Dr Wrong, think again!

Its Reservation Reservation everywhere! And no there's no reason why it shouldn't be. I winder if this protest against this R word would go down in history and into the History Books as one of the most vociferous expressions of disapproval of a Government Sponsored move by the public. So much so that even a casual talk of Railway "Reservation" or an airline "Seat Allocation" is making heads turn!

Whether this is justified or if the revolting voices would be pacified upon assurances of their own "Safety" remains to be seen. What is unsettling, however, is the way ordinary citizens are made to suffer for no faults of theirs, caught in the cross-fire. Why would an ailing woman or an old man remain unattended on the pavements of hospitals, while physicians are busy shouting slogans and holding placards? Does a senior Doctor have the same responsibility as that of a striking student? Would the same Life-saving magician ignore his patient and go along with the mob, if the patient were his own mother or father or sister?

Dear Doctors, whether you are right or wrong is decided not by your guts in shouting in the crowd - it has to be announced to the world by your actions backed by convictions. You have been brilliant enough to gain entry into the medical colleges beating every odd; you definitely shouldn't have problems conceiving novel ways of protests while protecting those who have surrendered their lives to you!

Don't even THINK of buying VSNL!: Escape from Tata Indicom Part 3

The woes from Tata Indicom continue, prompting a third post on the same issue at Clearway! Here goes the script of the next e-mail to Tata Indicom from out Tata victim!

Im tired of lodging complaints with you folks!

Tell me something, is this an ISP or a bunch of Jokers sitting out there, talking merrily to whoever speaks on phone and sending the same set of e-mails in response to every complaint, irrespective of what the matter is or who the sender is?

It's the same routinie these days:

I lodge complaint
You give me a complaint number
I wait for your call
I call you again
You assure me of the best of services and advertise about your dial up connections
I mail you and blast you
You reply coolly as if you have got an award from me
The service is up for a couple of hours
The service goes dead
Time for another complaint!

I need a solution. Or at least, give me an answer: Do you provide internet services at all? Or did you get the money from me to call me up and mail me? How many times do I have to complain in a day? Dont you get sick of giving the same dumb responses everytime I complain? Well, I certainly am getting sick at the way your company, or the bunch of folks that call themselves a company, works!

Your Service Enginieer poses as if he is the busiest person on the planet and asks me over phone if the net is on! And there is absolutely no use shooting mails to you folks! Because, I know that even if the net functions for a couple of hours, it's going to go dead again and I would have to "Complain" to you yet another time!

I understand you do not have any other job than sitting in front of PC's in Whitefield, and typing some stuff and dispatching them to inboxes. Lucky you! Unfortunately, we poor subscribers have other works and some of them happen to depend on something called the "Internet", a term which Im not sure if you are aware of!

The so-called Broadband connection that you advertise of is something more than a couple of green lights constantly blinking atop the modem!

The link that I have provided here is a free service for you:
http://www.google.co.in/blogsearch?hl=en&q=tata+indicom

As I told you in my last mail, I have already put the issue on-line and your High Level Service is getting popular on the same Internet that is your bread and butter. And this mail goes on-line as well, for prospective victims to Escape from Tata Indicom! This would continue till my Internet gets working continuously for at least a week, without going dead. Or, get me Mr Ratan Tata on phone - it's high time he knew of what he heads!

PS. I would definitely see if I could get this on Main Stream Media!

All that Glitters . . . Escape from Tata Indicom - Part 2

After all the struggle, the connection finally seems to have become alright at our customer's. He seems to have received calls in double digits from Tata Indicom on Monday morning (from different executives but) before someone ventured in to solve the issue.

Strangely enough, there wasnt any written commnication from Tata, responding to the strongly worded mails from our consumer. And the consumer himself had to make a few calls in the morning before the soldiers from Tata Indicom realised the problem.

It is disappointing that a premier business house of the country, which has been pioneering stuff for years, has not bothered to be moved till the consumer went all out for the services that he rightfully deserved! And it certainly is baffling that in this era when "Customer Service" is a basic tool, well established organisations that are supposed to be all ears to sense what the customer feels, have ignored him totally, merely minutes after the sale had been effected!

It definitely gets irritating when one has to brief scores of executives of the same problem over and over again! Where has organisational structure gone? Could someone imagine 20+ sales people visiting a corporate customer for a sale and convince the Purchase Manager of the quality of their company?

This tale sadly proves that all that is a "Brand" may not "Solid" - they may merely be "Myths"! Tata would definitely have to get back to its basics. Or, it would have to face such posts as these growing in numbers and echoing loudly in the market.

Red Alert: Escape from Tata Indicom!

The following is the communication between a consumer and a company, over e-mail. Clearway got access to this chain of e-mails, that shows the shabby work that ISP's do in this country.

9 May 2006, Tuesday

To: customerservice@vsnl.co.in

From: Consumer

Subject: Internet Connection not working

Hi,

My Log in Id is ******. My Application Number is ******.

My account was activated today by your service personnel. However, Im not able to access the net now. I logged off once after my account was activated. When I try to log on, I can see that the net is on (100 Mbps) but web pages are not opening up.

