Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Call center

My landline conked out yesterday. I've been trying to register my complaint for the past hour, its like banging your head against a brick wall.

First, I needed a number to call and register a complaint. The tel directory at office had the first twenty pages torn off, so tried the net. None of the bsnl sites I went to had any useful info. SMSed my brother at home and asked him to check the directory there. He came up with "Suffix 2198 to the first three digits of your telephone number and call that". I tried numerous combinations - 2 suffixed, 2 prefixed, without 2 and what have you. No dice.

Called 22355555 which is the general helpline. I found from them that the number to call is 1500. Dialled that, waded through numerous menu options till the voice asked me to wait, my call was being transfered to the complaints section. Next thing I hear is the tone you get when you dial an STD number that is not reachable. Called 22355555 again. The lady asked me to check another number, one with 1111 at the end. Again, no response. Tried without a 2 at the beginning. Got a reprimand for forgetting the 2. Tried with the 2. "Please check the number you have dialled".

Aaarggggh !!!

8 comments:

  1. Should I send you my letter to Mukesh Ambani, that you can forward to the BSNL dude? :)

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  2. hmmm... i enjoyed reading that letter. :-0
    -b-

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  3. haha there is a "rate the call centre" on the bangalore telecom webpage...
    should put in a script for automated very poor service rating :)...surprise surprise...the rating doesnt have anything below average
    there is a chat with callcentre though...
    and the bangalore telecom page has nothing about complains... only selling stuff
    the http://www.bangaloretelecom.com/bgtd_enq/enquiryhome.htm page enquiry by name when u put complaints gives a few numbers though

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  4. is that a TATA Indocomm one?? I had a similar problem, but was fixed pretty soon. Guess thats the advantage of pvt operators:)

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  5. It's BSNL. Yeah, private operators are supposedly better.

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  6. My aunt here in Mumbai faced a worse problem..Her MTNL line went dead..stayed dead for @ 5 weeks and a 5000 bucks bill came in by post. They said nothing doing. Pay up else we disconnect the line. My aunt reiterated that the line was dead and the guy at the counter went uh oh! then why do you want to pay. Relax..the line will come up by itself. Huh?

    Aunt came back..called the Tata Indicom guy and had a new line installed in like 5 hours flat. She gets to send free SMS too.

    So Go Go Go Pvt Telecom!

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  7. Maadhavoooo,

    Trust me...U r no better off with any of these private operators. There's an absolute lack of accountability and for the call centre guys, the word might mean nothing more than "I'am safe as long as the complainant doesn't call up again during my shift." Veenven is right. Letters to the top bosses do help...But then, it's a question of how many and how often??? BTW...Got a ping from Jayasankar..what does he call himself, the Grand-dad of Grandstanding!!!

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  8. I did face that problem in B'bay and had to go write a complaint at the local MTNL office. They didn't promise anything but one fine day, the phone started ringing!
    On second thoughts, if you recognise your local 'phone-waala'(Don't they come home for getting their Diwali baksheesh?), give him some 'chai-paani' and bet he'll get your line working pronto!
    Good luck!

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