Impossible to assimilate

It's been an otherwise kind of a day. Strange weather and stranger people.
I am trying to sort out a telephone problem with Telkom (who else) for a friend who is unable to grasp the situation and is basically housebound. In October last year, Telkom phoned him to say he was getting a new wi-fi phone. He just accepted that and they duly installed it. It has a tiny leaflet on how to operate it and has a SIM card which was put in for him. He says he had a few phone calls, but I can't be sure of that, and then nothing - no ringtone or incoming calls. Also no phone bill. I studied the leaflet and couldn't get it to turn on, except for a brief lighting up of the screen showing a fully charged battery. I checked the SIM card, which was in place. I said I would take his information and try to sort it out with Telkom. He just wants his old landline phone back.
I approached the woman at the desk - there was nobody else in the shop - and told her the story. She said I should have turned the phone on - you know, press the red button like they have on cellphones - and I should also check that the SIM card is put in correctly. I assured her that the basics had been dealt with but it didn't work. She then said that I should report it. I said that was what I was doing, and could she check that he was connected as he hadn't paid a bill since October and definitely didn't know how to get airtime. I asked her how it worked on airtime but she wasn't able to explain anything. I again suggested someone check the line and she told me they were offline, but that I could phone someone and ask them to. I cheekily suggested that maybe as I was there at the Telkom office talking to her, she might make the call. No, they were offline and nobody could do anything. But I must bring the phone in so they can look at it.
By this time, I was so befuddled by our interaction that I couldn't make head or tail of what had been said or accomplished. I left with severe reservations about everything and could barely pick out a pear from the fruit section at Pick n Pay, such was my utter flabbergastedness. And I fear this is just the tip of the iceberg. I have attempted to contact several important government institutions with even less success in communication. And loadshedding looms. And I haven't even touched on the response to an email I sent.