I finally had the seven year itch with my mobile number and got it changed only last week.
It took me about a few months of pondering over the thought of changing the number. Seven years is a long time and a lot of people have my only number that I have been using since I have had a mobile.
I had recently bought an O2 phone which is great for surfing html web pages and unfortunately hutch gprs wasn’t working too well.
Constant complains and no changes were the reason I thought it was time to put my foot down and bring about the change.
The following conversation proved to be the nail in the coffin.
Me: Hi I would like to discontinue my number please.
Hutch customer service: May I ask why?
Me: Sure. I am unhappy with the GPRS service that Hutch is offering.
HCS: Can I put you on to our gprs department?
Me: No thanks. I have spoken to them precisely seven times before and now I am not interested.
HCS: We can’t take a request like that Ma’am.
ME: Why not?
HCS: Pls hold I will put you on to our Relations Manager.
After almost a minute of putting me on hold.....
HCS: Hello Ma’am, are you there? Our Manager Rakhi will talk to you now
Rakhi is the Manager who refuses to hold the phone and puts customers on speaker phone.. cause I can barely hear a word
HCS: Ma’am we can’t just disconnect your number
Me: Can you speak a little louder
To which she picks up the phone and talks to me only to put me back on speaker phone again
HCS: What is the problem with your Gprs service?
Me: The web pages don’t open. Even if they do, the service is very slow
HCS: You can talk to our gprs department
Me: I have done that and am not interested
HCS: You can come to our Hutch service centre and they can check your phone
Me: I am sorry but I don’t have the time
HCS: Maybe there is a problem with the settings of the phone
Me: I was told there is a weak connection in my area. And that certainly is not my problem. I rather change my phone than my house!!!!
After going back and forth on the same q-n-a, I finally hung up and Ms Rakhi called me again
HCS: Madam you have been an old customer we don’t want to lose you, let me do something. I will discount 150 rupees from your bill every month for a year
Me: What about the gprs??
HCS: I will revert the last month’s rental on the gprs
Me: But will the service improve? Can you guarantee that?
HCS: We don’t want to lose you as a customer
Me: Do you realize the trouble I will have to go through to change my number after so many years?
HCS: That is why I am saying Ma’am you shouldn’t change the number
Me: Are you going to improve the gprs service?
To which I never got a reply...
That did it. For the 500 rupees rental that I have been payinf for the gprs that doesn’t work, she offered to pay back 150 rupees... and not a word of the service being improved or them at least making an effort.
After so many years it is quite a pity that it had to end this way...