B.A.D. is not the word!. Review on Shaadi

Shaadi.com's offline venture, Shaadi Point, is so hopeless that even the word 'hopeless' would feel outraged to be associated with it. I have been a victim of deficiency in service after the HSR Layout branch of Shaadi Point closed down early this year. Though my account was to expire only four months later but never got the service for it. After repeated attempts by my father and me, one girl by name Bhawana sent 16 proposals to us, without pausing to think whether they match the criteria set by us with Shaadi Point. So all the 16 were of no use.

And then, I got repeated calls from one Jyoti from Shaadi Point to come to their office (which was in another part of town) and take a look at the biodatas and photos to expedite the process of matchmaking. I thought they were making up for it by giving us a fresh list that is more tailored to our needs. But only later, Jyoti tells me that she was unaware of the history and had only made a sales call (which means, enticing me to come to the centre, choose the profiles I want and then ask for money before she gives the details). I was pained to know that the time I set aside to go searching for the Shaadi Point office in Banashankari had gone in vain.

I had even forgiven Shaadi Point for their lapse in service becasue of Bhawana's initiative (even if none of the proposals weren't what we were looking for). But now again, I was forced to be angry with this rank unprofessional conduct.

When I spoke to Jyoti and put my problem on her lap, she directed me to Bhawana who in turn directed me to one Raghavendra, apparently the manager of the South region. As always, he seemed courteous and willing to help (like every bureucrat you come across, and only later realise he's worse than the others). He asked for the receipt, which my father dug out after much searching. But it's been three months since the receipt was sent, but there has been no response, and I don't think there will ever be one.

Shaadi Point had a chance to redeem themselves. But they didn't despite knowing that I am a journalist. Ofcourse, the damage is done. I have sounded out a warning to all my journalist friends, who have spread the scam to every other person they know. The intention: not to let other people suffer the same way I did. Marriage is a sacred act, but with unprofessional entities like Shaadi Point, it's only getting muddy. So the next time, you are thinking of a matchmaker, never ever go anywhere near Shaadi Point or its affiliates like Shaadi.com. Both belong to the same inept family.

THE OTHER MINUSES:

1. Whenever I called customer service, they would say, speak to 'Bhawana' who would never be there. And on occasions, she was there, she would say, she would call back, and would never do. This happened atleast on three such occasions. That's their supreme level of customer service.

   
   




2. When Shaadi Point closed down, there was no intimation, nothing. All the clients were left stranded.

   
   

THE AFTEREFFECTS OF THIS REVIEW:

I must hand it to Shaadi Point for being as unrepentant as the murderer who kills the 100th person. Soon after my review appeared on this blog, Mr Raghavendra, the head of South operations, called up my father and said he wanted to 'justify' the delay of not being able to redress my problem. But nothing really transpired. Either he doesn't know how to read English, or he's as powerless as he makes himself out to be, the reading on the wall is still the same: Gross deficiency in service. The Koramangala branch asked my father to come and take a pick from the biodatas stored in their computer. When he went, he was told to renew the membership before they reveal the contact addresses of the girls he had chosen.

Back to square one. Mr Raghavendra, do you understand the meaning of 'service'? Or are you intent on closing down all Shaadi Points across the country and thereby Shaadi.com? Or is this the way everyone at Shaadi Point functions? Is this the company culture? Beats me.