Puts your patience on test – The Horrendous experience with Airtel Customer Care service, INDIA

After having a bad service from Reliance webworld, it was my mistake to praise Airtel for their "nice" service. I don’t know if I have some jinx attached to me regarding internet and web services but past few days have been a little too much to test my patience.

I'd been an Airtel customer since 8 years now and I was always quite happy with them regarding the mobile connection and internet broadband service too till last week. Little did I know that my happy bubble built in past 8 years would break so shatteringly in past 8 days. Here, I tell you how:

I was about to shift to my new home on August 14th, 2011 and hence I raised a transfer request of my airtel internet broadband connection and telephone landline service on August 8th. At the time of request they told me that it would take "MAX" 10 days for the transfer to be done (i.e. by August 18th, it should be done) and you'll be charged additional 300 bucks for that. I was ok with it, but just to know the status I called these guys on August 12th and asked them if they could come and do the transfer on Saturday (August 13th) itself as I was shifting in the same locality and also my new home already had an airtel connection that just needed activation. The customer care guy in his sweet honey coated voice agreed and said that it will be done on the weekend. I waited and waited for whole weekend - no one came.

I again called them on Tuesday - August 16th for the connection - they said the same thing, "It will be done by end of the day". I told them clearly that I need the internet connection as I’ve taken “work from home” option and I can’t work till they get me the connection. They “Updated” it in their “Database” and said that they’ve put it on “High priority” and “Urgent” and everything will be done “ASAP”. Nothing happened and so another day passed and nothing happened.

The most annoying thing of calling customer care center is that there is no direct way to talk to the customer care representative. Here is the whole process which I feel you note it down in case you really want to talk to the person for "HELP". It might save your time, energy, money and some frustration.

Press 1 for English

Press 1 for airtel broadband connection subscriber

Press 1 to enter the telephone number

Press the number

Press 1 to confirm

Press 5 for other queries

Press 9 for talking to customer care executive.

The days passed and passed and I kept on calling them daily twice and thrice, following the above mentioned idiotic process. Every day the customer care people would tell me the same thing - "We have updated the status, we have put it as high priority and it will be done by end of the day". Till now I've not seen their end of the day, and it is already August 22nd today.

Another annoying thing I experienced while talking to customer care people is that, I got my mobile number changed in their database some months ago but I seriously don't know what kind of temporary databases they are following that they still refer to my old number. Heights of frustration happened to me when despite calling them everyday thrice from my number and getting it updated daily, I'd end up listening to the same old number from them, the very next day.

I am really pissed off with such poor services that had happened with Airtel in past 8 days. If this is the way they solve their “High Priority” issues and complains then I don’t even want to know what they do to other complains and requests. 

I don't want to spend even a single penny on them and want to get my internet connection changed as fast as I can. I swear to bang their instrument and modem on their face if they come anywhere near to me now. I'd request you to please suggest me some good internet broadband connection available in Bangalore.

Update (August 24th, 2011) : After annoying me for so long, they have finally said that they can't transfer the connection because of "technical issues" and hence asking me to cancel it. 


Someone tell me how is that possible? The place where I've moved to already has an airtel connection there, which just needs activation. How much "Technical expertise" is needed in doing that, can someone please answer me?

If you've had any similar experience then please share it with me in your comments below