ONE RIGHT: February 2016

I always stand up for what I believe in and what is right even if it means standing alone...In life standing up for your rights is never easy but it is very important to embark on this Long and difficult path to enforce and protect your individual and consumer rights.We all must be aware of our rights.In exercising our rights are we truly free individuals.

I have won many long customer battles against Banks,Phone Companies, Airlines, Electronics Companies etc. I have devoted time and energy to demand positive resolutions for myself and people around me. I hate it when one is denied what every customer has a right to...and that is when I find it important to address it and complain about it. I know it takes time to escalate matters but somehow I prefer to address it no matter what. Having lived in America for sometime, I give a lot of importance to Individual Rights.

It is my nephew who inspired me to write this blog. He felt the importance of his rights and the need to address this subject in a blog very early in age when he was unhappy with the services of a certain Airline. It was then that he suggested that I should write a blog concerning such matters too.

Everyone has certain rights but we are usually not informed about them or do not exercise them. We have a right to be heard...and we must never forget that. There is One Right for All and None should be discriminated. One has the right to question and a right to information. With growing middle class touch 400 million and consumerism, Indian Companies need to become responsive to Consumer complaints and grievances. Ignoring such complaints could lead to big financial losses for the company on consumer complaints being upheld by Consumer Courts.

In this blog, I would like us to share our knowledge about how best to address our complaints effectively as a customer or consumer. It is also important to inform people about the poor customer services provided by reputed brand names. But I would also like to hi-light the names of companies and brands who have co-operated with customers and given positive responses. Please do share your experiences too.

You do not win every battle in life but you learn lessons from it and hopefully live to win it some day. Through this blog ,I would like to inspire people to stand up for their rights and if needed fight for it but the fight for your rights has to be fair and honest. I aim to create a direction and awareness for people who are not given their due rights as an individual first and then as a consumer. There are always solutions and there are way to reach those solutions or alternatives as customers through proper channels.

Whenever you have been able to get your rights heard, you should generously share that knowledge as how best to achieve that so that others could follow that too. Pay it forward ! We should share knowledge and in doing so we will learn more from each other. Alone you can stand up for your rights but with people behind you and with you , there will be more force in it and consumers and customers will not be taken for granted. United we stand in getting value for our hard earned money...United we stand in ensuring we get good customer service.

When there is a will there is a way. When you stand up for your rights and for others , somebody will listen to you sooner or later. Your voice will be heard ! But for that you have to speak out ! Silence can sometimes be mistaken as weakness or indifference. Always know your rights and request for those rights to be implemented but if they are not then demand that justice be served.

Always stand up for your rights...

Consumer Rights Consumer Might !

" Sadaa Haq Aithe Rakh ! "

"Manzil mushkil to Kya... Humhe to us rah par chalna hi hai..."

Monday, February 29, 2016

A new Chapter - Good Customer Service at Marks & Spencer

In recent times, Marks & Spencer GIP Mall has undergone a huge transformation in it's customer service and attitude towards customers and I for one am certainly glad about seeing this positive change in their attitude. The credit goes to their Managers ( Mr. Anand and Mr. Rishab ) as well who it seems took my recent feedback seriously regarding the impatience and insensitivity demonstrated by a certain staff member in dealing with me and specially a senior citizen. So you see how important it is to bring forward your concerns so that they may be addressed if possible by the stores.

Since then I have experienced a visible change in their way of dealing with customers and I compliment them in taking my feedback seriously and implementing it right away to enhance their customer service. Henceforward shopping would be certainly a pleasant experience at their store hopefully. As it is I like their exchange policy whereby they give you a credit note for a long duration to shop later or refund the entire money. Just last week I was forced to return a very nice top as the piece was defective but I seemed to have misplaced the price tag as I took the piece back to the store much later since the day I was about to wear it. Fortunately the store manager accepted the defective piece to be returned in exchange for a credit note based on the bill I provided and I am truly grateful to him for that.

Their staff members like Navneet and Amjad Khan are quite helpful, courteous and interactive. Their knowledge of clothing contributes in selecting the right stuff for yourself as a customer.

Such good customer service extended to me and the pleasantness of their staff now will definitely make me want to keep going back there for more and more shopping !

We did it !!!

It is always important to speak up ! It is important to do something ! If nothing else many customers feedback including mine made a difference and even though a very delayed response and not well timed in my case, Air India has agreed to extend miles of customers till 30th of June 2016 !

So we definitely made a difference if not for us then for others !

Air India may have initiated some flexibility in it's dealings with it's Flying Returns Members and that is a start but Lufthansa is still way behind...Miles and More should follow suit...

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

No pleasant returns from Air India's Flying Returns mileage programme

I think Air India's Flying Returns is the worst ever mileage programme that I have come across because one faces lots of hurdles and unpleasantness in simply redeeming miles leave alone upgrades. The entire interaction with their staff handling flying returns at their central contact centres is just not smooth as they just don't know much about their own mileage programme and every representative offers a different perspective about flying returns resulting in total confusion. The customer suffers because of their lack of accurate information and lack of real assistance to resolve any issues or complaints regarding redeeming miles. In fact they are very rigid in their approach and just do not know how to deal professionally with customers.

As for Air India's Flying Returns Service centre at Mumbai, they are just not responsive or interactive. They never really answer calls or reply to your mails even if you constantly send them reminders regarding mileage related queries . They are as good as not being there.

I have an old account with them and in all these years they never ever thought of verifying my details. Suddenly AI wakes up and realises that they need to verify my details just when the miles are about to expire ! Naturally one cannot redeem miles till KYC is updated and verified according to them and one can't help but think that their timing is perfect in terms of making the customer lose their miles because the verification process takes time. I can't help but think that it would have only been fair had they informed me much earlier about the KYC updating, I would not be on the verge of losing my miles. It seems now because of them I may be about to lose an award flight since their back end team is just not in the mood to verify the documents I updated ( proof of address certificate by the Superintendent of Police, passport details, aadhar card etc.). And their lack of co-operation in the matter reveals their lack of interest in promoting their mileage programme. They were not willing to extend the miles so that the customer does not suffer by losing miles due to their delays in verification or even accept another alternative where the customer could provide the KYC documents in person at their office so that the miles could be redeemed right on time before the expiry date,

Emirates has a much better mileage programme compared to Air India or Lufthansa for that matter and have a very courteous and flexible attitude towards their customers. Emirates had once extended my mother's miles for a year as they were having technical problems but Lufthansa never did anything like that and Air India too would not ever extend such courtesy to their customers in the same situation. Flying Returns definitely does not offer pleasant returns !

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Costa Coffee Shop

Life is all about choices and the choices we make everyday affects are lives in so many ways...Some choices are easy and some difficult...but each good choice makes our lives worthwhile and getting value for the hard earned money we spend is one such choice. It is our right to get value for the money we spend on purchasing things or the services we use...

Recently I visited the newest mall in the neighbourhood and after a very long time for the first time around here did I actually enjoy a steaming hot and delicious cup of Hot Chocolate at Costa Coffee situated in the DLF Mall Noida...The ambience is great and a very courteous person responsible for this shop there by the name of Dinesh prepared the most delicious thick Hot Chocolate beverage for me and that made my evening. It is all about the right amount of mixing ! At the time of placing an order, I had shared with him the fact about Costa not really serving that good a Hot chocolate and that I was yet to come across a truly tasty Hot Chocolate drink here but he assured me that this time I would change my mind about Hot Chocolate drink at Costa's and he stood true to his word. I am already looking forward to my next visit there because of the good service and the delicious Hot Chocolate drink served there. Cost may be high but it certainly is value for money there all thanks to Dinesh !