Airtel — Top-up ordering dysfunctional

A complaint was lodged with Airtel DTH, with the nodal officer in loop on the 27th of November 2009. This issue still remains open till date (14th December 2009).
Copying the mail I sent to Customer Care Airtel DTH, in this regard:

This is with reference to the mail I sent to the Customer care, Airtel DTH. I sent this mail on 27th November and am pasting below the contents of the same for your reference.

The original mail:

<<Hi,

I am a new Airtel DTH customer, My customer ID is: [protected]. I got my connection yesterday (26th November). The package that I had opted for was South super value, along with the package I opted for three specific top ups and one of the top ups I selected was: "English News Plus Aug-09(Upfront NRC Rs. 38.61) NRC "

This order was made at 1300 hours yesterday. I am assuming that NDTV 24x7 is part of the aforementioned package (I found this detail with the top up details and I confirmed it with two of your Customer service representatives), but I am sorry to state that till now I do not find the channel functional. Even a few calls to the helpline did not sort out the issue, all the representatives burrowed time from me (saying that it will be functional in 45 minutes). I got the other two top ups working fine from 1330 hours itself though.

This sort of service is least expected, if you are not in a position to get this issue resolved please let me know the escalation matrix present and I would take the matter up to the required authorities.

Do let me know you are looking for any other information from me, which is causing the delay in getting the issue resolved.>>

The follow up mail as escalation.

<<I had a service request number associated with the problem, that was 1544403. Later on I got a mail stating that the service request has been closed, (as the issue has been resolved). Though an acknowledgment from the Customer (in this case me) was never sent about the issue being resolved. I am facing the very same problem since 26th November.

The thing that worries me is the incompetence on display by both the Customer service agents as well as the technical team to IDENTIFY the problem and its cause at the first place. Time and again I have been instructed to follow same set of action (switch of STB and TV and then put it on) and time and again I have been given commitments of issue getting resolved in 45 mins or 1 hour. I even had a representative (one Mr Muneer, who claims to be a support engineer from Airtel) who visited my place to take stock of the situation. Based on his findings it is purely a Customer care problem and not a technical issue and he cannot do anything about it. The Customer care department fails to own up the problem and furthermore they take courage is closing off the issue without even bothering to know anything from the Customer.

The Customer Care executives with whom I have talked all this while, have failed to get me connected to any higher authorities. For me this is not a case of losing out some money or not been able to watch channels of my liking. Rather it is the awareness about the pathetic state of Customer Service provided. I am wondering how you could solve a problem without IDENTIFYING the problem at the first place, the representatives with whom I have interacted have failed miserably to identify why the problem is happening at the first place.

Since 26th it has been 6 days and nothing has changed actually in terms of the problem I am facing. All the interactions I have had has failed to give me any confidence of the issue getting resolved either. I have been an Airtel Customer since last 6 years (with post paid mobile) and also Broadband (last 1 year). Never did I face such a team of incompetent representatives. Rather than owning the issue, people are more interested in putting it over to some other team/department. Online technical guys complain about something wrong with the signal, the technical service engineers claim it to be completely Customer care issue (issue with the way the top-up was ordered) and the Customer care people have still not figured out where to pass the ball on to. Subsequently, you have one very dissatisfied and dejected Customer.

Just thought it would be worthwhile to keep you informed.>>

Mail from the nodal officer, Airtel DTH, dated November 30 2009:

<<Dear Mr. Dominic


Thank you for writing to Airtel digital TV.

This is with reference to your e-mail regarding unable to view the channel issue of Airtel Digital TV.

Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience faced by you.

We would like to inform you that, your complaint has been registered and the reference number for the same is 1553115 and the concerned department is currently working on the resolution of the same. We shall revert to you within 5 working days.


Your Nodal Complaint No. 32308571

It is our privilege to have you as our valued customer & we look forward to a long and fruitful association with you.


Assuring you the best of our services,

Regards

Nodal Officer
Airtel digital TV >>

I would be more than happy to provide any further details from my end for this case. I feel that the Customer has been taken for a ride and there is no responsibility shown or owned by Airtel DTH in this regard.

Thanks,
Jolly Dominic