Dear Gautrain Customer Service,
Good day.
I trust you are well.
I am writing to formally lodge a serious complaint regarding the unprofessional, disrespectful, and emotionally distressing conduct of one of your employees at Midrand Gautrain Station.
As I was about to purchase a student monthly trip at the teller, a short Black male employee wearing black spectacles and a jersey, without a visible name tag, approached me without greeting and asked for my age. After I answered, he raised his voice and stated that I should not be in possession of a Gautrain student card because of my age.
I explained that I had applied for the Gautrain student card through your official online system, and it was approved. I followed all Gautrain procedures and presented myself at Midrand Station with my ID to collect the card. Despite this, he continued to speak to me in a rude, aggressive, and disrespectful manner and stated that he was "fighting for people under 25 not to use the cards."
I clarified that I did not authorize or approve the card myself, and therefore, I should not be blamed for an approval granted by Gautrain’s own system. He then threatened to deactivate my card immediately, even though it had money loaded on it. When I expressed concern about losing my money, he dismissed it as "just R88," showing no regard or empathy for me as a customer.
His conduct was humiliating, emotionally distressing, and completely unacceptable. He shouted at me in front of other passengers, treating me as though I had done something wrong, when in fact I had complied fully with Gautrain’s official processes.
This incident raises serious concerns about Gautrain’s internal controls, staff training, and hiring standards. Employees who interact with the public must demonstrate professionalism, respect, and emotional intelligence. Customers should not be subjected to intimidation, humiliation, or aggressive behavior due to internal system or policy issues. It is deeply concerning that Gautrain employs individuals in customer-facing roles who lack the emotional intelligence and professionalism required to treat customers with dignity and respect.
If eligibility requirements exist, they must be enforced during the application and approval stage—not through public confrontation, intimidation, or threats toward customers who acted in good faith.
Please note that if this matter is not addressed appropriately and professionally, I will escalate this complaint to Bombela Concession Company and the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport.
I expect Gautrain to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves, the same way their employee fully disrespected me, shouted at me, and drew embarrassing attention to me publicly.
No customer deserves to be humiliated, disrespected, or emotionally distressed for following Gautrain’s official procedures.
Kind regards,
Phuti Wendy Setsiba
0 comments