Dec 31, 2002 03:14 PM
3965 Views
(Updated Dec 31, 2002 03:16 PM)
Its unfortunate that my first piece of writing in Mouthshut is to express my strong displeasure on Airtel's services.
I was a lesser mortal for having thought the services offered by a mobile service provider is to provide:
Decent coverage so that you are in contact
Fair billing on usage
Quick Activation/Deactivation of additional services
Courteous sales folks
I am appalled to see the leading service provider Airtel has failed on all counts.
Very poor highway coverage when I choose roaming in south. Coverage is limited to big towns.
I had wrong bills with excess of Rs 300 charged on my very first bill (Why do the flaws in bills will always be to your disadvantage)
I activated south roaming by paying some goddamned fees but never got to roam for one month. The next month when I go to a place near Seyyar (TN), I wont get the signal. Also, the roaming was activated after 2 full days and making 5/6 calls to the customer care girls.
The sales force with Airtel will treat you like another furniture in their office. You will be given to understand that the entire business the universe has would be to wait eternally for some stupid to come and sit in front of you and talk in the useless butler English. We Indians have a tendency to abhor the vernacular even if it means avoiding your mother tongue.
I am dejected. Demoralized. I came to Airtel because the plan was cheaper by 55 bucks. I am waiting for Reliance/Indicom to pick up. Then I can throw the GSM on these guys face and ask them to go to hell. I have a point on GSM though.
GSM as a technology is managed horrible-to-the-power-terribly in India (atleast in chennai). First came the RPG and Skycell (now airtel) installing 140 and odd base stations each in a span of 2 years at the cost of around 1 crore per tower. Then comes Hutch and installs another 120 and odd base stations.
Who the hell is going to pay for all the investments.
We the suckers. By paying 4 bucks a minute in pre paid and exorbitant monthly charges in post paid we pay for Govt's folly. Had the TRAI and Ministry of commerce had some foresight, it would have opened up the towers to private operators who can then service more than one service providers reducing costs, eliminating double investments and optimizing efficiency.
Now densely populated areas in cities continues to get more and more towers and sparsely populated parts continue to have coverage problems.
Mera Bharat Mahan.
P.S: I sincerely hope I will have some positive opinions on some products on which I will write some reviews soon.
Dasvadonya,
Smiert Spionam
