Hey all,
As of now, I am currently connected with TATA Indicom's wireless Internet service they provide through their FWT telephones in the WLL category. I pay Rs. 1,500 every month for an unlimited usage scheme, and they claim a maximum of 115 kbps speed.
Wel, when I bought the phone, and the connection, I started having problems (from Day One!) The kind of problems one would never expect from a company like TATA. I was a user of dial-up connections till last year, when I had to go abroad, when I came back, and we shifted houses, I thought I'd go in for WLL, and so I picked TATA, since they didn't ask for any deposit for the Internet facility or the hardware they are providing. Plus since am a net addict, spending most of my time, conducting most of my businesses online, I thought I'd go for this.
But Alas, It's been 20 days since I got the telephone installed, and 12 days since My Internet connectivity was activated, and in this span, I had to lodge almost 20 complaints to TATA Indicom. And complaining is such a task! their call centre is manned by just 30 people, and they have a subcriber base of 3 lakhs just in chennai, in addition to around 1.5 lakh more subscribers in the rest of TN. I can't imagine what's wrong with these people? 4.5 lakh customers supported by a 30 station Call Centre!!! Gross!!!
Once you get thru, your night mare has just begun! The people are totaly unqualified, they have an attitude problem, and they usually bungle up someway or the other!
I had problems with calls, which took 2 days to be rectified (partially), and then ...services I had subscribed for and not yet activated...God...I've had such gruesome Phone sessions with the Customer Care people that I decided to throw in the towel. Today I called them and asked them to take back the Phone and the connection!
As regards the Internet Connectivity, I found that the Connection is so so so inconsistent. I get sudden burts of peak connectivity speeds, 32 kbps, 48 kbps...16kbps, then....my connection goes dead...for about 5-10 minutes. All my efforts in connecting to websites in those high bursts go ''tapp'' when the connection just goes dead. And then I have to wait for the pages to load...all over again... and the wait is worse than the one I experienced 6 years back in a small town in kerala where I was doing my grads, using a dial-up!!!! God....Is this the service for which am shelling out 50 bucks a day????? No way!!!
And when the ''technician'' does turn up, he's someone who doesn't know the Internet Explorer from Word, and a shortcut from the real application. Can I trust my PC in their hands? NO way!!!
They also claim a certain ''dormancy'' feature. which means when your phone's connected to the Internet, and there's no data transfer, you can actualy make-receive voice calls! now thats' another thing they use to attract customers (31 features in one phone, they claim!!)
Even that doesnt work! My phone's never gone dormant! God knows it goes dormant when I wanna make calls!!!
Anyways, I am now good at MS Excel, cos I have recorded all the complaints I made to the Customer Care people in an Excel sheet, time, date, nature of complaint, action taken, ..the works, it's actually better than thier log sheet!!!!
The worst thing. wheni said I am a totally unsatisfied customer who's at his wits end now, and wants to return the ohone, they simply said, Okay Sir! Not an apology, no regrets!
This from TATA???
No Way!!!
You guys got what am trying to say!!!
If you're looking for wireless Internet, at leats in Chennai / TN, TATA Indicom is not the one!!! stay away from it!!!!
Truly, and sincerely with loads of regret!
Me
ADDENDUM - 23rd May 2004
I waited 2 days fo them to come and collect the phone. Then, as a continuation to my woes, I had another major complaint regarding the Internet Connection. It was just not getting connectted!!! SO I called Customer Care. Tried about a Hundred Times, But could not get thru to ''Customer? we give a damn!'' (Read Customer Care). SO reluctantly I called the City Office. And soehow, they patrched me to another number there. That, was the turning point!!! I still remember the time...Cos, I was shocked!!! It was 3:14pm on Friday, 21st May!
An angel of sorts spoke to me. The very first pleasant conversation! Not just pleasant, a reassuring one! An Officer in charge of new product promotion (and Internet service was one new product) received all my complaints, grudges... I poured out my woes, happy that I could finally reach someone responsible in TATA Indicom. That lady assured me that if she wasn unable to work any wonders by that evening, they would with regret (a word I thought didn't exist in the TATA Indicom family - sorry and regret!!!) accept my letter of cancellation, and compensate me in Full!!!
Within the hour, a technician, no less than the Senior Service Engineer arrived, with apology written all over his face. He sat with me for over 3 hours taht day. Found out that the problem was at their switch end. Came to knwo that it would be sorted within the night. I called back The Officeri spoke to, and told her that since you admit the problem is on your side, will I have some gurantee of rectification, plus any adjustments thereof because of lack of (quality of) service. She said she would do her best, and that (This was news!!!!!!!!!) they wouldn't want to lose a customer like me.
Finally, I dunno what they did, but my connection now works exceptionally fine! Guess all that banter to those people, and crying out hoarse over the phone, FINALLY paid off! Hope it lasts...Dun pinch me.... even if its a dream, I dun wanna wake up!!!
Yet another Addendum
So many trials and tribulations...all for just a measly fone...
I blew my top the other day, when someone called me and told me that my July ill has exceeded my ''credit limit'' of Rs. 2,800, and wouldi please make an interim payment to avoid disconnection..This is inspite of the fact that I hadn't received my June bill even...
I haven't yet received billing for internet usage yet...after 3 months!!!!!
The fone line's disconected..and am gonna settle this dispute in court only...
My Advice to anyone wishing to take TATA Indicom..Dun even Think about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
