Airtel — Connection suspension

Address:

Bangalore, Karnataka, 560037

Airtel Team, Aug 15, 2015 was the 1st time when I stepped into an Airtel Store for a simple MNP request; and since then, it has become a regular chore! Here's why : 1. Without prior intimation, the address verification team arrived at my residence while I was at office. Naturally, the verification failed! 2. After a good 20 days or so, I filed a fresh MNP request at a different airtel store with clear instructions on which address to visit on which day. Things looked fine! 3. After another good 5 days or so, when nothing had moved, I had to go to the store again to check on what was going on. Looked like they had not even forwarded the documents further for processing. After this visit, they finally did it. 4. The verification personnel finally arrived at the right place, scribbled some data from me and took my signatures. 5. On September 21, 2015, I received the most awaited text message that read : Activation update: Address verification has been successfully completed for your airtel mobile [protected]. For further update, SMS STATUS [protected] to 121. 6. After another week or so, my airtel SIM card was finally activated. P.S. only the SIM, not the services. Apparently, I was supposed to call some cust care number for so called "address verification"! 7. Midnight 12 O'clock when the airtel sim was activated, I dialed the customer care number. After a good wait of 45 to 60 mins, your executives cared to answer me, proceed with verification etc. Services was finally enabled next day morning! 8. Barely 5 or 6 days had passed, when my outgoing and Internet was blocked! And when I called customer care for reason, to my surprise it was - "Address verification failed". The executive agreed that the status reflected in system is incorrect, yet he tried to coerce me to visit Airtel store to re-submit the documents and go through the entire verification process once again! The executive however, failed to convince me why I should be doing so instead of the backend team correcting the flaws in the airtel system update process. As per what I understood, the executives cannot do much about it in terms of escalations etc. What a pity! 9. I went to the airtel store anyway. And as expected, these guys came up with a new story : "The address had to be verified for both the addresses that I mentioned in form." Nobody ever called me for the other address verification in the first place! After some rounds of arguments, these guys promised the services would be restored by next day. 10. And it did! It was like winning some battle, and I was barely satisfied; until today when I had to call the customer care once again for some info. And guess what news I got instead : Their system says, my number state is - Pending for suspension since Oct 7. Upon pressing the executive a little more, he checked and said that the status for my residence address verification is showing "completed successfully". Ironically, my number is still pending for suspension! Now, would you care to answer some queries : 1. Do you even have a proper "Definition of Done (DoD)" for address verification process? If so, why is your entire crew not "consistently" aware of it? And by crew, I mean : The backend team, the customer care team and Airtel store folks! 2. If some status is wrong in your system, why do you expect the customer to undergo the entire process again instead of correcting the flaw in your own system? 3. When you do not, under any circumstances, start services in an airtel postpaid sim, without address verification being completed successfully - how is it reasonably possible for status to suddenly change to "address verification rejected" after the services has been started? 4. How can the status of my residence address verification show, in your system, as "successfully completed" while at the same time, my number be pending for suspension? Is your backend system run by a bunch o[censored]nprofessionals who change the status whimsically? 5. If you must know, this sim is under CUG plan. Which means, I am a working professional. Do you even understand the impact an end customer like me has when you whimsically stop, suspend or block the services? That too without any decency of atleast informing the customer in advance! Do you have any idea how many important calls I failed to answer back - because your system updated my number status as "address verification failed"? And for no fault of my own! 6. If you must also know, I don't have an alternate local number. I stay alone. What if I have to make an emergency call at some ungodly hour? Do you have any idea on how you might be playing with people's lives? Some suggestions (if you care) : 1. Revamp your address verification process. Educate your entire crew on the same with "consistent" information. 2. Have the decency to inform the consumer that you are going to disable the services so that they are better prepared for emergency situations. 3. Play "your call is imp to us" a little less, and act on it a little more! What takes customer care 45 mins to answer a call? 4. If you are so intent to make us unnecessarily visit "airtel stores" every now and then, arrange for complimentary beer and snacks. I won't mind wasting my time there then. 5. When people complain, take it seriously. Have someone contact customer back to check on what's going. I guess, I've written enough. I'd be forwarding a copy of this mail to consumer forums. I'd definitely like to have an on call meeting - if you wish so. P. S.: Your 4G services may be the best as you claim in advertisements (not sure, because you keep suspending my number and I haven't really got a peaceful chance to experience it!); but your customer services definitely isn't! Unfortunately, I have to stay with this for another 2 months or so before switching back to other network provider!