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CUSTOMER CARE: REALLY CARING ABOUT CUSTOMERS?

For a long time, I was thinking about coming back to blogosphere. For last couple of weeks, everyday, I include blogging as part of my daily agenda, and I never get to do it. I don’t know what kept me from coming back. Sometimes I was busy with some work, sometimes I didn’t feel like writing at all, some times, I didn’t find any subject to write about. Today morning also I decided I will write something for sure, but I was totally clueless about what until some thing happened.

I have a BSNL broadband connection (I hope most of you people know about my fights to be a BSNL broadband consumer) and it’s a 256Kbps plan. I have been thinking about changing to a 512Kbps plan. For that I needed information on how it has to be done. After a lot of thinking about whether to call the BSNL customer care, I decided to go for it. I dialed the number and here is what happened.

I was amazed that some one picked up in the first ring itself. But the worse was about to come.

Cust Care: Hello, My name is Bob, how may I assist you?
Me: Hi, My name is John Smith. I am a BSNL Broadband customer. My phone number is xxxxxx.
Cust Care: Where are you calling from?
Me: Bangalore.
Cust Care: Please hold on for a second sir. Click!

I don’t understand what they have to check when I said I am from Bangalore. Some music started playing in the background. It went on for around 3 minutes. I got angry and cut the call and tried again. After 3 tries, I got connected again.

Cust Care: Good Morning, my name is Alice. Sir your complaint is registered. Can you repeat the complaint number?
Me: What complaint? I have never registered a complaint.
Cust Care: Oh! You have not registered? Then please tell me the complaint sir, I will register it for you.
Me: I don’t have a complaint, I just need some information. I am an existing BSNL broadband customer.
Cust Care: Ok. Please tell me your name sir.
Me: John Smith
Cust Care: Where are you calling from?
Me: Bangalore, please don’t cut.
Cust Care: What is the model of your modem sir?
Me: See Miss, I don’t have a complaint; I need some information about tariffs.
Cust Care: Tell me sir, what do you want to know?
Me: My current plan is 256Kbps. I want to change it to 512Kbps plan. How can I do it?
Cust Care: You can give a written request at your exchange that you want to change it.
Me: Do I have to give it in the exchange or the customer service centre? ‘Cos that’s where I gave my initial application.
Cust Care: You can give it there also sir.
Me: How long will it take?
Cust Care: It will take one month sir, now that this month is over, if you give request, it will be changed by next month.
Me: But today is 31st only?
Cust Care: Ah, yes sir. So if you give it today, you’ll get it tomorrow, or else the next month.
Me: uh!?
Cust Care: No sir, now that the updations have been over and it may take another month.
Me: uh! Are you sure?
Cust Care: Thank you for calling us sir, have a nice day.
Me: Waaaaaaaaait! I am not finished.
Cust Care: Click!

And that’s it. The call was over. I wonder whether they are caring for the customer or some one else? I don’t know how I can explain my feeling at that time. I felt like being slapped on my face again and again besides being paying them every month and coping up with the lame replies from them when ever I call them for any support or the outages. I wonder what can be done about it. 