CUSTOMER CARE IN 2020

Operator: “Thank you for calling Pizza Hut . May I have your…”

Customer: “Heloo, can I order..”

Operator : “Can I have your multi purpose card number first, Sir?”

Customer: “It’s eh…, hold……….on……889861356102049998-45-54610″

Operator : “OK… you’re… Mr Singh and you’re calling from 17 Jalan Kayu. Your home number is 4094! 2366, your office 76452302 and your mobile is 0142662566. Which number are you calling from now Sir?”

Customer: “Home! How did you get all my phone numbers?

Operator : “We are connected to the system Sir”

Customer: “May I order your Seafood Pizza…”

Operator : “That’s not a good idea Sir”

Customer: “How come?”

Operator : “According to your medical records, you have high blood pressure and even higher cholesterol level Sir”

Customer: “What?… What do you recommend then?”

Operator : “Try our Low Fat Hokkien Mee Pizza. You’ll like it”

Customer: “How do you know for sure?”

Operator : “You borrowed a book entitled “Popular Hokkien Dishes” from the National Library last week Sir”

Customer: “OK I give up… Give me three family size ones then, how much will that cost?”

Operator : “That should be enough for your family of 10, Sir. The total is $49.99″

Customer: “Can I pay by! credit card?”

Operator : “I’m afraid you have to pay us cash, Sir. Your credit card is over the limit and you owe your bank $3,720.55 since October last year. That’s not including the late payment charges on your housing loan, Sir.”

Customer: “I guess I have to run to the neighbourhood ATM and withdraw some cash before your guy arrives”

Operator : “You can’t Sir. Based on the records, you’ve reached your daily limit on machine withdrawal today”

Customer: “Never mind just send the pizzas, I’ll have the cash ready. How long is it gonna take anyway?”

Operator : “About 45 minutes Sir, but if you can’t wait you can always com and collect it on your motorcycle…”

Customer: ” What!”

Operator : “According to the details in system ,you own a Scooter,…registration number 1123…”

Customer: ” ????”

Operator : “Is there anything else Sir?”

Customer: “Nothing… by the way… aren’t you giving me that 3 free bottles of cola as advertised?”

Operator : “We normally would Sir, but based on your records you’re also diabetic……. “

Customer: #$$^%&$@$%^

Operator : “Better watch your language Sir. Remember on 15th July 1987 you were convicted of using abusive language on a policeman…?”

Customer: [Faints]

Source - http://funnyjoke.wordpress.com/2007/02/22/customer-care-in-2020/

It is not only auto drivers harassing common people, police are also with them

I have a question for you-

“In an argument with an auto driver, police will side with whom?”

If your answer is that police will side with you then you have a surprise for you whenever you face such a situation. My experience is that police always sides with auto drivers as they see them as a money provider whereas public will only say thank you and walk away. In fact what police is doing is as per the policy of the government – “Talk of common man’s interest but work for other party’s interest”. And this party can be auto drivers, taxi/bus drivers, power/water distribution companies and any other product or service provider.

Yesterday I visited pre-paid auto booth at Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station. I wanted to hire an auto for Paschim Puri. The policeman asked me to pay Rs. 125. When I said that the fare by meter comes to between Rs. 90 and Rs. 95, he said that it if I want a pre-paid auto I will have to pay Rs. 125. He was visibly annoyed with me. I gave him Rs. 150. He threw Rs. 25 at me. And whatever talk he did was shouting at me.

I have been wondering, is it is essential for a policeman to be ill-mannered.

I monitored the auto meter. When I reached my residence, the meter showed 19.3 km and fare as Rs. 92.80. I showed it to auto driver. He told me that he can not give money to police from his pocket. Passengers have to provide it.

I will be happy if any one can cite an instance where police sided with common people.

See what Delhi Traffic Poluice say on their website (S. No. 2 for over-charging)

http://www.delhitrafficpolice.nic.in/prepaid-booths.htm

Benefits of travelling in Taxi or TSR from Traffic Prepaid Booths :

1. Prepaid booths are operated under the direct control of Delhi Traffic Police.
2. It helps to avert over-charging, refusal, misbehaviour or harassment by the Taxi/TSR drivers.
3. Taxis are presently operating from 3 booths i.e. Domestic, International Airports an New Delhi Railway Station (Ajmeri Gate side).
4. Duly signed receipt indicating the Taxi/TSR number, destination, Service Charges, baggage charge if any and the fare is given to the passenger.
5. Rs. 2/- and 5/- for TSRs and Rs. 10/- for taxis are charged for the services.
6. This system is purely optional for passengers.
7. One can SMS at 6767 for any complaint regarding misbehaviour by TSR/Taxi drivers.

