You see, I happen to live in a suburb where cellphone reception is a rarity. In fact, I consider moments when I am actually able to use my smart device to make and receive calls to be quite the anomaly.
The second I walk into the cellular connectivity Bermuda Triangle that I call home, any semblance of signal that I may have had seems to magically disappear. I feel inclined to point out that I live in Cape Town's southern suburbs. Positioned on the gentle slopes of Table Mountain, my leafy area lies a mere 10km from the CT City bowl. So basically, I'm not out in the sticks where one would generally be more forgiving of unreliable reception.
As such, I find it hard to understand how I've found myself in this signal black hole. In fact, can I just go ahead and say that it seems pretty ridiculous to me that poor reception and dropped calls are still something that anyone, regardless of location, has to deal with. And something that networks have to explain and compensate their users for.
It was this belief that left me bemused upon receiving my free minute. The value of which is roughly R0.79.
"We've noticed that you've had some dropped calls. As SA's best network, we've given you one free VC-to-VC minute to use anytime tomorrow. T&Cs apply," the text message informing me about my free minute read.
The telco's generosity is part of its "Dropped Call Compensation" campaign, which sees Vodacom customers being gifted a voice bundle when their calls are terminated abnormally. The minutes allotted to each person are equal to the number of dropped voice calls experienced on the Vodacom network from your Vodacom number to another Vodacom number. But you should know there's a cap of 10 free minutes per day. And it doesn't mean that they accept any liability for dropped calls.
It seems pretty ridiculous to me that poor reception and dropped calls are still something that anyone, regardless of location, has to deal with.
Don't get me wrong, I like free stuff as much as the next guy but what use is a single minute when I can't actually make a call in the first place? And to give someone just one minute? To be used on someone else's terms? Really?
The whole thing made me think of those signs that traffic departments put up warning drivers about potholes. It's always amused me that the people in charge of road maintenance opt to erect a sign warning people about the poor quality of the road rather than just fixing the problem. The old Band Aid on a bullet wound situation.
But I'm a glass half full kind of gal so I decided to use my "mahala minute" to give my mom a call. She lives in a different city so I figured it'd be a good opportunity to touch base with her. I made this call very aware of just how much of a mother-daughter catch-up I'd be getting on Vodacom's dime.
The call went a little something like this:
"Hi mom."
"Hi Jo, how are you?"
"I'm well, how are you doing?" (12 seconds)
"I'm fine."
"I'm actually phoning you to use up the free minute Vodacom gave me because I never have signal at my house and always have so many dropped calls." (23 seconds)
"What, why would they give you one free minute?"
And that's where it all went south. I spent the rest of my free minute explaining my free minute to my mother. In fact, I spent several more minutes after that free minute further discussing the free minute with her. In hindsight, I realise that my strategy was a little flawed. Alas.
But at least now I know just how much quality convo Vodacom's new Dropped Call Compensation can afford its users.
As to what I plan to do with my R0.79 saving, stay tuned.
Share