No Reliance on Their Connectivity and Service?

In my last post, I had written about how technology can play spoilsport in your daily life. But it was all in a lighter vein.

This time around, I want to highlight the serious lack of responsiveness on the part of companies that provide technology to the masses. We tom-tom the great strides we have taken in telecom and Internet connectivity and our top companies thump their chests on huge subscriber numbers they keep on achieving month after month. But what about listening to the customer? What about the quality of their products and services? What about tons of customer complaints they receive?

It is indeed extremely outrageous that the telecom companies show a pathetic customer attitude toward those who are their very reason for existence (and fat profits).

To cite but one example, my friend Rakesh Raman, who runs a multi-faceted global technology site, wwww.mytechboxonline.com, is facing a harrowing time getting his complaint of dead-slow internet connection addressed by Reliance Communications - one of India's top telecom service providers that prides itself on its so-called 'superior' CDMA technology.

Why am I taking up Rakesh's cause? Not only because I know him personally and professionally, but because I've been personally through the painfully slow speed of wireless Net access that I once used from Airtel. Recently, my brother also got a USB net connection from Reliance - with fast speeds promised - and is facing the same hassles as Rakesh. (Read Rakesh's story of Reliance's callousness at http://mytechbox.wordpress.com)
These large companies make tall promises to customers during the 'acquisition' time - and later keep them running from pillar to post when those same customers find the promises shattered by shoddy service and want to voice their grievances.

I'm sure many of you would've come across similar tales of apathy by large telcos, banks and other 'growing' organizations whose call center service support is deteriorating by the day.

What will make these companies listen?