Today I felt really sad and very foolish for being a customer in India. In the afternoon, while I was talking to Kumarika wishing her on her birthday, I happened to lookup at the bookshelf and saw that it was about to topple over !
I panicked and Krishnan and I quickly removed the books and files inside and kept them on the table below and created a makeshift support. This bookshelf has been made two months back as part of all the changes I made at home. It’s in two parts, with a separate table below it. Only today we realised that the top shelf had just been kept on the one that had been nailed to the wall … And the one nailed to the wall had just 6 nails to hold up a five feet long shelf :(:(:(. With the books kept on the top shelf, obviously the weight pushed the shelf below and it started to get unhinged.
I called up the young smart interior designer, Ishita, who was driving and out of town. Sent her pictures of the shelf and finally she told me someone will come in two hours. In the meantime since I was sure she would not get a carpenter to come, I called up a regular carpenter who has done some work at home, to come and atleast drive the nails in. He came without a power drill, but managed to atleast put a clamp and ensure the shelf wouldn’t topple over for a couple of days.
Finally the person sent by Ishita, came over and checked things out. He has promised to bring a carpenter tomorrow morning … Fingers crossed. Apparently the team used by Ishita to do the work in our house has been used by her for the first time and she hasn’t paid them in full, so they refused to do any repairs and have botched up another job in Noida. Useless information as far as we are concerned, but just goes to prove the point, that the Indian customer is out to get fooled every single time.
The entire afternoon got wasted and again a couple of hours tomorrow will be wasted … Hopefully the person has used good material and has just botched up the finishing, but again, it’s just hope. I dread to think what would have happened if the shelf had toppled over !! Very scary. Am sure every one of us has many stories of terrible customer service, but when will things change ?
There is no focus on quality … It’s just to say “something”, speak sweetly, con the buyer and make money, the buyer/customer be damned. This happens because we as customers accept shoddy workmanship and poor customer service with our “chalta hai” attitude and when it’s our turn to produce the goods or provide service we don’t want to be the best out there … A vicious cycle of bad products and bad service seems to go on and on. It needs to change and soon. We managed to bring that change in the government, after 67 years… Not a day sooner. It’s ok, chalta hai, will kill our soldiers, children and let our women be raped and treated like second class citizens, run filthy trains late, kill our pilots, fatten the purses of the corrupt and not bring any glory to our nation. It’s time to let go of this attitude.
This can’t go on. Try and complain wherever you can, demand the best and whenever it’s your turn, produce the best quality goods and provide the best ever service, so atleast we break the cycle.
Yes am super upset 🙁
Sorry to hear about the service Ma’am,
But I agree with you we customers are equally responsible because we never complain and demand- in fact I had a attitude (chalta hai) until I received a call.
Long back(6 years ago) I used to work in a Indian BPO for a UK internet provider where the customer spent 80 pounds on calls to get 5 pounds reimbursed as per the offer promised on TV by the internet provider for existing customers (it was paid line to call the customer care “50P a minute:); first I was SHOCKED to see the number of calls the caller has made previously. Then immediately I had a thought that the customer was “STUPID” not realizing the cost spent on calls. Later on the caller surprised me by informing that the caller has kept the track of all calls made (Names of advisors spoke to(UK +INDIA+ CHINA), Date, duration of calls, geography of call centre etc) of course the exact cost spent on calls. The caller was a really busy and highly IT paid profession. Hence I was a fool and stupid also to assume the caller was a jobless person. L
Caller COMPLAINED about the falls promises made by all the advisors for not returning to calls and take action against them by. Demanded 80+5 pounds!
And A apology letter.
Fortunately the caller didn’t calculate the time spent on calls.
I was fortunate I had a superior decision maker as my Manager who realized the value of retaining existing customers. The decision was taken smartly and done as per customers DEMAND!
It was still evident it was not just for two pounds or + 80, so I asked what made to call so many times?
The caller said = The company had X number of customers in UK * 10 pounds = XXXXXXXX. therefore it was a promise to XXXXXXXX UK citizens.
Great example Mansoor. I had to do something similar with a bank once, as the credit card issued by them had been misused and they were unwilling to roll back the charges, after submitting proof that I had not been at the location where the card had been used. The value of time isn’t understood, and the value of a promise. Thanks for sharing.