Giant company with dwarf customer service

As of November 2009, Etisalat is the 13th largest mobile network operator in the world, with a total customer base of 100 million. On January 31, 2010, Etisalat reported net revenue of USD $8.4 billion (AED 30.831 billion) and net profits of USD $2.407 billion (AED 8.836 billion).

If you are impressed with the numbers above, I would say - "Good! you haven't experienced their service yet".

It has been one month and four visits, since I have been unsuccessfully trying to disconnect my old telephone number. Everytime I visit Etisalat office, I am assured that it will cancelled and I will not have to visit their office again for this issue. Still, nothing has been done and Etisalat is billing me for this period. No wonder the net profit figure is enormous for them.

This was not enough now another battle front is opened by Etisalat against me. For the new telephone connection, for which the fee is only AED 159, I have received a bill of AED 753. How is that possible? Well, I am asking the same.

What concerns me, is the way Etisalat flaunts its wealth while having so many dissatisfied customers. Unfortunately, UAE has only two service providers. While one is still starting its operations, Etisalat is the only choice we have. We have no option but bear the poor service and keep whining about it despite paying one of the highest call charges in the world.

Numorous reasons can be sighted for such an inefficiency. However, I see following as the main -

1. Competition - In the name of competition all Etisalat has is a weak competition from Du, which is all the time struggling to even provide the network coverage to its customers. Therefore, Etisalat has nothing to worry. It still has a monopoly in the market.
2. Philosophy - is there anything bad in being profit centric organization? No, till it is after customer centric philosophy there is nothing bad being profit centric. In case of Etisalat making profit, acquiring and expanding businesses globally is the main philosophy rather than taking care of the customer. For how long Etisalat can sustain with this attitude, that has to be seen.
3. Corporate Culture - As is the philosophy, the culture prevailing in Etisalat also remains to be indifferent to the customer. I was sitting in the Etisalat for 45 minutes, while waiting for the screen the executive attending me, leaves the desk and doesnt come back for another 15 minutes. When I stand up and starting looking around for him, he come back only to tell me that he forgot that I was sitting there.

I wonder for how long Etisalat will maintain this momentum of growth without tidying its act, while I try to find some way to resolve my problems with them.