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”!
June 30, 2009 7:20 am|
Of course, customers are precious. That’s why they want them around at their office, for as long as they can. 😛
Btw, I’ve actually seen an auntyji SNORING at a BSNL office. Beat that? 😀
June 30, 2009 7:32 am|
LOL!! I can believe that…snoring I mean. 😀
I was too tempted to click pics, but thought better of it…as I wanted to get my work done asap!!
June 30, 2009 7:45 am|
in fact after their new hip-hop style ad,
“2 mbps super speed .. BSNL is all we need”
and Deepika Padukone, and the new, heavily hyped 3G
i had thought that the folks were coming of age … i guess was wrong … we left our saddening BSNL dial-up nearly 5 years back, and the only time we interact now with them is when we pay the landline bills …
long live Airtel broadband!!!
btw, there’s a mistake in your calculations, or else you’ve failed to keep ur pledge.. it was 1 POST a DAY, and today is the 30the, while ur archive clearly states 31 posts in June…
thats not done … 😉
June 30, 2009 9:14 am|
Ya, I know… their is a contrast between their ads & products and their work culture!
I can write a small book on my travails in acquiring a landline and a broadband connection from BSNL! They are incorrigible!
Yes, one day I posted 2…so its 31 for june…but the idea is blogging every day 😉
June 30, 2009 10:04 am|
You should have filed a complaint about this… But oops!!! the action might be taken after few years.. This is India and BSNL is Government concern..what else can you expect?
June 30, 2009 10:14 am|
That’s a good one 🙂
June 30, 2009 10:16 am|
I once went to BSNL to get my bills corrected. The clerk mad me walk all over the campus from one department to another and finally I was re directed to him and he said computer is not working.Next day his computer worked ..
….After getting my work done i showed him that there is a realm of animal still left in me.. [:)]
June 30, 2009 11:11 am|
Wow! So many Woes, everyone has!!
June 30, 2009 5:40 pm|
ha atleast the one(bsnl office) in our city is better than the one you hve stated…:D
June 30, 2009 6:10 pm|
Wow! Good to see a satisfied customer of BSNL among us! 🙂
June 30, 2009 7:17 pm|
Well..must have been an experience..huh!!
Its the same story across the BSNL offices. Typical government employee.
But there is an element of improvement as well due to the cut-throat competition in mobile space due to which BSNL was losing a lot. It only started when Airtel and such went live in rural areas where BSNL had a monolpoly.
But the customer service continues to be poor.
Reminds me of that serial “Office Office”.!
July 1, 2009 4:53 am|
Yeah, it gets on your nerves!
You are right, BSNL has changed in respect to technology, products, advertising, online services etc, but customer care remains a sorry state of affairs still!! 🙁
July 1, 2009 6:32 am|
absolutely shocked not to see a new post … c’mon it’s 23 hrs sice this one … one more hour to maintain your great vow!!!!
😀
PS: or was it applicable for June only?
July 1, 2009 8:54 am|
I am not disappointing you, Subhayan!
U can see the new post!! 🙂
July 1, 2009 6:02 pm|
Its ok… we are always at the receiving end in govt offices. Good that you posted about it. Somebody should feel ashamed
July 2, 2009 2:17 pm|
@ Tiger: Hmm…I dont know if anybody would be ashamed! If they can just do their job, we’d be highly grateful! 🙂
July 3, 2009 7:41 am|
BSNL we had a real tough time getting our lanline connection disconnected when we moved out of Kolkata … now I know why “Customer is precious”…
Since then I have not even thought of BSNL anymore …
July 6, 2009 9:39 am|
@ Dhiman: I know, its tough getting your work done at BSNL. 🙁
November 19, 2014 1:22 pm|
Commenting after 5 years 😆 and the situation is still the same 😛
November 19, 2014 1:27 pm|
Yes, the situation is more or less the same in most government offices! Amazed to get a comment on such an old post. Thank you, Rajesh!
November 19, 2014 1:36 pm|
Oh man!! I thought you stopped blogging!! Wow!! I like the look of this blog!! This blog takes me back to the good old days !! 😀
November 19, 2014 1:38 pm|
No, still going strong! 😀 Thanks and glad to see you here 🙂
May I know your blog URL, Rajesh?
November 19, 2014 1:48 pm|
Aah!! My blogs are destroyed !! And I’m no more blogging 😥 but now I’m thinking of doing it again 😎 hoping for te best 😀
November 19, 2014 1:50 pm|
Oh! That’s bad! Hope you get back to blogging soon! All the best 🙂
November 19, 2014 1:52 pm|
Thank you ! Have fun blogging !!
December 28, 2016 4:32 pm|
Today also BSNL is having the same situation.
I visited their office to get new broadband connection.
i visited 6 times just to submit the form. In my area only BSNL is available so i visited 6 times otherwise i will never take connection from BSNL.
December 28, 2016 4:34 pm|
Today also BSNL is having the same situation.
I visited their office to get new broadband connection.
i visited 6 times just to submit the form. In my area only BSNL is available so i visited 6 times otherwise i will never take connection from BSNL.
They even dont know about the available packs and plans,
February 12, 2019 3:24 am|
Did you ever visited a bank?
March 8, 2019 1:24 pm|
Not onley in Bsnl office all government office and national bank sector central government not takeing any sets. Government issued incresing there salary. Public are suffering about service. You can see at 10.30 starts bank even 10.45 few staff are there for them no biometric attendance. If staff come 1 minute late gov as to cut their salary 25 percent of the day. Perday