I write this open mail to Ajay Bijli, in hope that he reads and listens: Dear Mr. Bijli Just the other day, I read headlines in one of the publications that PVR puts smiles on the costomer’s face... I wondered how you are going to do that, as my experience with one of your cinema halls was so humiliating that I would never go back to watch any film at your cinema..let alone have a smile on my face Just to elaborate what happened.. On May 22, my daughter books two tickets at PVR Juhu thru phone. The call center exec. called Bipin takes the order, confirms the day, date, time, film which is Saturday, May 26, 5.10pm, Cheeni Kum. On May 23, the ticket coupon is delievered to our house. Now, my fault lies that my daughter does not check the tickets ( perhaps, she benchmarked PVR with Imax, Cinemax and Fun Republic, which we regularly visit).
We go to the theater on May 26 at the scheduled time. NO ONE checks our ticket coupon for accuracy. However three executives have ’seen" the coupon including the cinema hall usher to guide us to our seats. After ’seeing’ the coupon by three executives NONE have told us that this coupon needs to be redeemed for the tickets and this was not told to us even by your call center while booking the tickets.
As the movie begins three people come to check our tickets in the first half an hour which I am quietly showing everytime, inspite of being disturbed and other guests being disturbed too. the fourth time someone walks up to check the ticket, I have lost my cool and I refuse to show the tickets saying that I have done that already three times.. however, I am ’shooed’ and told to be quiet and to come out of the cinema hall and co-operate. when I refuse, I am told this ticket is of May 25, Friday, and I have no option but to go out of the hall and co-operate.. I am actually left with no choice but to go out and ’co-operate’. I argue , fight with the executives outside.. when I am told that I have not even redeemed the tickets. I said I never do that and I was not even told by anyone from your call center or three people who have ’seen’ the tickets.
So I am told that its on the coupon, when I ask them to show where it is mentioned, the executive tries to search, but can’t find the instruction. So the other executive quickly changes the argument to save the colleague. I am told this is the service PVR gives... I was wondering what and where is the service, given to me as a customer.. in my opinion, whatever I was given, was a disservice.... I ask them to check with the call center exec. Bipin to check that I had not booked tickets for May 25.. but am told that its the call center and they have nothing to do with them, so I must call them!!!! disgusting..I am shocked ... I am told that the movie is housefull and I must leave. Finally its about 45 minutes past the movie started when all the floor executives, haven’t left anything to humiliate us and made it look like I came in with the wrong tickets!!! Next day I call the call center and tell them what happened.
The exec. called Bindu takes the call. I ask her to check the log to find that Bipin had confirmed the day, date, time and film as Saturday, May 26. TO my utter horror I am told the log shows the booking only for May 25, 5.10 pm!!!! I wonder how that changed when Bipin had orally confirmed while taking the booking for Saturday, May 26. Perhaps you would like to investigate!!! Mr. Bijli, I was just wondering.. I was not allowed to watch the film.. as someone somewhere messed up.
The couple who held tickets for that day and time were made to wait for 45 minutes... after that, why would they want to watch the film..so they didnt...and went back...You have left four unhappy customers who perhaps will never go back to your theaters as after planning for a nice saturday evening, the evening was messed up for four people...and I wonder how you would put that smile you want to put on their faces!!! More importantly no friends and colleagues..and the word of mouth experience, will not want them to go to PVR.. Mr. Bijli, hope you appreciate that you are in a service industry and entertainment business and cannot afford to mess up...what I found was total complacency to care for customers..which is why I dont see any key managerial person looking at customer service and support as that role perhaps is not found to be too important for PVR.. All the best....hope you can put that smile..