Blackberry Phones and Services in India

[shajufx]

I got a new blackberry pearl 8120 (only pearl model with wi-fi) last week. This thread is intended to bring blackberry users to one place, so that we can discuss various things related to blackberry !

Mods, I have searched the forum with different key words, but could not find a proper thread on BB services, providers, technical aspects, various hand set or plan discussions. Therefore, I hope this will bring users to help each other in many related things.

Coming to my personal experience; I must admit Airtel customer service sucks bigtime ! My first attempt to activate BB service was calling 121 and wasting my time speaking, on hold, speaking, on hold which went on for 15 minutes that ended with an advise to email 121@airtel.com with my request to activate BB services. I waited for 24 hours as advised, but nobody called, nor anyone replied.

For reference to the following discussion:
Airtel BB monthly plans as of August 2008

Unlimited = Rs.899/-
500 KB = Rs.449/- (50 paisa for every extra KB)
0 KB = Rs.249/- (15 paisa per KB)

Next attempt was to call up 7070, where I wanted to clarify different BB user plans and decide myself which one would suite me. The usual blabbering went on for good 20 minutes but without any information. I asked a simple question, 'suppose I opt for Rs.449/- plan and my total usage comes to 500 MB, what would be my total bill ?' I could feel the guy on the other side sweating and panting when it came to numbers. Anyway, I ended the call without any useful information.

After waiting for another 24 hours, I called up 121 again. The lady on the other side asked me to hold for a minute without even saying 'hello'. The game of hold, saying sorry, hold, sorry went on for 15 minutes. I have not got a chance to say why I called. A good 15 minutes has no value for a customer who is requesting for a high-end business service on the phone ? Yes, No value ! Atlast the lady asked me 'how can I help you?'. I told my whole story over BB activation attempts since 4 days. She immediately said, 'sir, you have to walk into any of the airtel outlets and give a written request, they might ask for a deposit, and your BB will be activated within 24 hours'. Ok, I understood everything and it sounded convincing ! Almost 25 minutes gone on phone while I missed over 4 important calls, which I had to call back at my cost ! Thank you airtel. You are helping me to increase my bill.

Almost desperate by this time, I decided to visit the airtel relationship centre on New BEL road today, from where I had taken my postpaid number 2 years back. Within 2 minutes after knowing my purpose of visit, guy at the counter said, 'sir, we are not accepting BB activation requests, you have to go to the city main customer centre'. He suggested the nearest would be Malleswaram which is 8 kms for me. Anyway, almost frustrated and angry with the directions I am getting from call centre as well as outlets, I reached home.

As a last attempt on phone, I tried 7070 again and spoke to a senior tech support guy. Now, hold your breath, I am getting a new information.. "Sir, you have to send a BB activation request mail to bb.support@airtel.in with all your details and wait for 24 hours. I have done that and got an auto-response mail. But I doubt anything would be done through this.

Now coming to the summary:

How many members here use a BB service ? I am sure there are airtel and hutch BB users. If you could share some experience on activation, plans that you use, practical tips on usage, important softwares that might be very useful etc. this thread will find its purpose. There are many international BB forums and software sites. We dont have any decent forum for indian users and service providers.

Waiting to hear from users. Thanks for reading thischeers:

[HappyWheels]

I do not understand how they can treat a premium business user like this! Even a home broad band user gets better service.

Don't you have a corporate relationship manager who might be able to help you out with this.

Hope you better luck, going forward, Shaju.

[AbhiJ]

Hehe..

Even I am planning to take a Blackberry 8320 in a day or two.

I called up Vodafone and they advised me to go to any of their Vodafone stores to get the handset/connection. Will go tomorrow.

Lets see if I am luckier.

Btw shajufx, where did you get your Pearl and how much did you pay for it?

[Jaggu]

If you are going for BB @ AirTel, goto bigger relationship center with exclusive counter for BB. Indira Nagar 100 ft road has one, so if you are near by or passing by try them.

My personal experience, its walking into a showroom anyday better than tel support for any service / plan requests

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

Don't you have a corporate relationship manager who might be able to help you out with this.

