Trying to find a phone number in India is often like extracting a mastodon's tooth, namely, an exercise in frustration. A couple of days after moving in, we realized that we should call a gas agency to have one of those anachronistic red cylinders delivered to us. I looked up the number of a private gas agency online and called their Bangalore location. Wrong number. I tried an alternate number. The number was not in service, the computerized message informed me in Kannada. I called the main office in Hyderabad. Could they put me through to their Bangalore office? Sorry, ma'am, we don't operate in Bangalore. Really? Isn't it a little misleading then to have a Bangalore number on your site?
We experienced another case of number brickwalling when our phone and internet connection went kaput the third day after we moved in. We eagerly scanned the BSNL statement that our landlord had kindly left us to see if we could find a customer service number. No such luck. There was a number for public grievances but we were not sure if our problem could be termed a public grievance. I asked the management in our housing community if they could get us the number. I dialled and got through to BSNL but just when I was mentally celebrating our breakthrough, the person on the other end pricked the balloon of my happiness. Ma'am, you'll have to call 1500 from your landline. But wait, isn't the fact that the landline is not working the very reason why I am calling you now? Ma'am you'll have to go to a friend's house and call 1500 from their landline. OK, but what if I don't have a friend or I can't get to their house now, don't you have a regular customer service number that I can call from my cell phone? The BSNL guy seemed genuinely puzzled by this question. Ma'am, there is no such provision at this time.
I put the phone down and a wave of nostalgia washed over me: nostalgia for that sleepy, bored voice of a 411 operator saying "what city"? and for a phone company that doesn't expect you to be able to use your phone when you have a problem with your line.
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This is sooo true... exactly what we went thru 6-7 years back. had to tell friends to lodge the complaint for us from their landline. Luckily they were in same building so could use intercom to tell them so.
ReplyDeleteSangeeta, pls keep the posts coming.
Me,
ReplyDeleteyes it's baffling but things seem to have settled down for us since that initial spot of telephone trouble. Thanks for the encouragement...will try to keep posting!
Reminds me of our initial days in Mumbai when we moved back for four years. But we loved our stay after the teething problems were over. Happy 4th July Srinivasas!
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