Whoever said the internet has made the world smaller…

Wait a minute, the statement could be proved wrong, thanks to the customer care given by the Indian Airlines and Indian Railways.

Just assume you are left with no choice but to treat yourself with some annoyingly careless customer care, wouldn’t you expect the least of regard for your time and money?

Had to factually chase both the help desks, undoubtedly and unsystematically managed by the government, to get after all one ticket cancelled from my itinerary.

Indian railways online helpdesk : Thanks for contacting IRTC customer care, please press…blah blah…or 9 to speak to the customer care executive…
It’s ringing. I am ready with all my transaction Ids and other details I expected them to ask for , it’s still ringing, I assume the executive is busy on another call, it has been ringing for 25 seconds, I frown, The ringing tone gets transformed to a DDLJ title song, I say ‘nice, they can keep the callers entertained’, the music plays for about 10 seconds and whorls back to the normal tring-tring; I get bored; Wow, I can hear a voice, but wait, it says ‘ we appreciate your time, our executive will be with you soon’, I wait patiently; tring-tring; ‘Sorry your wait has exceeded the limit’ ; they throw me out of the call; I flip my mouth open, aghast; dial again and the same thing follows through my Call2; I don’t give up; Trial 3; no luck; Trial 4; still no luck; Trial 5 Luck worsens; call gets disconnected before connecting to the customer executive; I go determinedly vengeful; dial up the help desk to complain; I am in queue again, undoubtedly people are so natural to have complaints with the way things have been progressing; I wait; call disconnected – Total number of calls 6 ; Total time wasted – 38 minutes ; I silently curse the government and decide to try out Indian airlines cause I had to cancel an air ticket as well.

This is relieving. I immediately get connected !

Me: Hello, This is Sandhya, Could you please cancel one of the e-tickets …

Beep beep beep

Me: Hello, This is Sandhya, Could you please cancel one of the e-tickets that I had booked for the 6th of Dec …

He: Sure, ma’am, please give me your PNR number
Me: (Glad at him responding), it’s R***

Beep beep beep

Me: Hello, This is Sandhya, Could you please cancel one of the e-tickets that I had booked for the 6th of Dec
She: Pls give me the PNR no: ma’am
Me: it’s..

Beep beep beep

Me: Hello, This is Sandhya, Could you please cancel one of the e-tickets that I had booked for the 6th of Dec.
I was trying to speak to the customer care executive for about 3-4 times now and the call was getting disconnected.
She: I am sorry ma’am, Pls give me the PNR no:
Me: Its R*****

She: Thank you. Your ticket cannot be cancelled online.

Me: (Fury slowly igniting through my veins): I can book the tickets online but can’t cancel?

She: No ma’am , you can’t.

Me: What do I do now ?

She: You have to raise a request and mail the helpdesk. They will send you an application form. You have to fill….

Me: (now gravely desperate for a positive answer). Sorry, That might take time. Could I go to the city office and do the cancellation myself?

She: The city office will do only the postponement of the tickets ma’am.

Me: Is there no other option of getting my tickets canceled ?

She: No ma’am

Me: (confidently irritated): Alright, can I have the mail id?

She: Sure ma’am, it’s….
Beep beep beep


..........When will this change?