[Resolved]  Airtel — Atrocious customer service from Airtel call center

This is with regards to the mail mentioned below and the my harrasement at the hands of Airtel. I've asked Airtel to stop my connections since day 1 of taking them but I'm still receiving bills and phone calls on my home number for payment of the same. They never speak to me directly even though they have my Vodafone number but to people at my home.

I've never activated the number, I've not even taken the sim card out of the envelope but I'm still getting bills. The number on the bill is [protected]. They never did my verification at the time of taking the sim card. They met my dad and said they would be back to verify me, but they never did.

I've spoken to 3 executives, including a senior named Anil and he had promised me that the connection would be cancelled. I'm not paying for a service that I've never used from day one. Below is the mail I'd sent to them and to some newspapers. But till date no relief.

Please help me!


[protected][protected][protected][protected]
From: Sheldon Coutinho [mailto:sheldon.[protected]@trent-tata.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 10:43 AM
To: '[protected]@indiatimes.com'
Cc: '[protected]@airtelindia.com'
Subject: Subject: Atrocious customer service from Airtel call center


Dear "to whomsoever it may concern"

This is with regards to terrible customer service that I have been the victim of at the hand of Airtel customer service. I've been the customer of Vodafone for the past couple of years and was thinking of changing over to Airtel after being led on by a couple of Airtel marketeers.

On Sunday 25th, I was approached by two individuals from Appco Marketing (who claim to the sole marketeers for Airtel) who were selling Airtel connections. After much ado, I took two connections from them, one was a triple 3 connection and the other was a Hotline plan. The Hotline number was a free number to which I could make or receive free calls from my primary Airtel number. Sort of like a family number. I have a similar setup with Vodafone with a key difference being that I could make calls to the Hotline number even if I was in Goa (as claimed by the people from Appco). I decided to take the connections and paid two cheques of 599 each as refundable deposit.

However, I was not convinced about the free calling from Goa and so I checked out the Airtel website. However, I found no information about the Hotline number. I called on call center number and when I went through the options, I got a "This number doesn't exist" message. I tried various combinations of options and finally got a customer service rep called "Kiran". He told me to call up another dept. I told him that I had tried and couldn't get through and that I just need the above mentioned clarification. He told me that I would be charged for calling on the Hotline number as per std rates! I was shocked but before I could react I was disconnected. I called up again and I was disconnected immediately after being answered. This happened twice before I actually had to beg the rep to let me remain online. I had recognized the voice and it was Kiran each time. Apparently he seemed the only person taking calls that evening.

This time I asked him to put his superior online. In quite a menacing voice he said that his TL would say the same thing. Finally completely frustrated, I told him that I will cancel the service immediately, he actually had the audacity to tell me to "go ahead and cancel them"!

I've already spoken to the people at Appco and I've told that I've "stopped cheque" the cheques I have given them and told them to take back the sim cards. The person at Appco, Yogita had the audacity to tell me that one customer will not affect their business. They should learn a lesson from Vodafone who were literally begging me to stay after I called them up and told them that I was switching to Airtel.

I am very upset and frustrated with the customer service at Airtel. I've worked at a call center too some years ago and I've never heard of such rudeness. I'm only sending this mail so that others can be warned of what might happen.

Sincerely,

Sheldon Coutinho (Vodafone customer)