Your average customer service phone call wait time?

Big TV Consumer Woes or Rivals Playing Foul?

Big tv complainsJust within 15 days after their big launch and several consumers have already expressed their disappointment with Big TV customer service. Reliance stated that their call centre was capable of handling over 50,000 calls per day, and would operate from two locations to enable speedy response to consumer queries. But it seems the customer service is not that efficient.

Many complains have been registered about Big TV's after sale service and consumers have received no assistance from the distributor or the call center. Are these genuine complains or just Big Tv's competitor posting negative comments on different sites?

Big Tv Installation woes

We had mentioned in our previous post that there has been some good feedback regarding Big TV installation, but that was few days prior to the launch. Now consumers are facing problems with the installation of the dish within the stipulated time frame as promised by the company, i.e. 48 hours after registration. Even after seven to eight days the dish hasn't been installed and customer service gives no proper response.

We have received several comments from consumers. R Chowdhri, Big TV consumer, complained, "Reliance Big TV has one of the worst customer service I have ever seen in my life. The 1-800 call center no does not work, the installation did not happen even after 6 days of buying the STB and despite me calling the Bombay call center no (022-30338888) multiple times on multiple days, the call center guys are totally inexperienced and just do not have answers to the problem. I recommend people to not buy Big TV. My complaint no is 75103862." This person has pasted the same comment on three different sites with different name, and the same complain number.

Is this a strategy used by Tata Sky or Dish TV to give negative feedback about Big TV? If you have a Big TV connection, send us your feedback on Big TV.
Read more » Big TV Consumer Woes or Rivals Playing Foul?

27 comments:

iKen September 4, 2008 at 4:12 AM

BIG Tv sucks BIG Time for installation. I bought the set top box(STB) 5 days back. They gave a smart card number with that STB. I called to customer care that day itself and requested for installation. From last 5 days, I'm calling them everyday and they are saying within 4 hours they will get in touch with you. What the bullshit 4 hours, now it is 5th day i'm waiting for their call. It tooks atleast 10 days for installation.
1800... call center number takes hell amount of time to connect. After connecting, it took 10 mins in hold to speak with the representative. Dont buy it from Reliance world. Better wait and get it from local dealer who can install.

Unknown September 5, 2008 at 3:09 AM

I purchased Big TV on 30th Aug and registered a work order for installation , with customer service, on the same day. They promised me that somebody will call me & install with in one day. It is one week now and nobody has called me for installation and nothing is happening. Every day I call the customer service and every time they tell me many "sorries" and promise the installation with in 24 hours..but nothing happens. Most frustrating fact is that there is no way to escalate the complaint as the customer service personnels denies the transfer of call to higher authorities...always they are busy. With no other way i call the customer service every day hoping one day it will be done.

Unknown September 6, 2008 at 1:51 AM

unfortunately these comments r genuine..i too purchased the big tv three days back but no one has come for installation yet and neither is anyone oicking up calls on any of the numbers given to me..extremely disappointing..no propaganda on anyones part..face upto the truth guys!!

Unknown September 8, 2008 at 3:12 AM

Jack:
In my case it is 2nd week, no communication from the BigTv team. I booked work order then couple of complaints, no response. I like to give this back if somebody takes. Worst customer care.

Unknown September 10, 2008 at 3:07 AM

these comments are absolutely genuine ... i wrote a stinker to the customer service email id, which i am not sure if they'll even read. I am returning my BIG TV set-top box today ... as I do not have the patience, nor the need, to keep up with sub-standard service providers like BIG TV!

Unknown September 14, 2008 at 10:56 PM

BIGTV,BIG empty promises..

Offer ho toh aisa ho,ya Nahi ho...

i do agree with fellow consumers,i purchased the BIGTV STB on 11 sept,was promised it will be installed in 2 days,its been 4 days since,no company represntative has got touch with me.

i WILL NOT BUY NOR RECOMMEND any ADA group product in future.anil ambani are you,listening??

Unknown September 15, 2008 at 11:43 PM

I purchased it on 6th September. They installed the dish but till now i am not able to see any channels because of actication issues. i lost more than 100 rupees for just calling and complaing to call center. the toll free number does not work. i am from trivandrum.

