[aniketvu]

Originally Posted by Samurai

You had to use twitter to get support on PRI lines? That's really sad. What kind of SLA you have on those lines?

SLA is 98.5% uptime with 24 hrs max resolution time (since these are primarily used for phone only by us). We have had a generally very stable connection with rarely any downtime. The problem with Airtel seems to be not having adequate technical staff to handle customer problems. Until you are escalated above 3 levels, you dont even talk to any technical guy!

[kutuias]

Here is another feather in the cap of Airtel

This fellow has gone mad by using Airtel.

CJ talks about his experience with Airtel IPTV - Videos - Citizen Journalist - IBNLive


What is really sad is their 'no care' attitude towards the customer.

Someday when Airtel is in loss and starts firing these sad customer care executives only then will they realize how immensely valuable every costumer is. By then it will be too late for them.

Please be warned: Think twice before buying an Airtel product or service!

[sreerajunnithan]

These guys are brainless incompetent bunch of Idiots Period!!! All i did was cancelling my ill Fated IPTV on 27th Aug. All hell broke lose after that. These morons have cancelled my entire connection. It's been almost a month now. yeah they have promptly sent my Bill though. on an average, i will call 3 times daily and talk to their stupid escalations department. Every time i ended up getting another 48 hours deadline for resolution. I wrote to their Nodal office and Appellate office, nothing apart from Auto Reply. Unfortunately 2MBPS and 60GB Fair Download Limit for 1200 INR is hard to resist. Most interesting joke is, if you try to call Nodal or Appellate office it lands in the same stupid front line. I have raised at least 5 trouble tickets. This morning i complained to http://www.pgportal.gov.in Following is the status, at least i am seeing a human being with an airtel email address.



--Sree--

[Samurai]

Just yesterday, I got another taste of Stupidocracy... I mean bureaucracy in Airtel.

Remember this song? All i want is a room somewhere...

Yes, that is Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. Yesterday I was singing All I want is a microSIM...

But, Airtel didn't budge.

Since I switched from Motorola Defy to Lumia 720, I needed to switch from miniSIM to microSIM. It should have been a 5 minute job, program a new sim for my existing number. Since I was warned about requiring a ID proof, I showed up at the local Airtel center with my passport.

Me: Hi, I need to change my miniSIM to microSIM.
He: Sir, we need ID proof, address proof and 2 passport size photos.
Me: Huh? I am not applying for new connection. I just a sim swap.
He: We need these documents even for sim swap.

Well, that doesn't make sense. But when does bureaucracy make sense? Since there was a photo studio right in front, I got the photo taken and waited for 30 minutes. Then I got back in the Airtel office. But I was chased out again for the photocopies. I got back in Airtel office of the third time now.

Me: Hello, I have the photographs and the photocopies now.
He: Give me your number.
Me: xxxxxxxxxx
He: Oh, this is a corporate number.
Me: So?
He: We need a letter from your company, on company letter head, with company seal.
Me: What? All I want is a sim swap. Why all this meaningless bureaucracy?
He: These are security requirements. We need company letter and seal.
Me: Oh, jump.... <I stormed out of the airtel office>

By now I was really really mad. I have a low threshold for dealing with stupidity. The only time I dial it very high is when dealing with government. But I can't take too much stupidity from private vendors. I look for alternatives after that. I went home and wondered about my next step. Well, I could get the sim cut from a mobile shop. So I got out again and visited 2-3 mobile shops. None were willing to cut the sim, it was as if I was asking for an illegal act. So I got home again, still very agitated.

I had wasted 1.5hours, at least a liter of petrol, and 50 bucks on PP photos I didn't need. I was not a step closer to using my new phone.

Why does sim swap need thorough security clearance? Anybody who wants to avoid the security check can easily cut the sim and be done. Why does my company need to approve the sim swap? An operation that takes 5 minutes has been successfully converted into a needless long bureaucratic process.

Then I remembered that I am engineer with fairly good hands-on skill. I don't have to be at the mercy of these silly bureaucrats. So I fired up Youtube and watched a sim cutting video, very carefully. Then I picked up my miniSIM and cut it using a scissor. No template, no measurements, just visual feel. After no more than 5-6 snips, I could fit it perfectly in the microSim holder of Lumia 720. And it worked like a charm when I turned on the phone. Voilà!

The service industry culture of today has really reduced the work force into 10% DOers an 90% bureaucrats. No wonder customers feel harassed all the time.

PS: On an unrelated note, my Airtel fixed line is dead today. Using the 720 as the wifi hotspot since morning.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Just yesterday, I got another taste of Stupidocracy... I mean bureaucracy in Airtel.

Remember this song? All i want is a room somewhere...

Yes, that is Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. Yesterday I was singing All I want is a microSIM....

Good you cut it yourself. I took a different route. I purchased a sim cutter on ebay.in for 100rs, and then cut the sim myself. No need to deal with any kind of "customer service"

[Mudhalaipatti]

Right from day 1, I have been having issues with Airtel DTH. I purchased airtel DTH online and promptly pay online. That was my biggest mistake. I realize later. SLA is 2 days for installation and activation. 5 days passes and no one attends. Call up customer care, standard reply of 24 hours resolution. Atleast they are consistent in their inconsistency. This same 24 hours resolution I get for another 3 days.

Facebook, twitter, nodal agency contact. Nothing moves thee guys. Perhaps tears does. But then I don't shed tears for these. Finally after a harrowing 1 week, they install the DTH.

Now I want to change to Ala-Carte and decide to do it online. By this time I realize I'll have to recharge as well. But stupid airtel site says "technical error. try after sometime'. I tried for 2 days. Same issue. Call up customer care. Standard reply - "Sir, please try after sometime".

Finally managed to get this paid through another link on the website, but they deduct Rs.20 for activation fees. !@#$@#.

