It has been 4 years since me and my wife are using the Airtel Prepaid Connection.
Considering the better offers on Airtek to Airtel calling we recommended the same to our other family member as well.
However past 4 years is a journey of Pathetic Service, Clueless Customer Care Executives, levying of charges for services not subscribed, etc.
It has happened atleast 10 times with us, that a particular VAS is activated like Spicy Jokes, Cricket Alerts, Daily Internet Plan, etc. It is atleast manageable for someone like me to speak to the customer care (who responds in a manner that default activation from Airtel is not their lookout and we need to understand them) and get it reversed. Think of someone who is 60 years old and handles mobile since it is conveneint to speak to his son / daughter. Older member fail to even notice the deducation in balance and it is highly impossible for them to speak to customer care and get the things reversed, resulting in loosing out on hard earned penny. Also imagine the pain I need to undergo to get reversed Rs. 5 - 10 deducation after holding for long time and making the customer care executives understand who are in their own world. The question isnt about Rs.5 - 10 but why do we suffer for Airtel's technical difficulties?
In between there came a SMS pack which offered free SMS'es. We recharged with specified denomination and started using it. When I got to know that despite activating the pack my balance is getting deducted per sms, I called up the customer care. I got all possible answers - Switch off the phone and switch on after sometime, It will be activated by Evening, It will be activated in 2 / 4 / 24 Hours. At one point of time it was activated after 8 - 10 days. Reasons best known to Airtel itself.
Last week I recharged in the Morning and evening when I saw the service reply my entire balance was eaten up. To check out on the same I called customer care. Now customer care were able to view a different Number instead of mine. When I gave the correct number he told me to switch off and switch on after sometime. Imagine my SIM Card being activated with a Different Number inspite of mine. I called up few others to check what that number was and indeed my SIM was automatically Displaying Another Mobile Number. The same problem occurred next day. Reasons when enquired, were in general and no constructive answer given.
Last week all of a sudden Me and my Wife's outgoing was blocked stating that it was a Government of India Directive and that we needed to submit the Documents. Being a Banker I can undestand the importance of KYC in the current scenario.
However I would like to know what happened to our Documents submitted earlier?
Whats the assurance that they are in safe hands, since now we are asked to resubmit the documents again?
Still if its a government decision to resubmit the documents, why can't Airtel before blocking the outgoing call the customer and inform about the same?
Even if wee do resubmit the documents is Airtel going to give acknowledgement of documents accepted so that in future we have a record with us?
My wife called up Customer care and made a fair attempt to tell that we had submitted documents at the time of purchasing the SIM. But she was told to resubmit the same again with plain reply that its a Govt order.
Strangely the next day our outgoing started (we didn't even provide any documebnts) and again after 3 days my Wife's outgoing was blocked for same reasons.
Since we both are working and Sunday is the only weekly off, we decided to go on Sunday. To our surprise all Airtel Relationship Centre's were closed on Sunday.
I know this issue happening to my friends having a Vodafone Connection. At that time, Vodafone kept the stores open till 12 midnight. Atleast they are lending a helping hand to customers painful agony.
Here look at the Approach from Airtel.
When we passed on the form throgh our family member the same was returned stating the photo was too small pasted on the form.
Let me tell you that the space provided for Photograph is small only and we pasted what was manageable in that photo space.
However the same was denied by Relationship Centre and now we again need to resubmit the same.
Lets see what we have more in store.
I feel writing about call drops, Network issues will be a waste of ink as Company feels it is the basic right since they provide the service to us.
The DND aspect has been violated by Airtel Callers only who call and offer better Post paid plans.
I am sure that there are many like us who suffer but aren't able to write / complain as we hardly get time in our daily routine and this is exactly what works in favour of such companies.
Since I do not wish to change the Mobile Number, I am holding on. With Number portability perhaps we can look ahead and subscribe to other service providers, but even then am not sure if others will be able to better this as everyone is in the rat race to acquire customers and increase profitability with little or no attention paid to areas listed above.
We together look forward to some kind of assistance from your side so as to make our pain reach the right person and it benefits to everyone in the society availing the services.
Thanks and Regards,
Abhishek Vaidya
9860481476
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