New Delhi: Customers of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) — the two state-run telecom firms — have been complaining since January about “dead” landline connections and billing issues.
Some have also complained about the telecom firms’ customer grievance redressal systems as there have been significant delays in response to customers’ queries.
In a report Monday, Business Standard also published a story related to similar complaints from BSNL and MTNL customers.
According to the report, these problems are connected to the vast number of BSNL and MTNL employees who have opted for voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) that was announced last year in October — 78,569 from BSNL and 14,300 from MTNL. That means the manpower of these companies has shrunk to almost half, said the report.
Asked about this, Saurabh Tyagi, senior general manager, BSNL corporate office, New Delhi, told ThePrint the company began to address the possible vacuum of manpower from January this year itself.
“All circles have floated tenders for outsourcing services. These tenders have already been invited. Customers are facing temporary issues that sometimes arise out of cable damages. These issues should be resolved within a week or so,” said Tyagi.
The report also stated that MTNL users in Mumbai are now used to having non-functioning landlines for upto 4-6 weeks.
Customers’ woes
In the last 1-2 months, customers have taken to Twitter to voice their complaints.
Jincy Varghese, from Mumbai, shared her experience of trying to get in touch with an India Post office in Sanpada, Navi Mumbai, which uses an MTNL landline.
She claims to have called the office “11 times” on 21 January, and twice again later but was responded to only once.
After she called out India Post for being “unresponsive”, the company responded to her tweet two days later, admitting that there was a problem with the landline connection and offered a personal number where she could contact instead.
As per SPM Sanpada reported that there is problem in landline telephone & also call to MTNL authority. If any complaint /suggestion regarding services of Sanpada PO, Kindly contact to personal mobile no.9820497232 of SPM upto repairing of MTNL landline phone.
— India Post (@IndiaPostOffice) January 23, 2020
Anurag Singh, a BSNL user from Uttar Pradesh East, claimed that his landline bill was “still due” even after paying on 19 February via Amazon.
Singh posted a screenshot of his bill, transaction number and account number. He tagged the BSNL telecom circle (@BSNL_UPEast) and the official company handle (@BSNLCorporate), asking — “are you listening?”
Though the latter handle is active, @BSNL_UPEast last tweeted in November 2018.
https://twitter.com/imanurag_singh/status/1231445462206513152?s=20
Saurabh Shrestha, an MTNL customer from Delhi, had a similar complaint and asked: “Why has mtnl sent me a bill when they can’t even keep the service running?”
@MTNLOfficial @MTNLDEL my landline is dead for almost a month now. Inspite of raising multiple complaints, nothing has been done. why has mtnl sent me a bill when they can't even keep the service running. My landline number is 29541121
— Saurabh Shrestha (@saurabhshrestha) February 16, 2020
According to the guidelines of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), a billing complaint has to be resolved within four weeks and any subsequent payment adjustment has to be paid to the customer “within one week of resolution of the complaint”.
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‘Faulty’ customer complaint process
Many tweeted on behalf of their elderly relatives whose landline connections are down.
Bhavana Girish, a twitter user, even tagged Union Minister of Communications, Electronics & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad. She claimed that her 80 plus-year-old grandparents, who are BSNL customers, do not have landline connection for over 40 days.
“They are elderly and depend on landline connection for their communication,” she wrote on 15 February.
@rsprasad Sir, my 80 plus ur old grandparents BSNL landline connection not working>40 days. Multiple calls made, no response. Kindly address issue at earliest, they are elderly and depend on landline connection for their communication. #bsnl #seniorliving
— Bhavana Girish (@bhavanagirishMD) February 15, 2020
Some were upset with the customer grievance redressal process too.
https://twitter.com/Suman93731828/status/1231589281149456384?s=20
Subham Agarwal, a BSNL customer from Kolkata, said he registered a complaint but it appeared to be cancelled on the BSNL Selfcare portal.
He then tried to lodge a complaint on the portal but claimed that the webpage would log out every time he tried to enter the phone number. A written complaint to the BSNL Kolkata office also elicited no response, he said.
“As per TRAI Timelines complaints related to faults/disruption of services need to be addressed within 3 Days and it has been over a Month now,” tweeted Agarwal.
— Subham Agarwal (@SubhamA58199273) February 22, 2020
According to TRAI, if a Nodal Officer does not resolve the grievance satisfactorily, a customer can appeal to the appellate authority of the service provider. If the appellate authority does not make a decision within three months of filing the appeal, the customer is entitled to “rent rebate”.
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Bsnl land line dead last 6 months why I will pay recent bill
My telephone is out of order for almost month. Have complained but no response. Don’t know what to do. Complaints from mobile phone nobody picks up.
Being a senior citizen and in pandemic time hesitant to visit MTNL in Lakshmi Nagar, Delhi.