It was way back in July sometime when the need for a Credit Card arose for me, and being the faithful customer that I was to ICICI, I visited my Corporate Branch (Branch within my office premises), completed all the necessary formalities (submitting photocopy of ID, Salary Slip blah blah blah..) and dropped in an application for the same. I told them specifically that I would need them to deliver me the card on time as it was an urgent situation for me... And thus began a journey through one hell of an experience which has left me nowhere today!!
To begin with, I had a long association with ICICI. Starting right from my college days (in Manipal), I rarely ever had a hitch while dealing with my money... From a student’s account, I got promoted to a Corporate Account in 2005 and the Mysore Branch which was catering to me had me all smiles. For some time then was Hyderabad. They were good too. But all my good impression of them got reduced to this major depression once I landed up here in Bhubaneswar. I really don’t know whether it’s got to do anything with this particular place, but these people have really left me at a loss of words (as well as faith)...
So, to go ahead with my woes. A month went by (I had thought of giving it a wait as these guys here had told me that the card will get processed from Mumbai and so it will take a month or two for the entire procedure to be completed..) and I gave them a call to know about the status of my card. Whew… They told me they needed another Salary Slip (latest one). I wondered how different the story would have been if I hadn’t had called them up in the first place... I duly obliged however without any word of concern. Days went by - I kept in regular touch with the contact person supposed to take care of my application. Every time I had a talk with him, he assured me with a big smile that things were going on fine. 2 months were over and before long I had to pick up my phone to talk to some of the big Marketing guys of the eastern region. I told them about the situation and they assured in their "Hum Hain Naa" tone -- "Another couple of weeks ma’am...” The obvious happened after another long wait! I tried out every possible person concerned but got the same reply yet again! I decided to talk to the 24x7 Customer Care people. I was finally feeling much safer now that I had a proper photocopy of my Application along with the Application Number (come on, I had official stuff now and no one on earth could throw that out). With an air of confidence I went ahead to check for the status and hold on -- the lady said, "Sorry ma’am... That number’s not there anywhere in our system. Your application hasn’t even reached us...” I was trembling...
Next was my confrontation with the Branch Manager. She assured me that the lady must have given me a wrong information (that’s cool ha??!! ICICI main database doesn’t have information sent by a regional branch!!) and that my application had been processed (that’s first hand information from the horse’s mouth) and that it’ll reach me within a couple of weeks.
Well, there are a few more twists in the tale until finally the Customer Care denied again of having such an Application Number and forwarded my case for a Re-Application (and well that was done some 3 weeks ago and I was told that an executive will come down to me within the next 4 days and well.. no prize for guessing that nobody ever turned up!!) but I am feeling too sick now to talk of them anymore. I wish I could take the names of every individual I encountered during the course of this fantabulous journey to hell and make sure that they get to know what business means... But then again... Now I know that all that will be an utter waste...