I used to be an admirer of Bharti Airtel and even bought shares in the company, because I felt it had a bright future. But it looks like they have fallen badly. The present customer experience of Airtel BB users is fine as long as everything is going ok. But the moment something goes wrong and you have to deal with customer support or billing, you are in deep, deep trouble.
I had a strange experience of suddenly receiving a 3000+ bill for Dec 2011, after many years of steady billing of around 870/- pm. Given this strange jump, I raised a complaint. No response from the call center. So I escalate to the Nodal authority. Again a call center guy calls me up, has no clue on where the data usage etc. tells me he cant see the information on the web. That’s it. So I escalate to the appellate authority. Someone calls me and says that they have checked that I have used 6.5 GB against my quota of 4 GB. So I ask him a) Can I have my data usage analysis b) Even if I have used 6.5 GB, how can they charge me 3 grand+ when their 30 GB plan is at 1299/-? c) The plan states that after 4 GB I should drop to 256 Kbps and not be charged this insane rate. The predictable response, "I will get back to you sir". Followed by no response.
So I wait for two weeks and in good faith pay the inflated bill, expecting Airtel to sort out things. And I decide I better change my rate plan myself, or I will get another inflated bill. So I place a request for my plan to be changed.
Three weeks after this, and in a fresh billing cycle. My rate plan change still shows "pending" and I have been sent another 4 grand bill! No resolution of my complaint. No attempt to check if someone is misusing my wireless. No recco on changing rate plan. Nothing.
Having gone through this experience, and having escalated 3 levels, one can only surmise that Airtel is deliberately defrauding its customers by manipulating billing terms to charge way more than their standard rate plans, and not allowing them to get out of the vicious cycle even if they want to.
They may make some money in the short run, but will pay for this in terms of credibility loss over the years. Mark my words Airtel!