I am an individual customer, so there is no hope of help from anyone other than my dear team-bhp members. The purpose of this thread itself was out of all that disappointed attempts and to let others know what indians are getting each day.

Originally Posted by AbhiJ

I called up Vodafone and they advised me to go to any of their Vodafone stores to get the handset/connection.....where did you get your Pearl and how much did you pay for it?

Trust me, vodafone has a better customer service, they even have every form of contacts on their site itself for a blackberry activation and support. You check airtel site and you will understand what I am talking about. I got my pearl 8120 from mobilestore for the MRP 24990. As part of their general promotions, I got 10k worth travel vouchers too by scratch & win scheme.

Originally Posted by Jaggu

If you are going for BB @ AirTel, goto bigger relationship center with exclusive counter for BB. Indira Nagar 100 ft road has one, so if you are near by or passing by try them.

I agree 100% to your suggestion. I was ready to do that, but without someone telling me, how do we decide on 'how to' and 'what to' situations.

Latest update:
I called 7070 one more time and got it confirmed again that I can request for BB activation through email to bb.support@.....itself. I told the guy that I have already done that. He put me on hold and checked my mail request on his system and found it as a 'dumped request' by someone. Now he claims that my email is not complete. I have my mobile number, billing address, BB plan request details etc. in that email, cant they atleast call back and tell me what is missing and what is next ? Each time I contact airtel, they give some reference number, so far I have no clue what a customer can benefit from those ref numbers other than 'put on hold' for more time to dig out that ref number from their systems !! Now I am ready to visit any main relationship centres as Jaggu has suggested above, but the 7070 guy is insisting me not to visit, but sort the issue through email itself. Its very funny, exhausting and frustrating situation. Fingers crossed. Airtel should award me as the most patient and cooperating customer of the year 2008, I will be honoured !cheers:

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by shajufx

... but the 7070 guy is insisting me not to visit, but sort the issue through email itself. Its very funny, exhausting and frustrating situation...

That might be because he wants to have his brownie points! Would suggest a visit to a Airtel relationship center and hope it helps! *fingers crossed*

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by shajufx

Airtel should award me as the most patient and cooperating customer of the year 2008, I will be honoured !cheers:

Politely ask them to connect to their unit manager, new trick i learned Might give you a better response.

[shajufx]

I happend to meet some other unlucky souls online who had to go through the same pain activating BB services with airtel. One of them told me, he was bounced between 121 and 7070 for 4 days without any specific conclusion. Whoever attended calls these days educated him about different methods to get the services activated, sadly none of them were true.

I also went through mouthshut reviews and found exactly similar cases reported. Means its an unattended lack-of coordination from airtel right from the day BB was launched. Corporate customers might be differently handled, because they would have a company coordinator to get things done.

My waiting continues as the 7070 guys forcing me to stay indoors and get the activation guranteed through bb.support...email itself. Lets see how their 'within 24 hours' promise work before 10.30am tomorow. I am sure I will hear something new. If not, I will consider myself very lucky.

The saddest part of all the waiting is; I wanted to make some quick travels and outstation meetings without getting 'disconnected' from clients who are trading 24 hours. BB is the only option open for me, because I dont have to connect each time, or search for net cafes on my travels ! I will get into those details once I am through this activation process.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by shajufx

The saddest part of all the waiting is; I wanted to make some quick travels and outstation meetings without getting 'disconnected' from clients who are trading 24 hours. BB is the only option open for me, because I dont have to connect each time, or search for net cafes on my travels ! I will get into those details once I am through this activation process.

I strongly suggest approaching an AirTel relationship center with BB customer cell for a quick resolution. Saturday they are open and max you will have to do, is arrange for some photograph and address identity proof and have the account activated by Monday.

OR

if you can live without the security encryption and work off exchange server opt for a Mobile office package and configure exchange email in your phone.

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I strongly suggest approaching an AirTel relationship center with BB customer cell for a quick resolution.