My Ala-carte menu is still not activated. Call up customer care and raise a complaint. Familiar response. "Sir you request will be serviced in 12 hours". "This is not a request my dear lady, it's a complaint. It better be attended to in the next 6 hours".

It takes them 2 days to get my channels. uuufff !

AIRTEL customer service, you can give any govt department a run for their money.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Why does sim swap need thorough security clearance? Anybody who wants to avoid the security check can easily cut the sim and be done. Why does my company need to approve the sim swap? An operation that takes 5 minutes has been successfully converted into a needless long bureaucratic process.

It is not about you cutting the sim or otherwise - I dont think they could care less if you cut the SIM.

Its about the SIM Swap being authorised by the owner of the line - in your case, that is the company and not you.

This is important because there are so many services tied to your SIM or your Mobile NUmber today that could be misused by anyone - Mobile Banking which relies on recognising your phone number, for instance. Or Internet Banking which generates an OTP over SMS for access to your accounts. There have been several instances across the world of other services being compromised through the SIM-Swap process at the Telecom Operator, where the miscreant gets access to the SIM Card through an unauthorized SIM-Swap first.

Hence the requirement - whether at AirTel or elsewhere. If you do find an operator that allows SIM Swaps to happen casually without verification, you should be worried.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Hence the requirement - whether at AirTel or elsewhere. If you do find an operator that allows SIM Swaps to happen casually without verification, you should be worried.

Since you are very familiar with this area, you can probably explain this to me.

If the miscreant already has the miniSIM, he can misuse it using a miniSIM compatible smartphone or cut it and use it on microSIM compatible smartphone. How does the sim swapping enable him to commit any extra fraud not allowed by the original sim?

The verification during sim swap is preventing exactly what?

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I needed to switch from miniSIM to microSIM.

Just to make it clear, did you want,
1) Airtel to cut the existing miniSIM to microSIM, or
2) Cancel miniSIM and issue new microSIM in lieu.

[NetfreakBombay]

This is VERY bad service form Airtel. They should have checked your number and told about the requirements in 5 minutes.

And having customer run around for photocipes etc is so like govt departments (matches title of the thread).

Originally Posted by Samurai

He: We need a letter from your company, on company letter head, with company seal.
Me: What? All I want is a sim swap. Why all this meaningless bureaucracy?
He: These are security requirements. We need company letter and seal.
Me: Oh, jump.... <I stormed out of the airtel office>

Basically this is due to "contract" with Business. As part of "contract", Airtel needs to ensure that no employee other than the designated person is allowed to change anything in the account.

Not sure if this applies to your specific situation or not, but unlike consumer connections; corporate users are sometimes not allowed to activate/deactivate services on their own or authorize chanrges. This would include 25 Rs. charge for SIM replacement.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

This is VERY bad service form Airtel. They should have checked your number and told about the requirements in 5 minutes.

And having customer run around for photocipes etc is so like govt departments (matches title of the thread).

Exactly, every time I showed up, they told me about one extra requirement.

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

Basically this is due to "contract" with Business. As part of "contract", Airtel needs to ensure that no employee other than the designated person is allowed to change anything in the account.

Being the guy who usually signs such approval, and since I have corporate connection since 9 years, I know the process to change anything on a corporate account.

My question is why this "change management" process being applied to sim swap. All they have to do is destroy old sim and issue new sim. The ONLY benefit I get is I can use it with microSIM compatible smartphone. How does switching to microSIM open new breaches in security? What extra features does the new microSIM unlock that miniSIM didn't have?

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by Samurai

My question is why this "change management" process being applied to sim swap. All they have to do is destroy old sim and issue new sim.

Yes, they should be able to:

1. Have some system to validate existing SIM
2. Have user pay directly over the counter and not charge the account
3. Capture ID proof etc for Audit trails

In that case, authorization from corporate should not be required.

Maybe this is not a common use case and was missed (or ommited) while designing the process.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Just yesterday, I got another taste of Stupidocracy... I mean bureaucracy in Airtel.


Why does sim swap need thorough security clearance? Anybody who wants to avoid the security check can easily cut the sim and be done. Why does my company need to approve the sim swap? An operation that takes 5 minutes has been successfully converted into a needless long bureaucratic process.

The service industry culture of today has really reduced the work force into 10% DOers an 90% bureaucrats. No wonder customers feel harassed all the time.

PS: On an unrelated note, my Airtel fixed line is dead today. Using the 720 as the wifi hotspot since morning.

Imagine my plight, I had old SIM which cannot be chopped!
And this happened right when the anti-LBT sentiments were on full swing.
Which means no photo studio, no photocopy machine ...

Anyway I humored the Airtel blokes (ran around to get the "documentation" complete) and got new SIM which was ultimately chopped by an Airtel lackey to microSIM proportions.



Now when the time came to leave the shop I was compelled to pay Rs 25. No issues with that - but Airtel staff refused to give me a bill/receipt of payment!

"Sir we cannot issue a receipt for such a small payment"
!!!!

I called up customer care.
Same reply

I wrote to customer care with nodal or appellate authority.
Similar canned reply "We would like to inform you that we are unable to catter your request as it is one time cost,receipt cannot be furnished for the same."

So I turned to PGPortal. Logged a complain, and wrote specifically that Airtel is pulling a fast one on Telecom Department committing a fraudulent malpractice etc.

After one month I received a call and apology from Airtel, with a letter stating the proof of payment.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by Samurai

The verification during sim swap is preventing exactly what?

Is preventing the guy from getting a sim with your profile. Mini, Micro, Maxi - the size doesnt matter in this case.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Is preventing the guy from getting a sim with your profile. Mini, Micro, Maxi - the size doesnt matter in this case.

Which guy? He already has the sim.