Reliance no more - is Anil Ambani listening ?. Review on Reliance Mobile Operator

Considering I've been spending my good time in Pune/India these days, I thought I'd write about one of my recent experiences with one of biggest Indians brands.

So the question is - why is the service quality offered by Indian Service Providers so horribly bad. Worse?

I recently applied for a reliance landline connection - considering state-owned BSNL was not really an option, and that Reliance Communications (erstwhile Reliance InfoComm) used to provide good services - I really had no choices.

What I didn't realize was how truly awfully bad experience I was going to have. That's after the sales person collects the cheque. First, it took a royal fortnight for my instruments to show up - against the promised 2 days. Next, the instruments (I’d ordered two for my office) were faulty and looked straight out of a second-hand garbage chute. As if this was not enough, I was booked into a different plan - and - the ISD services I had paid a princely sum for – was never covered under this new plan.&; A simple mistake that would cost muck, I was told. That very moment, Images of-liberalized India started flashing before me.

But this was the “new India” we were living in. The capitalist state – left notwithstanding. Where customer is the king.Or so I thought.

I realized I had the number of the salesperson who sold me the stuff in the first place. And someone called as a “key accounts manager” who was supposedly assigned to look into the complaints of us – the corporates – and rectify them in the breeze.

I still had hope.

So, I try to reach this salesperson – one Mr Manjeet Parmar - and guess what - well, he won't pick up the damn phone. On realizing I was being gamed, I try to reach his boss – our so called Key Accounts Manager - Mr Rajesh Wani. Shudders went down my spine when he told me he was in a meeting, and that he could do little to help me out.

It took a whole one hour for me to realize the irony of the situation. Customer being king and all that. Once I regained my consciousness, I tried calling up the lords of this company and their henchmen yet again.&; The calls went unanswered.

Classic.

So the next thing I do – I try reaching customer service on *333 or 3033 3333. After 30 disconnects and engage tone, I realize I'm up against pros. The customer service is obviously busy answering to a lot of happy customers, I guess.

Never mind, said my usual-optimistic self to me. I jumped into my car and drove to the nearest WebWorld. The"dhirubhai ambani ka sapna" shop - where dreams are sold, and messed up with.

Upon reaching the webworld,I realized I wasn't the smartest one around. Happy customers like me when up against a massive *333 decided to purse plan B – as myself.

Once the huge queue got sorted out – and I got an interview with the customer service rep – I got a chance to share my agony with my telecom masters. I was given a patient hearing, and upon careful examination of the facts, the rep decided no case could be made. Take it or leave it, I was told. Oh & btw – since we follow a strict policy of no-refunds, your money goes into Anil Ambani’s personal account, said the rep. Case dismissed.

So, I was condemned to live the rest of my life in the company of the two phones I was assigned to.

That was my story. When I turn to internet, I find a lot of disgruntled customers complaining against the heavy-handed customer service of the company. And I wonder – is Anil Ambani listening?

Does Anil Ambani has the slightest idea of the rot that has set in this company of his ? I wonder...