Mobile Operators Flunk Customer Satisfaction Test

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Kolkata: Mobile telephony service providers (both GSM and CDMA operators) across the spectrum have failed to meet the customer satisfaction benchmarks set by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), according to a private survey done using the same markers.

The official Trai survey is due in February.

In areas like overall satisfaction, network availability, billing and customer care, mobile subscribers — irrespective of which service they use — are not ready to give even 80 per cent marks, let alone the Trai pass marks of 90-95 per cent for various parameters.

The Mobile Users Satisfaction Survey 2003 was done by International Data Corp (IDC) Voice & Data magazine. IDC India, a unit of world leader IDC, conducts its own survey, while Trai has commissioned IMRB for its own surveys. Take the case of billing. According to Trai, billing errors should be 0.1 per cent (per 100 subscribers) per month. But 9 per cent of the sample size (2,217 users) have billing problems with the service provider.

The survey said, “This figure is on the extremely higher side. In billing disputes and complaints, Reliance had the highest number of complaints — an average of 24 complaints for every 100 subscribers which is quite alarming.”

Beside Reliance, the maximum billing complaints in the top five were for HFCL (19 per cent), Tata Teleservices (13 per cent), Idea Cellular (10 per cent), Aircel (9 per cent). The complaints for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), Bharti and Hutch are 7 per cent, 6 per cent and 5 per cent respectively.

According to Reliance Infocomm, although the company welcomes feedback provided by surveys, the limited sample size, geography and timeframe of this survey should be considered.

Said the Reliance spokesman, “This survey reportedly reflects a timeframe during Reliance Infocomm’s initial phase where in we did face some teething problems, but we have taken a quantum leap on all fronts since then. That we are now India’s largest mobile service operator is a reflection of the trust that our customers have reposed in us on all fronts including technology and network coverage, affordability and customer service. We have also since taken and continue to take several measures that will further enhance customer satisfaction and keep India and our customers at the forefront of international technology.”