In my case Delhi Traffic Police did the overcharging.

Why schools and bus drivers do not follow SC guidelines?

The highest court of India has framed guidelines to be followed by schools and drivers of the buses being used by schools for carrying children to school and back. But it is seen that no school and no driver is following these guidelines. They also do not show any inclination to follow the guidelines. For them these guidelines do not exist. This problem is very acute where mini buses are being used for this purpose.

I want to share my personal experience on this issue. Minibus of the school where my grand daughter is studying is a typical example of the mess and potential threat to the safety of children. A school teacher travels in the bus but she is a total stranger to the kids, no hello, no good morning, no care of children whether they are sitting comfortably, no concern whether the bus doors are closed when the bus is moving, One helper travels in the bus but he only occupies a seat. He does not help children in getting in and getting out of bus. He does not help children to sit comfortably. He does not ensure that bus door is locked when the bus is moving. The teacher and the helper are totally irrelevant factors in school bus and only occupy the seats where kids can sit.

I had sent a letter to the principal. We have brought up this issue in PTA meetings. But no proper response and action. Whenever we have talked to Transport In-charge, his behaviour is highly in favour of the bus driver. To one parent, he has even gone to the extent of advising that if they are not satisfied with the bus service then they can take their child to another school. When I reminded him that only this statement is sufficient for de-recognition of the school, he kept quiet but no positive action.

Why schools and bus drivers do not follow SC guidelines? Why they are not concerned about the safety of children? Can such unconcerned people be good teachers?

The situation is bad. The safety of children is not ensured. Any time ant accident can happen. But is anybody bothered?

To know the SC guidelines please click on

SC GUIDELINES ON SCHOOL BUSES

Whose responsibility is to provide safe water to people?

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and her minister Yoganand Shastri, in a half page advertisement (with their photos on top corners) have told the people of Delhi that Unsafe Water Can Give Diseases. This is one fact which all the people of Delhi already know. What they want to know is, “Who is responsible for providing safe water to them?” Whenever I have asked this question to myself two names have surfaced in my mind and those are the names of Dixit and Shastri.

Is this advertisement an admission that this government is not capable of providing safe water to Delhi people?

Why train is kept locked on the platform?

On the nights of 13 and 14 July 2007, I had traveled by Shram Shakti Express between New Delhi to Kanpur and back. On both occasions, train came on the platform but all coaches were locked from inside. Passengers were feeling very uncomfortable in sultry heat on the platforms and were looking forward for the train to come so that they can board the train and sit in AC environment. BUT TRAIN WAS LOCKED FROM INSIDE.

With passengers making lot of hullahulla the coach was ultimately unlocked. But to our dismay, we discovered that it was still being cleaned. Fans were not running. AC was not switched on. In was more hot and sultry inside than outside on the platform. Then again arguments and counter arguments with staff, Fan and AC were switched on.

Why all this? When train comes on platform it should be properly cleaned, fans and AC should be on. Why make journey uncomfortable at the beginning itself? Had the cleaning staff took this decision on their own, or it is the policy of Indian Railways?

Bedrolls given in Indian trains – most unhygienic manner

On the nights of 13 and 14 July 2007, I had traveled by Shram Shakti Express between New Delhi to Kanpur and back. Indian Railways provide bedrolls in AC coaches. IRCTC had given contracts to private operators for this.

The contractors are required to comply with following conditions:

a) One bedroll kit should contain two bed sheets, one pillow, one pillow cover, one blanket, one face towel,

b) Bedrolls to be stored and transported in specially designed canvas bags,

c) Bedroll kit to be provided to passengers in tamper-proof eco-friendly carry bags with IRCTC logo printed on bags,

d) Blankets should washed/dry-cleaned every month.

Contractor did not comply with above requirements. Face towel was not provided. No canvas bags, no carry bags, blankets never washed/dry-cleaned. No responsible person is present in the train. Delivery boys are not aware of the name of the contract agency. I wrote a complaint in the complaint book provided by Ticket Examiner.

Bedrolls were tied in the cloth pieces, and were dragged on the floor.

Why Government only reacts? Why it is not pro-active?

