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.

My 1st speech at Toastmaster

Walking inside the deep forests, admiring the snow clad Himalayan ranges, listening to the chirping birds and thanking god for making me audience to such an ecstasy.

Fellow toastmasters, honorable guests and the toastmaster of the day. Good Evening.

My life has been full of adventures. I don’t like sedentary lifestyle. I feel life has to be full of personal accomplishments. To achieve this I don’t let personal inhibitions thwart my desire to do something different.

I was born in the year 1974 in a small town called Mukteshwar, which is close to the famous tourist place Nainital at the foothills of the Himalayas. My father worked there as a scientist and my mother was a housewife. I grew up with 2 elder sisters. Our house was surrounded by forest. I recall a beautiful incident of my childhood. That night at around 8 pm our household help- Devi took the leave for the day. Not more than 3 minutes later he came back shouting – Tiger! Tiger! We were shocked. He took us to our kitchen and from the glass door of kitchen we saw a big tiger sitting just under the light bulb close to verandah. Believe me … for more than 2 hours this wild cat sat there occasionally looking towards us. We gathered our chairs near the kitchen door and waited for her next move though we were not as patient as she was. Suddenly she rose on her feet, jumped towards the forest eloping in the darkness. For days we used to look out of our kitchen door with the hope of seeing some thing there again. But this was something that happens only once in lifetime.

In the year 1990 after passing my 10th standard I started studying in a boarding school. And as always hostel life had its own adventure. Even the punishments used to be thrilling. Later on, during my graduation I worked as freelance translator for some leading freelance journalists and for the famous magazine The Reader’s Digest.

I moved to Mumbai in the year 1999 to work with an IT company. It was different life altogether at Mumbai, very fascinating. The best experience was to practice French while traveling on Mumbai’s famous local trains. Not only that I could listen to the finest analysis of every cricket match or a political event anywhere in the world.

I came to Dubai in the year 2002. I came here for just 2 months for a small project with a small suitcase. But my company insisted me to stay here further. Now it is over 2 years since I am in Dubai.

If there is no adventure in life I add adventure to it. I love to run. In March 2004, I participated in 71 km relay race that started from Ras Al Khaimah and ended up at Dibba. We ran through mountainous terrain of Wadi bih under the blazing sun. Though my team of 5 finished this run in 7 hrs 15 mts it was indeed a personal victory, a triumph over confidence.

Now I am a toastmaster and I see it as start of another adventure of my life. I am sure I am going to enjoy it through out too.

But the only adventure I am refraining from is – marriage. I am not that adventurous either.

To conclude, my fellow toastmasters I request you not to kill your ambitions and desires because of your personal inhibitions. Do what you want to do and enjoy it to the best.