Vodafone needs to rethink its customer service strategy if it wants to retain its customers. I applied to have my prepaid Hutch(Vidafone) connection converted to a postpaid one at the Vodafone store besides Vodafone’s headquarters in Lower Parel, Mumbai. It took me 8 phone calls, 2 repeat visits to chase it up in person as advised by the Vodafone call centre personnel to expedite the activation of my postpaid connection. Eventually, after 15 days spent in sheer frustration talking to various apathetic customer care executives, I had my postpaid connection.
Then, there was the matter of being given a "complimentary caller tune"- Vodafone’s annoying jingle- "You and I, what a beautiful world". Since the vodafone number is one I use in an official capacity as director of a company, imagine my horror when a senior executive pointed out to me that I had a caller tune. Not only has a hideously inappropriate caller tune been foisted on me but after 6 phone calls, 3 sms’es to cancel the service and 3 daysof waiting, the caller tune has yet to be deactivated. Absolutely apalling service and the customer care executives are clueless. Apparently, they foisted these free caller tunes on hundreds of people who are now frantically calling in to deactivate the service and Vodafone cant keep up with the volume of deactivation. Shape up Vodafone or ship out.