It is true that UPA government at the center is besieged by many compulsions, which have been named by Prime Minister as compulsions of coalition politics. But these compulsions do not force the government to ‘not being pro-active’. All round steep price rise, killings by blue-line buses, kids being killed by school mini buses, a child dying of electrocution by an open transformer, elder citizens being murdered….. the list is very long. Every person living in Delhi or aware of Delhi knows about these things, but Govt. had not taken any pro-active measures. It reacted very late in these cases and that too only after people started protesting on roads.

Why Govt. can not be pro-active and take preventive measures?

Indian Railways should show respect to Taj Mahal

Picture on right is of Taj Mahal in all its glory.
Picture on left is of the most colourful BG train of all in steam days, the New Delhi Agra Taj Express of the Central Railway, shortly after dawn in December 1980. The 11 car blue and cream rake included a restaurant car, and a luxurious Air Conditioned First Class Chair Car, pictured here in second position behind the locomotive. Two years later the rake was painted in standard colours and hauled by a diesel (www.geocities.com). Now all the glory of Taj Express is gone, Today, it iis one of most dirty trains.

Taj Mahal, in a global on-line poll, has been selected as one of 7 wonders of the world. After this event, I got an opportunity to travel by Indian Railways Taj Express between New Delhi to Agra on two occasions. Like every Indian, I was feeling very proud about Taj and was quite emotional on this account. Somewhere in my mind, I was expecting the same grandeur in Taj Express. This train, as everybody knows, uses the name of Taj. Long back, this train was introduced for tourists to visit Taj Mahal. It will start in the morning from Delhi and will return in the evening, giving full day to the tourists to visit Taj Mahal and other places in and around Agra.

When the train entered the platform at Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, I was shocked. The train was very dirty from outside. Perhaps it has not been properly washed and cleaned for past few months. With this shock, I entered AC Chair car. Inside it was no different. It was dirty. When I reached the seat assigned to me, another shock. The back rest of the seat was damaged. I never thought that Indian railways will press a coach in service when its seat was damaged. No person can travel for three hours sitting on that seat. Don’t they have a system of certifying that a coach is fit to travel? The window glass was broken. The concerned staff had covered the cracks with plastic tape rather than replacing it. Light in the coach was insufficient. Covers of tube lights have not been cleaned for quite some time. The toilet was dirty and stinking. Floor was uneven and Water was collected on it. No place has been provided for keeping food items before they are served to passengers. These are stored on floor near the gate below wash-basin and trash-can.

There is nothing on this train now which can justify its name as Taj Express. Indian Railways should show some respect o Taj. They should improve the train to make it deserving to have this name, or they should change the name. Naming this train as Taj Express is an insult to Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal is a tribute to beauty and love. This train has no beauty and no love for its passengers.

Apart from the above, it is a clear case of harassment and putting passengers to untold inconveniences and a threat to their health. Also the train never runs on time. It is called Super Fast but it crawls. Calling it Super Fast is only for increasing the fare (cutting into passengers’ pockets).

Big Ad and mismanaged Event

I saw this ad in a newspaper, A half page ad from the school, tells you what happens when your son Rahul joins Mother’s Pride. Neighbours will think that Rahul’s grandma has magic powers, and his grandpa will become famous by starting a blog. All this will happen because Rahul will learn computer and Taekwondo in the school. According to this ad, when your child joins this school, the whole family joins it. And school charges only for your son. Family gets educated at no cost.

This school organized a Baby Show on Sunday last. Registration amount was Rs. 100. There were two batches, 9.30 AM – 12.30 PM and 2.00 PM – 5.00 PM. We registered our grand daughter for afternoon batch in I to 2 years category (she is 14 months old).

Parents were advised to get ready for Delhi’s most happening baby show, a show, that will allow us to showcase our baby’s most adorable qualities, be it a sweet smile, a curly mop of hair or sparkling eyes.

When we reached the venue at 1.45 PM results were being announced. We were told that the show is over. School has cancelled second batch, We asked them how can they do it? The reply was we have already done it. We asked them, why we were not informed, our phone number was on the registration form? They said we did not consider it necessary. So, this is the real school.

Now for managing the event. Hall was overcrowded. There were not sufficient chairs. The atmosphere was very stuffy. No proper arrangement for drinking water. School did not bother to plan a hall which could accommodate the people expected at the show. Number of children registered for show were known. It was known that at least mother and father of the child will also come.

It was nothing but plain harassment. Event was highly mismanaged. School has robbed parents of Rs. 100and lot of time, and the excitement in the family that their child was taking part in a baby show. Parents and children were mentally and physically harassed.

A highly misleading ad.

Call centres for customer service

A real situation cartoon
(source - www.mtncartoons.com)