Airtel's Customer Service Department - how smart !

I wanted to change my broadband connection tariff plan. I called up Airtel Customer Service. As usual it gave an IVR menu and said, press 9 to talk to a customer service representative. After pressing 1, it says, "You will be charged 50 paise per minute for this service". I thought alright... then it just plays that crappy airtel music (the earlier Rehman's tune was slightly better) before it connects to human interface (remember the meter is ticking). It connected to someone, I explained the tariff I wanted to take, told my details like name, phone number etc. he said - may I put you on hold to pull the data from system...blah blah... and after "few minutes" he comes back, asks my alternate number and email (remember meter is ticking) takes my billing address, last mode of payment and says it will be effective from next billing address. My billing address is from 26th to 25th of a month and I said, make it effective from today (its 27th). Before I could even ask that guy cut the line. I checked my phone and it already cost me INR 5.5 (10.5 minutes of call duration).

The fun part starts now...

I called them again, said I was talking to one customer service representative and the line got cut, I want to ask him about the plan. Again... press 1 to speak to CSR and note, 50 paisa per minute charge...This new guy asks me again my phone number, name and asks me 'what is your alternate number and email' ? I was like...'dude.. your friend sitting right across to you just now pulled it up from system and asked me to confirm and I confirmed. So dont worry about it, just answer my question...", before I could ask the question the line gets cut again. INR 2 gone in the drain.

Is this a smart strategy of Airtel to pay for itself for the service department?

The right service attitude

I recently got an office provided Blackberry device that is from Vodafone. I had difficulty in the dial pad. I can make calls from a number that is already typed in (from an SMS or address book), but I can not dial a new number except for 0. This surprised me and intuitively sounded like some setting problem. I searched in the net for a quick result, but did not find the right answer immediately. Then I thought let me call the customer service of Vodafone specially for BB customers. Following is the discussion between the customer service representative and me.

CR: Good morning, this is ABCD, how can I help you?

Me: Good morning... I am XYZ from ABC. I got BB from you and for some reason, I am not able to dial numbers, but I can make a call from an existing number in the address book.

CR: Sorry, I did not understand your question. Can you repeat?

Me: I repeated.

CR: If you are not able to dial the number, then it is a handset problem.

Me: May not be, since I am able to make a call from the address book. Can you try to find if there is some setting that I can change?

CR: No sir...its a problem with your handset, try changing the SIM Card? (I was thinking to myself why the heck changing SIM will help if its a handset problem?)

Me: I will try, but are you sure that this is not a setting problem?

CR: Yes.

Knowing that he cant solve my problem, I thanked him and kept the phone down. I searched on the net a bit more and found the solution in BB support forum.

http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/BlackBerry-Storm-Series/Dial-Pad-can-t-dial-extensions-after-cal-is-placed/m-p/397550

The issue is with different language settings and once I changed the language it got alright.

The point is, what sort of mindset should customer service representatives have?

- After the call I have a feeling that CR does not know anything.

- He does not even try to solve my problem.

- He does not care to ask few more questions to isolate the problem.

- He does not even bother to really check what the problem is or even later give me a call if replacing SIM solved my problem.

Perhaps from CR's point of view, his thinking of customer (me) may be...

- What a non-sense guy, cant he understand if he is not able to type a number, it means its a problem with the handset?

- Why does not he try changing the handset?

- Why is not trying to listen to the solution that an expert (CR himself) is giving?

In my opinion no customer support team comes to work to say, today I will not help my customers. For few known/unknown reasons there is a gap between what is expected from customer and what is being delivered. It is quite essential to realize this gap from both points of view and try to reduce it.

For example, if we consider the above case, the mindset of the CR should be to really to "help" and check (by probably calling back the customer) if the problem is solved or not. For the customer, it is essential that he explores alternate channels and have a realistic expectation on what customer support can really solve.

Why I dont like Blackberry...

I recently switched from Android to Blackberry since I had to take a new connection from office. I really dont like this new device. I got BB Storm2 from Vodafone and here are few reasons why!

1. Android Apps Market UI is much better than BB App World Interface

2. My BB phone heats up a lot while charging.

3. My BB phone heats up while talking or sometime even while inside the holster.

4. The response time is pathetic to click on 'Unlock' and after clicking 'unlock'.

5. I have to charge every day.