I have been using Airtel mobile connection since the year 2001. Those were the times when the users were charged even for incoming calls, STD and roaming rates were exorbitant and ISD on mobile was unthinkable. I still feel that those were the good times. Surprised? Read the review and you will find out why.
I have observed the trends in the mobile phone industry and the airline industry in india in the past 7-8 years and found many similarities. Around 2001, there were only 2-3 major players and hence competition was comparatively lesser. Customers were treated like kings, companies were quality conscious about their services and their staff was polite and well-trained.
On the contrary, in today’s scenario, many new operators have come in, which are competing with the existing operators solely by offering a price benefit to the customer. Because of this trend, other operators are also forced to reduce the prices of their services, and in order to maitain their profit margins, the operators are forced to do cost-cutting in areas like customer-care and staff-training.
So, even though the servies are available slightly cheaper now, the quality of these services and the whole customer experience had gone down many times.
Coming back to the review on my mobile service provider - Airtel Bangalore. I must say that my experience with Airtel has been mostly pleasant over the last 7 years, because of which I continue to use its services. The pros of Airtel’s network in Bangalore are good signal strength, voice clarity and network coverage(even on highways).
For me, the above three pros are sufficient to carry on with Airtel. But there are some areas which need improvement.
Bill Payment: Although Airtel provides several options for bill payment, none of them is free of problems.
Cheque drop boxes are convenient for most customers. This solution does not suit my requirements because I need a receipt of bill payment for official reasons(I get my mobile bill reimbursed from my office)
Bill payment by personally visiting Airtel office is very time consuming as there are only one or two counters for bill payment. The last time I went for bill payment, I had to wait in the queue for almost 30 minutes.
Direct debit through credit card. This option is also tricky. Everything happens smoothly as long as you are using the service, but the problem is that they continue to charge on your credit card even after you have terminated their services.
Online payment is the worst, thats why I saved it for last. I decided to make an online payment this time. I logged in to "My Account" from the Airtel website and selected SBI debit card as the mode of payment. I was directed to SBI website from which I made the payment, the amount was debited from my SBI account, but the transaction never completed. Instead it got stuck at https://billdesk.com. The page mentions that it may take a few seconds to complete the transaction. I waited for more than five minutes, but nothing happened.
Finally my money is neither with SBI nor with Airtel. I have written a complaint to Airtel Customer Care and waiting for reply. If anyone has been in a similar situation, please leave a comment regarding the procedure to get the amount refunded to my bank account. Also, in case the problem is not solved, who is the dispute settlement authority to be approached for escalation of the complaint.
*(I stand corrected here. The amount was credited to Airtel and I received a confirmation 3 days after I made the internet transaction. But should they not print the message that the amount will be credited after 3 working days.)
Another problem which I have faced with Airtel is that they sometimes charge you for things you never did. For example, in last month’s bill, I was charged for an international SMS to somebody in Sweden. I am sure that I never sent any international SMS to Sweden. I have written a complaint to Airtel and waiting for a reply.
Airtel’s website also needs a lot of improvement. "My Account" appears very flashy at the first sight. It provides a lot of features, but when you actually try to use them, it gives the message that the feature is currently not available.
Another problem which I face is that I keep getting calls from Airtel regarding free add on card and new rate plans. I don’t understand why an existing customer would want to take another connection even if it is free.
I feel that Airtel needs to improve its image by improving its quality of service. Instead of wasting crores of rupees on celebrity endorsements, they would be better off using that money on hiring more staff and provide proper training to them, so that they could be more capable in helping the customers though call centres or in Airtel offices.
No comments on value added services provided by Airtel. I never use these things.