Harish Palaniappan's

Having got no options to fix my broadband connection.. because its being serviced by some people with bad/no attitude.. I wrote a letter to

Head, Customer Service,
Tata indicom broadband..

Hoping things to be better in the future..

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To
Head, Customer Service,
VSNL

I am Harish Palaniappan, a customer of tata indicom broadband.

I have been using the tata indicom broadband service for the past 1 year.
In recent weeks there has been too many service issues with the service, and especially customer service.

After everything I have seen with your service, I am left to only hope that you will be bothered about my plight of continuing to be a tata indicom customer still,.. and you will read the mail below.

I have always had problems with the broadband service.. not just past weeks.. and if you would look for complaint records under my login
******** login: harry950 a_t eth.net ******** you will find many ways to improve your infrastructure, and overall service.

And things have only worsened in the past 2 weeks.
For the past 2 weeks the internet connection has not been stable.
Its like i try connecting and then find out whether the connection will go through .. and if it connects... hurrrray.. my broadband works so i will check email and start my work.

... And if it doesn't connect, i call up the customer service number to hear these "Your estimated wait time is more than 12 mins.. we recommend you call back later".. [ disconnects ]

I try calling a local hub number (valasarawakkam hub services my connection.. phone no: 64506002)
The guys in the hub dont' pick up the call. [ not of use ]

Not having any other options..
.. try customer service call center again.. and again.. and again.. and wait on a hold tone.

Interestingly the hold tone has loud loud advertisement messages telling you about offers and stuff.. which irritate you more than helping to cool you down when you are calling up to complain on a problem. Atleast... they can disable ads in hold tones if the user selects menu choices indicating he wants to place a complaint.

And after all this waiting on an irritating hold tone .. when your call connects.. the executive starts talking, and most executives stupidly start saying "the same sentences" in the same order without understanding or listening what the customer has to say. or better off, they ask the customer to repeat the whole thing, even about old complaints. Atleast... they can first read the history of complaints that the user has placed, know the status of these complaints, and then talk sensibly to the customer.. rather than asking "have you got a router or a modem? (this should be there in the records)... "have you connected the usb cable to the computer? (if customer is enquiring on a previous complaint.. then troubleshooting steps and sentences only irritate)... and so on.

Not of help.. and wasting almost 30 mins to 3 hrs of time for placing a complaint with customer service call centre in hyderabad.. [ not of help.. lose hope.. disconnect ]

I go have a cup of coffee to release my stress.. some newspapers then... i remember theres work to do on a project.. and i have to be online..

I call back the local hub number.. again.. again.. again.. and finally,
a guy picks up.. and listens to me saying that "i dont have a link.. or even if its there i get error "server time out: server did not respond to verification request".. (meaning simply that the server is down) ... and then,
the guy says.. "yea.. we just restarted the system .. since last week we have had power problems.. and stuff.. so we restart it or disconnect the server and troubleshoot"..
I say.. "what the heck, its not your home computer to restart at your will. .. I am dependent on the server for my broadband connection, and a broadband connection is something that HAS TO BE 'ON' 24 by 7"

And then he said.. the most worst service statement of all.. the most insulting statement of all.

He says: "Sir.. now and then all these things happen.. you can't complain for this".

He means.. the broadband service will work when he wants it to work.. and i have to be happy with that unreliable service. Typical government office employee-like answer that was.

I feel so bad and curse myself often for being a paid subscriber.. for such a service provider.

After all the disappointing embarrasments i have faced using your broadband service, I hope below items will be taken care.
I beg, dont treat future customers in the way. Thanks.

1.
valasarawakkam hub engineer 'sivaraj' needs to be adviced of what broadband service is and why it has to be 24x7. what 24x7 means.. and how to listen and respond to customers

2.
I hope in future .. all the customer-meet points, the customer service executives, service engineers like sivaraj.. etc., understand this (seriously): "HAS TO BE 'ON' 24 by 7"

3.
I also hope all customer-meet points.. behave..
> by not disconnecting a call knowing that customer is calling,
> by not laughing with collegues saying.. "hey this customer cant take 30 mins of disconnection it seems..as if he is bill gates.. ha ha" .. customers are not so funny
> by listening to customers on a call, then take time thinking., and then respond....
> by not blabbering away written down sentences on the phone, to make it obvious that.. I am talking to an "Indian" call-center executive.

Thanks & Regards,
Harish,

Update 6 sept 2007
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Though I have had a restless, unstable connection before, I would like to mention here that ever since I posted the above, and until now, Tata Indicom Broadband has improved its infrastructure, customer services, and importantly its people attitude.

I have so far registered and used two connections for 2 years now, one at office and another here at home, both tata indicom's, and I should say, I am happy (if not extremely happy) about their service.

I am enquired about the connection very often by friends who seem to still have a lot of issues with finding better service with other broadband providers like BSNL and AIRTEL... both Airtel and Bsnl, I am told, take a lot of time (sometimes even 2 weeks) to respond to complaints. To them: "Thanks for keeping never allowing the indian attitude to service change guys..". To my friends, I always have recommended to shift to Tata Indicom broadband...best that is possible today.

Why am I making this update?
Today (almost after an year of this post), some guys called up from Tata indicom to enquire whether I had any problems still .. and mentioned that they got to know from this blog. Though late (blame it on my blog's popularity), I liked that gesture of theirs, and so I am reciprocating.

But I will never be happy with all these broadband service providers including Tata's, unless they do it really professional.

Delivery of broadband services - is where the quality of the service lies - understand, grow up.
Regarding the delivery of their service... running wires through trees, posts, all along many kilometers from the hub to the delivery point, is probably the best that these guys with their IQ are able to think of...and is the worst solution...
... being in this big business, raking so much money, pushing so many many ADs, and importantly even being the Tata's, I only hope somebody someday spends 2 minutes to innovate a better delivery model.. may be wireless like mobile phone technology.

Will they grow up.. or Will they still live to the old "indian" attitude...??