Prachi.PreetJain September 16, 2008 at 4:37 AM

Please do not Buy BIG TV. They do not provide After sales service. The Customer Care gives 48 hrs for any complaints rectification. But the problem get solved never.

Ramesh September 19, 2008 at 5:55 AM

I have taken a new Big tv set top box on 10th Sep'08 and I have requested your customer service for new installation. The excutive generated a work order with last 6 digit number and told me it will get installed within 24 hrs. and gave me a complaint no.75996814 and told that they will install it within 72 hrs , but so far I did not receive one call from them about installiion, I have clled back them again for many time, and the respose were not good it is already been 10 days and i am still there where i was.

If you dont have the capability to provide service, then you should not launch. Reliance is a very big company but it is losing faith of customers by doing all these.

Bigboss September 27, 2008 at 6:03 AM

Big TV DTH review:

I have taken a new Big TV connection on 31.08.08 with smart card no. 200511906888 against a payment of Rs. 2990 i.e., Rs 500 more than the base option of Rs. 2490. It comes with a free premium pack of channels offered for 6 months (incl all the Kids, lifestyle, Sports & other niche channels) or a popular pack (which excludes many of the usual channels provided by local cable operators/MSOs) for 12 months as a free subscription plus one regional language pack of our choice as free pack for the selected period.

Though I have personally ticked the correct options for a 6 months premium pack in the post installation appln form provided by the installation guy, the Big TV has carelessly punched 12 months popular pack which is short of all the normally viewed premium channels & also some other regional pack (ie., Gujarati-Rajasthani, which is the native language where I stay which I never opted for).

This punching is done by their local installation service provider & you do not have any control over it even if they make blunders. And on top of it Reliance DTH says it cannot be changed in spite of their mistake & having a copy of my signed form with them which is perfectly in order.

I had to make dozens of phone calls to their toll free no., which connects only after several attempts ( & even on connection, Min 10 minutes in queue most of the time even during their office working hrs, & much more during nights) and also to their local installation & services provider, who says he has sent mails to their distributor & washed off his hands & stopped taking calls from my no. The result was not a Big TV but a Big Zero of disappointment. Moreover one always encounter incompetent & un-empowered staff at BIG TV Call centre no., who never passes their calls to senior chaps in spite of specific requests/problems & offer no help except to read out from their computer.

So I AM STUCK WITH A USELESS PACK AND I REGRET HAVING DISCONNECTED MY LOCAL CABLE WHICH WAS GIVING MORE CHANNELS WHICH ARE OF RELEVANCE TO OUR FAMILY VIEWING THAN THIS BIG BULLSHIT TV.

Even the much touted 20 movie channels run the same films nonstop for 2 weeks & that too on a monthly subscription basis & the English movies are as per pay per view which sounds good but a big pain in the pack. You will never attempt this again after using it once, I vouch for it.

Even the signal reception quality esp., sound is affected with huge background noise disturbance with slightest of rains, which we do not notice much in cable signal probably either it is filtered specially or dilutes due to the in-line signal boosters. No big deal between MPEG4 & MPEG2 tech as far as end user is concerned, it serves the DTH operator better for pay per view etc.

TATA SKY as I have seen is equally fraught with these issues but there were never inflexible esp. for things which were done wrong from their end, as my office colleagues expressed (& even change pack in spite of marginal usage) & provide the similar set of channels in their pack costing almost the same.

RELIANCE is a big master as far as squeezing money from customers with no commensurate benefit is concerned. I tried Reliance with hesitation for the first time & never a Reliance service again. I doubt whether the subscriber numbers they project are correct, while I hardly find any of my friends & office colleagues use their services, esp mobile & other phone connections.

My advice is stick to your cable guy as long as he is providing all the usual niche channels including newly launched channels with good signal quality & do not go for DTH and never a Reliance Big TV. At best try a Tata Sky DTH that too after seeing feedback of the users in your locality & your friends and acquaintances.

Bigboss September 27, 2008 at 6:52 AM

The call centre call materialisation time has improved after big hue & cry by many customers. But the service is the worst I have ever seen from a service provider , not even the notorious Credit card companies & mobile phone call centre are this bad , as far as empowerment of the call handlers or their seniors in call centre to pursue & solve the long issues which are mostly Installation & incorrect pack option/choice entry related, as told by my local ISP.

