It was nearing the fag end of the week. I had been thinking about a *broadband* connection. After reviewing a few ISPs, I thought I’d give Bharti a call! ’’Hello! I want to enquire about a new broadband connection.’’ The conversation goes on and bla. bla. bla... Finally the customer support person tells me that there’s a 256kbps/1GB product and it will cost me Rs.999/- for the initial charges + Rs.500/- for bandwidth charges and Rs. 99/- as DSL modem rental.
THEN I called up Hathway. Very nice customer support! Really! Very courteous and warm. The charges seem okay! The customer support person tells me that a person will call me within a day! It happened! Very warm meeting! Lot’s of talk! In between I throw in a few questions like ’’When will the connection be installed?’’ Pffft! Not a problem sir! Just a simple form and everything is done! Ha! Great!
3 days have past! I’m waiting... Damn! I call up the customer support again. After exchanging pleasantries, we get down to business as usual. ’’I deeply regret the inconvenience caused! I’ll communicate this to the tech team!’’ ’’Fine! Thank you!’’ A day gone by and I call up customer support again! I wonder if they’re real people or recorded voices! Damn! This thing is pissin’ me off! So I call up customer support and tell the nice lady to shove the pleasantries __ ___ ____ and tell her that I’ll block the cheque I’d given them! Stupid move, I guess! Anyway, there are two guys knocking on my front door! Damn! That was fast! We’re from the technical department! Rare species I guess! Anyway, nice guys. They install the cable (really nice one)! Then they tell me that a person will come to install the modem in an hour. I thought, ’’Damn! That’s great!’’
Again the harrowing wait! Tick tock! Tick tock! 3 days have past! I call up customer support! Now I know! The voice is indeed recorded! Just pitch-shifted, I guess! I register my complaint! 2 days pass by. They’ve managed to drive me up the wall by now! So I call again! Same recorded voice! Complaint registered again!

It’s been 2 weeks since I gave a cheque and till date, I haven’t got a modem!

So I advice anyone thinking of going for a Hathway, even if the sales guy falls at your feet and tells you that if you do not take the connection the world as we see it will come to an end! Shoot him yourself! Do a good thing!

Anyway, I’ve got myself an Airtel DSL line!

Cheers! And ____ Hathway!