BSNL
Frequent poor service

Dear Sir,

I am narrating my experience with BSNL, our national telecom service provider.

I got a connection in Indore in 2001. Since that time my journey with BSNL has not at all been satisfactory and happy. After getting frustrated with them for so many years, I am force to write this, as my tolerance limit is over. There were many occasions when the lines were not working.

In I took broad band connection from them and during the installation itself there were lot of problems of connectivity and speed. They were trying to blame it on my system that it is not OK. That, I should call any hardware engineer to see the problem. I had to call him paying his fees but nothing worked out. Then after lot of discussion, they brought their system and tried to connect net on it at my place. Still it was not working. Then they changed the cable and things were ok.

(Meaning- always try to blame other party & put him to unnecessary expenses and do not look for their problems, technologically poor knowledge, might is right because we are govt servant.)

After getting connection, there were numerous incidences of slow speed and no connectivity many many times. After frequent calls and visits to their office, the problem used to be attended, to reoccur after a short period.

Then I disconnected the broadband service from Nov to Oct. Again got connected in Oct. This time again during the course of connection, late in the evening, after they could not do it, they disconnected my telephone line also. Next day when they came to do the connection, I objected as why my tel line was disconnected during the effort for trying to connect the broadband. The SDO was not ready to accept my any argument and threatened me that, he will go without connecting the broadband connection. Then I also challenged him, that he should do this and face complaint from me to your seniors. Then he relented and made the connection.

(Meaning-Negligence about service, behaving arrogantly with the customer even if their mistake because of being a govt. employee.)

My landline instrument was malfunctioning every now and then, they were changing the same again with equally bad one. After lot of journeys to their office and meeting with area engineer who is normally unavailable, I got a new tel after 7yrs of connection, though it is policy to change the instrument with new one, if old one is not functioning properly.

(Meaning- Trouble the consumer to the max extent possible and make beg before them, though it is within their rights.)

The broadband connection was having the same old problem of poor connectivity and less speed, as a result of which my work was suffering and I had to download the site very frequently. This resulted into extra downloads during 2 months and I had to pay extra charges. Here also when contacting again and again visiting the office, nobody was ready to agree that such thing could happen. Some how I made the SDO visit my palce and see the thing for himself. He came but was not ready to accept it directly giving excuses of location of connection box, moisture, etc. I told him the box is lying there for the last two seasons and in our factory there hundred of instrument which were exposed to this type of atmosphere. Then he agreed.

(Meaning- for our fault we make consumer pay extra and never agree to facts, thereby making the problem linger and never think beyond the boundry wall.)

When I used to visit their main area office, we were made to wait unduely because somebody was doing hoemchat on tel, somebody was reading newspaper. My file for refund of rental discount for non functioning of tel/broadband was lying in the file heap of concerned clerk for 8 days but still she has not calculated the amount refundable. She was talking on tel for 15 mts to some of her relative/friend for 15 mts or so and made me wait without any urgency/seriouness about work on her face. After the conversation was over she said, her computer hard disk is crashed so she cannot calculate the amount of refund. After my somewhat displeasure she calculated the amount and said it will be adjusted in the next bill. When in the next bill also it was not adjusted, one of the staff seating in the office said, so what if it is not adjusted in this bill, it will be adjusted in the next bill. The reply was totally nonrepentant and non apologizing. Then I pointed out you have time for reading newspaper, but no time to do the work of the customer. Still no effect on him.

(Meaning- Extra job security and no accountability in terms of time bound working and output. It shows there is extra staffing in commercial deptt. And inadequate and improperly trained staf in technical.)

Again my tel got dead on 18/3/10 early morning and I regd a complaint on your system. No action till 20/3/10. Then I contacted asst engineer he said, it is because of road digging and it will take time. When I pointed out that Airtel cable is running parallel to your cable and it was made functional same day evening. He said donot talk about Airtel. I countered him why not talk, because their cable was also damaged in similar circumstances. Then he said he will see. Again no result next day. Then I was told by him, that he is transferred and I should contact SDO. When I contacted him, he also threw towards me a bunch of excuses for their inefficiency. There was lot of discussions. I had to tell him that you should not think customers are ignorant. I am a chartered engineer and worked in private enterprises of ltd companies under very demanding circumstances. I must see my tel working by 23/3/10. So ultimately by 2.30 pm my tel got working. And you know, where was the problem? The lineman attended it from the pole. So without diagnosing the problem properly, assuming something else I was made to suffer for 4-5 days. During this course also I had to spend Rs. 75/- per day for 4 days. And the mental agony for this and for the past period at this age of 63

(Meaning- Again same habit of giving excuses, treating customer to be the weak and fool.)

Looking into the above problems over a period of long time, it becomes very clear in what way this and other govt enterprises are working.

I hope the concerned governing officers will take this constructively and seriously and not like any other complaint. You can see the record of my complaints over a period. You will find yourself the page is full of my complaints registered. Still nobody bothers to look into the root of the problem and try to minimize the complaints. There is no system of analyzing and problem solving technicques it seems. It is rather well known and widely published in the media including international, the level of efficiency govt enterprises have.

Pranay Gadodia

B.S.Gadodia

Chartered Chemical Engineer

Tel 2799418

24/3

Company: BSNL
Country: India

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