Worst marketing practices of Indian Mobile service operators – Part II

5. Over billing: This is one of the most popular ploy in post paid connections. Simply show lots of excess billing. In most cases the user simply pays off. If he does not it is a matter of conflict and arbitration. In one example the user was given a bill of Rs 16,000/- for a month. The shocked user complains. The reason given was that he was using the push mail service and that he was downloading files every time he used the push mail service. The user clarified that he was using these service and that he was told that he would be charged only Rs 2/- per e-mail service and that he was not told anything about the downloads. After agonizing wait the bill was waived off.

6. Give less on free calls:  The service operators give lots of free call on their own network free. This is used as a carrot to get the users to get their accounts recharged. Sometimes as many as 200 free calls are given in the same network. But critics argue that these are only notional free calls and that the user does not get his quota of 200 free calls. After all no one really count his/her free calls.

8. No proper verification: In the race to get numbers the service operators have given a bye to all rules and regulations. It was a breeze to get new SIM cards in India. One just needed an address proof and one photograph. Getting an address proof in India is very easy. It is rumored that the same address proof was used many times and many SIM cards were issued to many new users including anti social elements. The scam became so big that anti social and terrorist organizations started using multiple SIM cards and confusing the intelligence agencies. The India’s intelligence agencies had enough. They issued a dikrat, shape up or ship out. Scared of getting out of business the service operators have come down heavily on their agents who dish out the SIM cards. It is said that now there is a proper verification of a new user before a SIM card is issued. Let us hope it stays that way.

9. Life time validity: Getting life time validity for a mobile connection was a great motivator. It was assured that life meant life of the user. But it was not the case. It meant the life of the mobile instrument that is 4 to 5 years. Luckily for the customer the market economies have meant that no one is really talking about life time validity. If there was protectionism and if there was no choice for the customers the service operators would have withdrawn the life time validity scheme and would have started collecting monthly rentals charges like they were doing before the starting of the life time validity scheme.

10. Just dial and the ringing time is also shown as call: This happens with my service operator and that too in the post paid scheme. If the number that I am dialing keeps ringing the time ticker starts off. The ringing stops after may be 30 seconds but the time shows “call: 30 seconds”. I fail to understand how the call can be transacted by just calling. In our times the call was supposed to be completed only if the receiver picks up the phone and talks. But maybe that is the cost that we have to pay for modern technology!

Worst marketing practices of Indian Mobile service operators – Part I

When they are good they are good and when they are bad they are very bad. The mobile boys have also given us lots of bad marketing practices in a cut throat rate race for acquiring and retaining numbers. 

1. Selling of phone numbers for a very cheap price: Funnily enough the customers that the mobile service operators have acquired with so much of pain and effort are given off at a very cheap price to SMS operators. These SMS operators then harass the customers which all types of unwanted products and services.

2. Number Portability: The worst thing about having a mobile connection in India is that the customer so wedded to the operator for life. The mobile number becomes the extension of the customer’s personality and he/she does not want to take a new connection for his entire social network and friends know him/her by that number. The TRAI (Telecom regulation Authority of India) wanted to introduce a number portability scheme where the customer can if he wants change his service provider without changing the number. And Presto all the service operators came together to protect their (un)holy turf. Leaving the customer with no choice they are fighting tool and nail to see that the scheme of number portability scheme is not introduced. In this war for profits the customer is left holding the bag. He can’t do anything but to curse his fate for choosing the service operator that he is struck with.

3. Auto cut off:  One o the annoying thing about mobile calls is that the calls get cut abruptly which is popularly called call hanging. It is said that the cutting off is because of faulty network and cell transfers from one cell tower to another. But critics point out that call hanging does not happen with land line networks. They allege that the call hanging is a way of getting extra revenue. When a call gets hung up the customer has no choice but to makes another call.

4. Silence is YES: An issue that was very contentious and which went to the court of law. A customer gets a SMS which says “get your favorite ring tone at Rs 30/- per month. If you want to subscribe to this service send a SMS to this number”. The catch is the customer may simply ignore the SMS. The operator immediately deducts Rs 30/- from the user’s balance. This deduction goes unnoticed in the post paid connections but in pre paid where balances are used very carefully and judiciously this comes as a big blow. Finally the judicial system in India has to intervene and clarify that Silence is actually no and just because the customer kept silent it can’t be taken as an affirmative action.

An affirmative action has to be confirmed with sending of a SMS to the number mentioned. But in a country that is so illiterate it is very difficult for the user to understand so much of technical talk. The user is hassled and suddenly he/she gets a SMS. The SMS prompts the user to press the Yes button and he/she innocently presses the Yes button. The service is immediately activated. Once the service is activated it is very difficult for it to be deactivated. Calls to the customer care center are usually not very helpful. The customer care centers become helpful only if the caller becomes belligerent and threatens legal action or cancellation of service.