Date:15/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/15/stories/2008091558970400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Poor customer service irks DTH users

Staff Reporter

Customer service is the biggest problem plaguing almost all providers

There is less manpower to handle technical snags
Several complaints of disturbance during rain

HYDERABAD: Good quality service and transmission and not quantity, in terms of service providers, seem to be of utmost importance among customers who have availed the Direct-To-Home (DTH) services.

With big names like Sun and Reliance entering the DTH field, subscribers feel that the intense competition has left them asking for better customer care.

With less manpower to handle technical snags and in some cases even for installation, Reliance Big TV needs to go a long way in this area, they feel. “There are close to 15,000 applications for new subscriptions pending with us,” says a Reliance Big TV employee.

Customer care continues to be ‘Achilles Heel’ for one and all. For L. Vikram, a student who recently got Reliance’s DTH, rude customer service executives are a big put off. “Recently while viewing a channel, the picture ‘froze’. I called the toll free number only to be given a rude reply. I had to make repeated calls to get the problem rectified,” he complains.

A look at the online forums on DTH services reveals that the customer service is the biggest problem that’s plaguing almost all providers, without any exceptions.

Heating

S. Chinmay, another subscriber to Reliance Big TV says that the set top box provided to him heats up too quickly. “Watch TV for an hour and the box heats up,” he says. Others have also complained the Big TV logo is way too big and a hindrance while watching TV.

Subscribers of Sun TV feel that it doesn’t have anything attractive for the youth and seems to target only housewives. “Scope for watching anything interesting and youthful is restricted in Sun Direct and also the package doesn’t offer many English channels,” says K. Manjula, a degree student.

Lack of qualified technicians is another big problem according to M. Satish, a Dish TV dealer. Dish TV too suffers in terms of customer service. Users of Tata Sky feel that the audio clarity can be improved. “When it rains, there is lot of disturbance in the transmission,” complains K. Bapaiah, a subscriber of Tata Sky. However, this seems to be a common grievance among subscribers for all service providers.