From correspondents in Delhi, India, 02:30 PM IST
India may be the world's fastest growing telecom market, but subscribers are increasingly dissatisfied over poor customer care, according to an International Data Corp (IDC) survey.
The average waiting time to speak to a customer care executive is well over five minutes, according to the survey by the IDC, a global market intelligence firm specialising in IT, telecommunications and consumer technology markets.
The survey, entitled 'India Mobile Services Usage and Satisfaction Study 2007', was conducted on a sample of 4,760 users.
IDC noted that the key concern areas of consumers were lack of knowledge and promptness among customer care representatives, with no satisfactory final result.
'It appears that service providers are not upgrading their infrastructure to match their growing customer base. This needs greater attention. Implementation of a well-defined customer care programme is likely to benefit service providers,' Shailendra Gupta, senior manager for consumer research, IDC (India), said in a statement.
Although there had been an overall improvement in consumer satisfaction levels, customers are eager to change their service operator any time for a better offers, the survey found.
The number of loyal customers has gone down and the number of disloyal and opportunist consumers has risen, the survey highlighted.
According to IDC (India), this problem would become greater when the long-awaited number portability policy is implemented.
Mobile number portability would allow users to retain their numbers even if they change service operators.
'Mobile service providers should not let go of their brand's inherent perceived strengths and continue to devise innovative pricing schemes and offers. With the total number of mobile subscribers in India set to double to 500 million by 2010, the pie is big enough for everyone,' Gupta added.
Among the 11 service providers surveyed, only three - Airtel, BPL Cellular and Vodafone - emerged as the most preferred operators.
'Indian telecom operators have done a good job of satisfying customers continuously over the last three years. But this may not continue if the government does not address the issue of spectrum availability speedily,' said Kapil Dev Singh, country manager, IDC (India).
'Although at present it is considered a core technology issue, customers will soon start complaining about network quality,' Singh added.
Most Recent Comments
Place: Bangalore. I enabled the new STD pack (Rs. 1.3/min) after reading from their website that there are no hidden charges for the same. I lost all my free calls and SMS after I enabled this. When I called the customer care, they checked the database and said that my free SMS are still valid and asked me to try sending a SMS and call customer care again. I tried sending a SMS and I was charged and when I called them back they were talking to me very rude. They took a complaint from me when I threatened them with consumer court. Then they closed the complaint quietly and when I called them back they are rude to the core. I have never seen any customer care that is so rude as these guys. Please don't believe their advertisements of friendly customer care. They are big cheaters and rude people. These guys suck.
I am getting regular reminders from some advocate for non payment of your pending bill since long back. To the best of my memory nothing is pending on my part since I left my Gurgaon residence. I had never been a defaulter in making payment. Such type of harrassment is untolerable and leaves a very bad impression on your part. please give me the details to sort out the pending,if any and ask your advocates not to threaten on phone otherwise the matter will be put up to the approprate authority by me at your risk and cost.
Phone users must give the WORST POSSIBLE MEDIA PUBLICITY OF HOW THE OPERATORS CHEATED IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL CASES AND DENIGRATE THE OPERATORS MENTIONING THEIR NAMES AND DETAILS OF THEIR FRAUDS.
Vodafone is a worst mobile service provider in india his billing system as well as prepaid system is worst. So all of you don't take vodafone connection prepaid as well as post paid connection. his customer care is also worst in India
I have the problem with sipce telecom connection, so which i have give a lot of complaint towards call drops and network problem since from 9-10 months, even though the service has not been cleared. So I didnot paid the month rental from last 3 months, because Iam getting loss, so help me about the TRAi rules and regulations act given to the customer for further actions
I am using Vodafone for last 5 months. there apperaed a problem in service suddenly. whenever i am tyying to send any SMS, i get message CHECK OPERATOR SERVICES. i called Customer Care several times, they said problem is with my Hand Set. I changed hand set, even after that i got tje samr message. i again called Customer care, after keeping me on hold for about 5 minutes, the person again advised me to chnage the set and switch off your nobile. but the problem was not solved. i think Vodafone Customer Care is a total Failure.
vodafone service is good but customer service is very bad because system down and busy any one after one days . we can't consult from customercare.
As per your e-mail dt 23 Nov 2007 from care.upe@vodafone.com my dealer(Harsh Language & watch Co. Orderly Bazar, Varanasi) went to that address but they told him we doesn't have replace/repairing part of this particular set. If you want to replace/repair this set you have to wait for at least 3 to 4 month. If we purchase any set and for repairing/replacement its take 3 to 4 month its mean you are not able to provide proper service to us. I think the better option is that I will purchase new set and you just refund my money with the interest.
Devesh Sumeet
The finding of IDC about customer care representative reflects the sorry state of the service providers.As a Vodafone pre-paid customer i can tell that in vodafone its much worse.Here is a small example of vodafone customer care representatives behaviour... My endless calls to Vodafone Customer Care to get those so called Customer Care Executives to understand that its not logical to wait 24 hrs for Vodafone mobile connect service to get activated when service itself is for 24 hrs proved futile.The Vodafone Customer Care Executives are so dumb and irresponsible that they seemed its not worth take note of this problem and inform the responsible person in the back office.They then proved they are not only dumb and irresponsible, they are also arrogant, rude, lazy and not professionals by Blocking my calls to the customer care itself.They also showed how coward they are by not owning up responsibility for blocking my call.Vodafone front office employees lack the knowledge about the services offered by Vodafone to its customers. Instead of giving the facts and details of the service, they keep on telling some memorized out of sort answers which many time doesn't go along with the actual facts. This clearly shows either they lack basic knowledge and effective training or they are out right liars and cheats.They are not willing to provide details about the service they are offering in writing,even though TRAI guidlines made it clear that they should provide the details of service to the customer in writing.They also refuse to provide itemized billing info to the pre-paid customers in violation of TRAI rules.Thay will only change their behaviour if the rules made to protect customers are implemented fully and heavy punishment given for any violation of rules.
"IDC noted that the key concern areas of consumers were lack of knowledge and promptness among customer care representatives, with no satisfactory final result." THE FINDING REFLECTS THE REAL TRUTH, ask any user who suffered a problem! The telecom industry of India is operated by big looters who behave like Mithaiwalas to whom no complaint can be made about his Mithais! The co. promoters are probably once just roadside mithaiwalas who turned to this business, after all they know the tricks of money mobilizing. These fellows spend fabulous amounts running to hundreds of millions of Rupees in advertisements on TV, Internet, everywhere, but they will never care for their customers who made them big, no - since they are separate individuals who have no meaning except when they raise, as a million sized whole, a mountain of money for these un-businesslike, unworthy telecom service co. owners. The telecom regulation authority has been installed by us, people, not merely for prescribing some atrocious phone rates and bandwidth rules, (and for SLEEPING ALL THE REST OF THE TIME?) Both the govt. and telecom consumer organizations (new ones to be formed if necessary) must see to it that these MITHAIWALAS become businesslike in this high-tech industry.
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