Lunch at BSNL Customer Care

Yesterday, I went to BSNL Customer Care Office at 1.25 pm.

It was buzzing with activity…all chairs for the customers occupied, small groups of people everywhere and as soon as I reached the Broadband section, a variety of food aromas arose. Reason? Some of the Aunties (no mistaking, they were aunties!) of the office were having lunch, yes at 1.25 pm.

Official lunch timings are 1.30 to 2 pm.

Wait and patience were the 2 words that I tried to hammer into my brain.

The lunch got over in next few minutes…with one lady washing her hands under the table…Eeks! And soon they made themselves comfortable, 2 were seen with feet on the table and started chatting, 2 went off to sleep with their heads down on the table (remember school days?), while 2 talked non-stop on their phones (one lady surely didn’t let the person at the other end to even say Hmm, er, ya etc!).

2 young men went up to them with some query. While they were returning back, I heard one of them muttering, “They will not even say anything till 2.15pm!”

2.15!! I panicked and it was just 1.45 pm!

The band of 6 ladies were oblivious to the irritated looks, tired and bored looks and even the harsh stares of the harried customers.

At last, I asked one lady about the time, she said, “Oh 2.20!” and this made them come out of their siesta. And the best part was that the lady who was to look after my query came at her work-station only at 2.30 pm! Reason? She went OUT for lunch!

So they start their lunch before the scheduled time and return to their work stations much after the scheduled time.

What a culture!…when everywhere there are posters of Priety Zinta (the old brand ambassador) and Deepika Padukone (the new brand ambassador) and even Mahatma Gandhi saying…”Customers are Precious”!

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