The latest 4 calls to 7070 (attended by different guys) confirmed and reconfirmed that I should request it only through email, not from any outlets. So, I really dropped the plan to visit an outlet, but I will defenitely do that if nothing happens until 10.30am tomorow (24 hours after the email request is confirmed as 'received' by them). Support guys said they dont need any documents/photos/deposit etc.

if you can live without the security encryption and work off exchange server opt for a Mobile office package and configure exchange email in your phone.

Mobile office doesnt work with blackberry handset, as I am informed. Please correct me if I am given a wrong information on that. I have extensively used Mobile office on my E62 many months in a row. Its a great service except the 'connect in need', which is different from 'always connected' on a BB service. I am excited about the PIN exchange stuff offered on facebook too. Hope my friends and clients (US and Europe) can message me free of cost whenever they want.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by shajufx

Mobile office doesnt work with blackberry handset, as I am informed. Please correct me if I am given a wrong information on that. I have extensively used Mobile office on my E62 many months in a row. Its a great service except the 'connect in need', which is different from 'always connected' on a BB service. I am excited about the PIN exchange stuff offered on facebook too. Hope my friends and clients (US and Europe) can message me free of cost whenever they want.

I think it does, refer here BlackBerry - BlackBerry Pearl 8120

It says:

Email Integrations

Works with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for Microsoft® Exchange
Works with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for IBM® Lotus® Domino®
Works with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for Novell® GroupWise®
Integrates with an existing enterprise email account
Integrates with existing personal email account
Integrates with new device account

[shajufx]

Yes boss, I have read it in the manual, but the great Airtel support says Mobile office does not work with blackberry pearl or any other blackberry phones. So, I have no choice but to wait to get the BB activation done.

Latest update: I am sure if someone with a serious interest in this topic is reading these posts, they will not opt for an airtel BB service. I waited for 72 hours after the email request for activation (the only way to get it done as claimed by support guys). I called up 7070 on saturday evening, new revelations come up. Support chap says, 'blackberry activation team and tools are totally different and none of them are available on saturday and sunday'. He dug out the request what I have been repeatedly senting from Thursday. Latest advise; "sir, please send one more email (already 4 sent within 72 hours), you can ask for explanation and reasons for the delay. But I can gurantee you that it will be activated only on Monday".

Conclusion: Airtel Blackberry activation will not happen on a saturday (guys go for meeting their mother-in-laws or girl friends to outstation with the BB activation tools !!) and a sunday (guys spent whole day praying in the Churches, or visiting Temples, or being in the Mosque on prayer and fasting) !!

Infact if I recorded every call I made to 121 and 7070, I could have made a 'quality-check file' of the service provider. I have typed in bold letters in all my emails to them; "Airtel customer support sucks big time". I mentioned in bold letters "I have started live-blogging on a very high profile forum with over 28000 active members". So, here goes a helpless, tired, frustrated, business customer of airtel with hopeless tomorows with a "We dont care" attitude company.

[Jaggu]

I understand your frustration BUT its relatively simple and easy task when you walk into the right Airtel center, i personally have seen others, sit in front of the person in charge and subscribe to on Saturdays (rather well educated guy reg BB affair, here in Indira Nagar)!

Customer cell is taking you for a royal ride! Instead of blogging and emailing just put some effort with a personal appointments, if you really want to get this thingie activated.

As far as MO not working, i can assure you these guys have no clue on setting up an APN, how will they accept its possible LOL

[iraghava]

Shaju - Go to the local office & get the BB services activated there. Once that is done, email the Nodal officer of your circle with all the details of emails sent & calls made to customer care. That should see some action from them.

[Sahil]

Airtel customer service is the worst, fortunately i have Vodafone and have been designated with a Relationship manager who handles our accounts personally. Thats how much they care about customer service.

Unfortunately few of our company phones are airtel and whenever i have tried to call their customer care for help it has been a disaster.

Getting back to the topic: How did i activate my BB service on Vodafone? Called them, call answered within 2 mins of dialing, gave my request, they confirmed,sent an sms. Service was active in a few hours.