I have a mobile connection from Hutch. Consequent to my transfer to Baroda from Rajkot I had applied for a transfer of address and change of number at the Hutch office on Gotri Road, Baroda on 11/06/04. I was advised that I have been allotted a new number.
The Change of number and address would be effective from Sunday 13/06/2004. I had accordingly advised all my contacts and my office of the change in number. On Sunday, I received a call from Hutch advising me that the change in number would be effected within the next fifteen minutes.
As the change in number had not taken place even after two hours I called back and was advised that there was a technical HITCH, which would be resolved, and I would be advised in half an hour. Half hours came and went and there was no response.
On Monday I called up the Customer care no 9825098250 and explained the problem to them. I was advised to contact the supervisor at the Baroda office and a Mobile number was kindly provided. I spent the next one hour in the entertaining task of trying to get some response at the mobile no given.
On getting no response I called up customer care number again and was advised that the number allotted to me was not available due to some technical Hitch I agreed to take another available number. I was advised to go to HITCH oops Hutch shop again. On my refusal to be pushed from pillar to post and genrally raising cain , Someone finally came on the line and promised instant gratification..... Soothed and spurred by his words hope sprang in me that I may at last manage to get a simple task done at Hutch without a Hitch!.
I then immediately got a call from dulcet voice lady from the Baroda office who offered me a choice of four numbers and gave me to understand that she would call back in five minutes to know my choice. The beast in me was soothed.
Precisely five minutes later I got a call from the same number Ahh I thought very efficient is Hutch!.
Alas my hopes were dashed, It was someone other than the dulcet voice and a male one at that who advised me that there was a HITCH again in Hutch and Ms Dulcet voice had given me numbers which are not available and explained the problem in all its technicality so that I may not be convinced but was surely confused and confounded. A promise to call back in half and hour with another set of numbers from which I could choose was gratefully accepted by me.
Ah yes we are now back to square one , half hours have come and gone, 48 of them to be precise and no Dulcet voice, no new number. Its Tuesday and I wake with fresh resolve that I will get to the end of this HITCH in Hutch but alas vain are the dreams of the customers of Hutch.
The Baroda numbers nobody picks up and I remember that childhood verse of going round and round the mulberry Bush.
I believed that the Customer care in Hutch really cared about its customers and its a beautiful world but alas reality intrudes and my experience of the past few days indicates that this is a fallacy created by advertising.
I had also applied for transfer of address and Number for my Reliance Mobile and Transfer of the BSNL landline, both of which happened very smoothly without any fuss or HITCH. Also there was no charge in both the cases. At HITCH ...oops... Hutch I have to pay a charge of Rs. 324 and face all these glitches in what should be a routine matter.
I would love to know whats been peoples experience of the various high profile services that scream of being customer friendly and 24 hour customer service and blah blah blah. Ps have you tried the ICICI Bank Customer care ....