Date:28/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/28/stories/2008122857700100.htm

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SMS to book gas cylinders

N. Ravi Kumar

CHENNAI: An Indane refill will just be a text message away for thousands of households in and around Chennai soon.

This follows Indian Oil Corporation instructing its liquefied petroleum gas distributors to get ready to accept refill bookings over SMS from January 14.

The system, for the nearly 20 lakh customers covered by the Chennai Indane Area office, is meant to improve customer service and prevent diversion of the heavily subsidised cylinders.

A senior official of IOC told The Hindu that customers stood to save money and time on calling the cooking gas agencies with the SMS booking facility.

In response to the text message from their mobile phone, which costs less than a voice call in many schemes, the customers would get a confirmation with the waiting list number.

Once the distributor generates a cash memo for the refill supply, the customers would get an SMS informing them of the same.

They would receive another text message on receipt of the refill.

The system, under which the customer is required to give in writing not more than two mobile phone numbers that they intend using for the purpose to the distributor, is meant to ensure that only genuine customers book and receive the supply.

A trial run of the system is on by Sree Navaneethalakshmi Agency in Chennai.

Customers need to type B followed by their consumer number to book their refills, said a distributor.