The video quality is at par with MPEG-2 as personally checked by me & infact poor in case of a few channels like Hungama (Kids) where the colours & display are in patches. As reported by me earlier audio during normal period is OK, but when the weather is bad & with slightest audi suffers from huge noise, though video is relatively stable.

IT IS JUST THE SHEER INDIFFERENCE IN ALL THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE CHANNELS BE IT UMPTEEN NO. OF THEIR USELESS SYSTEM COMPLAINT NOS. OR E-MAILS SENT TO THEM WHICH EVOKE NO RESPONSE/ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WITH TRACKING NO., WHICH PUTS ANY ONE OFF & RECOMMEND AGAINST THE SERVICE, COZ IT PINCHES MORE THAN THE MONETARY ISSUES. "BIG HO TO AISE HO"-SAMJHE

subbu!!! September 28, 2008 at 12:54 AM

This is Subba Reddy G V, one of those many unfortunate customers of your DTH services. I reside in Hyderabad and on 15th oct 2008, I had purchased a connection from one of your dealer, "Ms Symbiosis", S,. No 52, SBH Building., Opp Rythubazar,Alwal, Hyderabad 500010.Smart Card No: 200587590426
Work Order No: 1046585
After repeated calls he finally sent a team of installation on 22nd Oct 2008. The team had installed, i.e. laid the dish and connected the set top box. So far i am unable to receive a single channel. Every time i call up they are procrastinating on a daily basis. Today is 28th and i have lost my patience dealing with their people, including their customer care people.

I have written twice to them by mail, which was not worthwhile as i never received any reply. If this is the service which they provide then I am not sure if i wish to continue with their services. I want to know the cancellation procedure and get my money back. I do not want their services. the following are the details of the connection



I am unable to find one person who is willing to take responsibility and provide a solution to my problems. I understand that this company shares great values, that of looting your customers by force. It was probably one of the most worst ever decisions i ever made, that of taking services of this BIG SHIT company.

I think the beggars on the street are much better then the owners of this company. Atleast they seek voluntary alms. These people have surpassed and loot money by cheating consumers.




Subba Reddy G V
9849989068

subbu!!! September 30, 2008 at 10:24 AM

To Whom it may Concern,


This is Subba Reddy G V, one of those many unfortunate customers of your DTH services. I reside in Hyderabad and on 15th oct 2008, I had purchased a connection from one of your dealer, "Ms Symbiosis", S,. No 52, SBH Building., Opp Rythubazar,Alwal, Hyderabad 500010. After repeated calls he finally sent a team of installation on 22nd Oct 2008. The team had installed, i.e. laid the dish and connected the set top bos. So far i am unable to receive a single channel. Every time i call up they are procrastinating on a daily basis. Today is 28th and i have lost my patience dealing with your people, including your customer care people.

I have written twice to you by mail, which was not worthwhile as i never received any reply. If this is the service which you provide then I am not sure if i wish to continue with your services. I want to know the cancellation procedure and get my money back. I do not want your services. the following are the details of the connection

Smart Card No: 200587590426
Work Order No: 1046585

I am unable to find one person who is willing to take responsibility and provide a solution to my problems. I understand your company shares great values, that of looting your customers by force. It was probably one of the most worst ever decisions i ever made, that of taking services of your company.

If i do not get any response to this, then i have only one way, that of legal course. Further i am going to flash my expereince on blogs and prevent other customers from taking your connections.

REgards,

Subba Reddy G V
9849989068

Vijay October 7, 2008 at 3:34 AM

To whom soever,

I am vijay. I took big tv connection on 4th sept from reliance dealer in koramanagla. but it is installed on 16th september that after putting lot of pressure on the agent, he installed it by his own engineer.

my smart card no : 200591623344

effectively it took 12 days to just set up the installation.

my problem is never ending...

I called customer care on the same day itself and gave complaint about some channels not coming correctly.


In between, the customer care people are playing hide and seek games by giving phone to the colleagues refering them as floor manager or floor supervisor.

no one has registered the complaint till the 25th of september.

After registering the complaint, i spoke to 7 different floor managers - they are just spoiling the sacred word "sorry" and they will assure that my problem is solved in 3-4 hours or 48 working hours.

3-4 hours gone, 48 hours gone, 480 hours passed, i didtnt get any response from the so called floor managers or call center people..

ideally i spent around 1000 minutes of my time calling big tv people to solve my problem.

