Tata DoCoMo - a few weeks later...

I have received positive and negative responses to my blog posts (1) and (2) on Tata DoCoMo's sloppy launch.

After the initial launch hiccups, I have not faced any problems with Tata DoCoMo. The call quality is excellent and I haven't faced call drops.

I have received comments in my blog from readers whose complaints range from delayed activation to call drops to SMSs not being delivered.

There is also some confusion about free SMSs. A reader from Karnataka says there are free SMSs in the prepaid pack, the Web site says nothing about it.

It's better Tata DoCoMo clarifies.

More problems dog Tata DoCoMo launch

Yesterday I wrote about Tata DoCoMo's sloppy launch in Chennai. The problems for Tata DoCoMo doesn't end with distribution.

I finally managed to get hold of a starter pack, courtesy a dealer friend who took pains to alert me that he had the pack. When I got it, he said there were problems with activation. A couple of people who had bought packs had encountered long delays in activation. He immediately sent a message to Tata DoCoMo and got a confirmation message.

I got the starter pack at around 8 p.m.  I waited till 10 p.m. There was no sign of activation. I tried to ring up Tata DoCoMo but the calls never got through.

I checked in the morning. No activation. I called customer care. This time I got through. The guy at the other end was absolutely clueless. He said there was 'some' problem and that the line would get activated by evening. I asked him why it was taking so long. He again pleaded helplessness and as a concession, brought down the expected time of activation to afternoon.

When will it get activated? Will it get activated at all?  

Sloppy launch

The Tata DoCoMo service was launched in Chennai on Saturday. There were full-page advertisements in The Hindu on Friday and Saturday.

But even till evening, the DoCoMo retail packs were not available anywhere in the city except with a handful of retailers.

What is the point in ‘launching’ a service with fanfare if the product is not going to be available at the stores? Shouldn’t have Tata DoCoMo sent out the retail packs to dealers and then advertised?

Moreover, the retail packs are just cards and do not require huge logistics support.

The customer care was not also helpful. I asked if I could get it anywhere in Mount Road. After a minute’s search, the customer care asked me: “Sir is it St. Thomas Mount?”. I said, No, Mount Road. Or try Anna Salai.” “No sir, any other area?”. Did she want me to go around Chennai looking for retailers?

After five full minutes, I got the names of three retailers. They were small non-descript shops. How do I find them? Does Tata DoCoMO have phone numbers of the retailers so that I can contact them? “No sir. We don’t have it.” Very helpful indeed.

There was a small surprise in store after two hours. I thought I would ask for another area near my house. I rang up customer care and asked, “Any shop in Gopalapuram?” “No, sir. There are a few in Teynampet. There are a couple of them in Anna Salai.” Anna Salai? Just an hour ago, I was told there were none. She gave me two addresses. Again no phone numbers to contact the shops. For those who don’t know much of Chennai, Anna Salai is one of the main arterial roads that stretches for almost 10 km.

I now have to go and hunt for them. Can marketing and customer service get so sloppy?

Technorati Tags: Tata DoCoMo,launch,Chennai,marketing

One way?

On the right is Royapettah police station. So what? Because this is a one way road. The cops are least bothered about the violations (See the auto coming in the wrong direction). Waiting for a major accident to act?