I spoke with one of your Customer Service Executives - she said there was some problem with the connection, though the net was on. However, the call got disconnected. Please check the problem and rectify it at the earliest.

Regards,
*****

11 May 2006, Thursday

From: Tata Indicom

Dear Mr ******,

We regret for delay in responding to your mail. Thank you for writing your concern regarding unable to login to our notice.

We understand and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to you in this regard.

With reference to your email, we would like to inform you that your concern has already been noticed to the network team and they are working on high priority basis. Our team will call you with the feedback at the earliest.

We need your valuable time and patience during this period which helps us to serve you better.

For any further assistance, please feel free to contact Customer Service http://www.tataindicombroadband.com/contactus.html (the link contains the location wise contact numbers) or mail us on http://us.f327.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=customerservice@vsnl.co.in. We will be delighted to assist you.

Warm Regards,

******,

Customer Service,

TATA Indicom Broadband.

11 May 2006, Thursday

From: Consumer

Hi,

Thanks for the mail.

But the problem is that there have been only problems since I registered with you. Initially, the connection was promised in 8 - 10 days after I paid through cheque - it took more than 3 weeks since then.

And in these 3 days since the connection is up, I have complained thrice - and the problem is still very much there, intact. I dont think I can stand this poor service from you any longer if you do not rectify the situation immediately.

This is a prepaid service and no life membership. I would opt to cancel my membership if I do not get my connections from tomorrow, Friday, 12 May. If you state that may not be possible, I can assure you I would never renew any of my services with anything associated with Tata. And be sure I would spread the word about your shabby services as much as I can.

I was promised that you would call me in 24 hours and it's been more than that now. I do not want any more calls. The problem gets rectified tomorrow or I walk out. Period! Customer servise is no lip service. Tata should have known better.

******.

12 May 2006, Friday.

From: Consumer

Hi,

Im disappointed that you have not cared to respond to a mail where I had virtually set a deadline for you to act. You have touched new low in Customer Service.

I cancel my subscription to your services. You may please send your personnel to pack the rolls of cables back into their bags from my residence. My association with you has been nothing more than complaints and headaches, not to mention the amount that I spent calling your Customer Support Executives.

I hope you wouldn't create problems at least when Im winding up my association with your esteemed organisation. Be sure, this is no way to do business.

******

13 May 2006, Saturday

From: Tata Indicom

Thank you for bringing your Broad band connection issue to our notice. With reference to your email, we trust the needful has been done and your concern regarding No Browsing of your Broadband connection has been resolved after the assistance provided by our Customer Service Executive. We hope everything is working fine. Should you require any further assistance, please feel free to write to us to serve you better. Thank you for your time and patience. For any further assistance, please feel free to contact Customer Service at http://www.tataindicombroadband.com/contactus.html (the link contains the location wise contact numbers ) or mail us on http://us.f327.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=customerservice@vsnl.co.in. We will be delighted to assist you.

Warm Regards,

******,

Customer Service,

TATA Indicom Broadband.

13 May 2006, Saturday

From: Consumer

You are unbelievable!

I wonder how you could "trust the needful has been done", when I, who lodged the complaint, havent expressed my satisfaction yet that the problem has been rectified!

And you have mailed me in such a cool tone as if everything has been working perfectly fine, not a word of apology, not a sign of efforts towards pacification!

I understand that your systems are not in line with the advances in Information Technology. I guess that's the reason you have not been able to rectify a problem that has been pestering me right from the day of inception of your services - if at all I could use the word "Services" to describe what you have been doing!

Be sure - I am not able to connect to the net still. Please do not sit in an ivory tower and dream that all your connections are working perfectly alright. Tata Indicom Broadband connections are a mess, as I have recently discovered.

I do not need a stereotypic mail from one of your customer services personnel; I need to know that the problems in the field have reached those at the top. And Im going public about all the sloppy "Services" that you have been providing. At this moment, this issue could have been published in any of the media or discussion forums, so that the world knows what you are and the consumers escape from the nightmare that your company has come to be!

That was the latest news about "Customer Service" in India. Stay tuned for more news about fresh action.

Breaking News - "Bribes are Perfectly Legal" and "Spineless Worms cast their Votes"

This election was different; they legalised Bribes. And the election commission condoned it; and the people watched it, actively participated in it and accepted it merrily.

Alright, this is a Democracy - but aren't these folks taking Democracy too far? Or, they are taking it too lightly, perhaps? Whichever way it is, Elections are no longer the results of a 5 year performance; they are a sham; they are a Shame! Just as a Food marketeer would sell a sack of rice and announce a pack of pickles "Free", just as an FMCG company would bundle a soap with a bottle of shampoo, so have the parties been announcing freebies - Colour Televisions, Gas stoves, Gold, Cows . . . the list seems endless and is ridiculous.

This election season brought to light, what was one of the dark realities of our society - that Bribe is in the texture of a Democracy. That the Vigilance Department, or whatever it is known as, is a farce. That the election commission is nothing but an "Event Management" organisation. That democracy is a system designed to make people crazy. That political parties are liars and rogues and would sell anything and anyone to get to power. That we, the people, are worms squirming haplessly in the filthy ditch that our society is!