Even the call center people,they are just disconnecting my mobile some times after hearing the smart card number.

i have approached the dealer who gave my connection and he refered me to BIG TV people in forum mall, bangalore.

A surprise is waiting for me in Forum mall. The respective manager never bothered to hear my problem, just asking me to sort with my retail agent along with the assigned line engineer.

I am not able to find a single person who takes the responsiblity in solving these problems.

Reliance people think that 1000 mins of time is very small in the life. I am not bothered about the money. Now I am desparate to disconnect my connection and go for some other cable operators... Reliance people are not willing to disconnect the connection and return the money.

They just want money..they got it ..never bothered about the customer satisfaction.

I will look for another 3-4 days and if the problem still persists, i am going to sue the reliance people.

you can reach me at 9449811563.

regards
vijay

subbu!!! October 7, 2008 at 8:32 AM

After a string of mails to their customer care people, one supposedly human being replied and this is what he had to say...

Dear Mr. Subba Reddy G V,

In response to your mail regarding the smart card activation, we deeply regret for the inconvenience caused to you.

We have already registered a complaint vide service request no. 77099692. We are working on your issue, which will be resolved soon.

Further to your inquiry for return the connection, we want to inform you that company does not have return policy. However you may visit the retailer from whom this connection was purchased.

We are constantly trying to improve our services and with the co-operation of esteemed customer like you, we hope to achieve the same.

In case you require any further details/clarifications, kindly contact us with your smart card (subscriber ID) and contact number through our website at www.bigtv.co.in or by calling Customer Care at 1-800-200-9001(Toll Free)/30338888(Chargeable) or email us at info@bigtv.co.in.

Yours Sincerely,


Ganesh Pathak
Customer Care
Reliance Big TV

It takes a lot to say that they do not have a cancellation policy...This is like begging by force rather then by request. Wonder this company is finally tapping into the beggars market as well.

god save the beggars of this country

sureshah October 13, 2008 at 12:01 PM

The Installation was completed just next day of booking BigTV
although, initially they told me
it would take atleast 3days.
Keep it up.
However, Southpack consists of several unnecessary Channels, it
would be better,not to exclude popular pack from Zee series

sureshah October 13, 2008 at 12:08 PM

AS told earlier I have my installation of BigTV completed in just One day after booking,
Please do not discontinue Zee series from Southpack, which is given initially; may exclude unnecessary channels to continue, espcially in the inauguration year.
This will help popularise BigTV, in face of new entrants, otherwise U loose for Popular Hindi channels

Subba Narasimha October 18, 2008 at 3:54 AM

Smart card:200583312833
& looks like Mr. Ambani himself is required to solve the problem.
BIG TV is a hoax. They have not given right package( north india package instead of south india ) since day1 & it has taken them 20 days to respond.

Simha,
Coimbatore, cell 9894799953

Vrijender October 21, 2008 at 2:38 AM

Would anybody listen to me ???
2 messages
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vrijender Rana vrijender@gmail.com Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 12:43 PM
To: info@bigtv.co.in
Dear Sir/Madam,

Some times it is very difficult to start, as I don't know how to create the priority list of my woes with Big Tv.

I was a very happy customer of Dish TV from last one-and-half years. No complaints, excellent service, excellent customer care. Probably the better option was to go for combo offers from Dish TV as I am running two Television sets in my home, but then the DISASTER happens and I went for Big TV ( VC No. 200603825466) as my second connection (bit costlier to me), on the faith of Reliance.

In the beginning I was promised to access all the channels for six months free of cost (including English Cinema Channels). But this never happened. I am not able to view most of the channels. Lot of complaints were registered to BigTv customer care, but nobody listens there (may be thay have lend their ears to the fascinating ads displayed by BigTv in media). List of channels I am not able to view is :-

S.No. Channel Name Channel No
English Block Buster 1 160
English Block Buster 2 161
English Mega Hit 162
English Action 163
English Family 164
English Comedy 165
English Drama 166
English Suspense 167
English Classic 168
Zee Café 254
Zee Trendz 258
Zee Cinema 307
Zee Premier 310
Filmy 313
Zee News 408
CNN 457
BBC World News 458
Zee Business 481
Star Cricket 506
Neo Cricket 507
Neo Sports 508


In latest complaint I received a complaint number (77967056).

