I recently moved from Mumbai to Bangalore. Vodafone network here was erratic and Airtel seemed to be the prevalent ‘better’ network. Wanting to retain my number, I applied for MNP - the sham called Mobile Number Portability. Having submitted my photo and documents, I waited. I was told I’ll receive a message after which I was to insert my new Airtel 4G SIM in my phone and I’d have successfully ported.
Sometime in the middle of last week, my new colleagues complained that my Vodafone number is ‘temporarily disconnected.’ I assumed MNP had kicked in and inserted the Airtel SIM. Calls to the Airtel call centre revealed they did not have the necessary details to start my Airtel connection. I waited, knowing Bangalore’s laidback attitude with everything. On Friday, when I called Vodafone customer care, they told me my number is disconnected because I have applied for MNP. I was advised to get in touch with an Airtel Store in Bangalore.
No connection yet.
Yesterday, when I visited the Airtel store, they found out my Vodafone connection is disconnected because I have ‘outstanding dues.’ When I called customer care this morning (18 September 2015) they corroborated this. It was an amount of Rs. 194 - generated after my billing cycle. I was assured that my connection will come alive on its own after 4 hours of payment of dues. I paid the dues.
No connection yet.
Airtel Store people tell me all I need now is a UPC - Unique Porting Code that can only be generated if my Vodafone connection is restored.
When I called Vodafone customer care again, I was told I’ll have to visit the Vodafone Store to activate my SIM because it has been disconnected.
The Vodafone Store is another joke. They tell me they can’t do anything because my number belongs to the Mumbai circle.
I call up customer care and tell them my story yet again. Vodafone personnel Mohsin promised me around 6.00 pm that my SIM will be activated within 30 minutes. It is 7.45 pm now. I have rebooted my phone multiple times. No connection yet.
The Mobile Number Portability service is supposed to make life easy for consumers. It is doing exactly the opposite.
You have recorded all the conversations you have had with me ‘for training purposes.’ use them to teach your Customer Care personnel to not lie to your customer. Or to not give false hope.
Also, if I may remind you, this is 2015. What do you mean your Vodafone Store in Bangalore can’t help me because I bought my connection in Mumbai? Are you really stupid enough to recommend that I could ‘request a friend in Mumbai to go to a Vodafone Store there and ask them to activate my number’? Do you even know how ridiculous that sounds?! Have you heard of omni-channel marketing or whatever it is called? Have your agency explain it to you. Use some of your marketing funds to fix the holes in your service. How difficult is it to setup a system where the people here can get in touch with their counterparts in Mumbai and get things done?
And why do I have to repeat my problem every time I call Customer Care? Does no one keep track of the status of complaints at your end? Do you know how taxing this is?
Do you need me to tell you how difficult it is to survive in a new city without a mobile connection? I keep getting lost without Google Maps. Family, friends and colleagues cannot reach me because my phone is disconnected. My number is registered with my banks. Every time I make an online transaction, I need an OTP that I can no longer receive.
How many more times do I have to call Customer Care to get my mobile connection back?
Also, every day till you fix my problem, I'll be making a poster.
Here's the first one. I call it Hangman.
Here's the first one. I call it Hangman.
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| September 18, 2015 No connection yet. Intensifying my protest. I've made a template. Background ideas welcome. |