"Chalo Bahut Hua", I decided to purchase recharge vouchers. I top upped my account (S.No 682148493054) and again then call the customer care to activate Neo Cricket (I am not a big fan of cricket, but atleast there should be a channel to watch, again my priorities are Movies, News), I got the instant reply - "System is slow your channel will be activated in half-an-hour". Dear Sir, how long is your half-an-hour, Is it take 2-3 days to complete or (more)?
The blog reviews for Big TV are either not good. "As per reviews, No body even opens the email send to info@bigtv.co.in".

I am sending this mail, hoping to get reply within a day.

I have no option left otherwise, to send the same mail to Bharti or DishTV to give me an exchange offer against my BigTV set top box. I hope atlest they will listem to my woes, and have pity on me, and provide me better services and true commitments.


Regards

--
Vrijender Rana

(+91)97800 00282

(+91)98724 02428

"Ever Forward, Never Backward"




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vrijender Rana vrijender@gmail.com Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 1:59 PM
To: bigtv@relianceada.com, info@bigtv.co.in
Dear Sir/Madam,

Kindly look into the matter.

Regards

Poorna Subhash October 22, 2008 at 7:49 AM

I bought BIG TV in begining of October. Luckily for me the installation is done within two days. TV came properly for 5 days. There after the problem started.
It gives First Installation page and Signal Quality Poor. Change Channel Parameter. I don't have any idea on what to change.
I called customer care on 6th October and lodged the complaing. After some troubleshooting over phone, they said it is problem with STB and needs to be replaced. The customer care guy said, the techincal department will call me and the problm be fixed in 24 hours.

But nothing happened. I call the customer care daily (Half an hour wait of call every time, and explain the problem everytime for half an hour) and everytime the response is that it'll be solved in 24 hours. Today is 22nd October. It's more than 15 days and I have no clue when it'll be resolved.

Worst Worst Worst Horrible Horrible customer service I have ever experienced.

My Complaint Number is: 77390090

I had similar problem with Reliance Broadband where my complaint is not addressed even after two months and few other complaints closed even without my confirmation.

Rajesh.O December 1, 2008 at 1:25 AM

Big TV Customer Care should be termed WORLD'S WORST CUSTOMER CARE !! I called these guys to tell them that my free regional pack hasn't been activiated. The first guy who answered the call told me that my compalaint has not been registered and would be rectified within max within 48 hrs..However, its been more than 5 days and my problem hasn't been solved..After three days of complaint when i called up to check the status i was told that no such complaint exists in their system!! Not only that, out of the 15 times that i called them, their systems were either down or running very slow 12 times !!
What a shame that a disgusting customer care like this is screwing up the Reliance name Big Time !!

Su_myth December 15, 2008 at 7:33 AM

I had subscribed for "big tv" by Reliance ADAG 2 months ago and after a months of service the settop box is completely dead! Despite repeated complaints to customer care service no action has been taken.
My sub. id is:200533880515, the complaint nos. registered are:
18/11-'80614093',
19/11-'80719212',
20/11-'80791317',
21/11-'80896990',
22/11-'80991263',
26/11-'81392710',
05/12-'82209737',
11/12-'82774662'!!!! Despite this they keep saying it will be rectified in 48hrs!!

ASHOK December 21, 2008 at 6:31 PM

I want to disconnect my Big Tv connction as i am finding profitable/cheaper to take new available DTH connection than to recharge it,now i am on offer period. So any one can tell me how i can disconnect my big tv connection?

Unknown December 31, 2008 at 1:12 AM

Dear All,

I am shocked to see all this.Aren't you guys aware of consumer court/forums.
Jaago Grahak Jaago..

Pls use ur sense and education.

Satya-Lalitha February 21, 2009 at 9:39 PM

55 channels are yet to be activated?????????
Is someone looking at this page??. If yes, please solve my problem as given below:
Details of Big TV package:
Set-up Box No. (as given in the Receipt): SHYSTC 0008 68216. However, the No. physically available on the Set-up Box is : SUESTC 0000 83788
(NOT SURE BUT THIS MISMATCH MAY BE THE REAL PROBLEM ???)
Smart Card No.: 200 577 558 895
Welcome Kit No.: 300 000 2574 2465
Reliance Communications Full package option for Rs. 5490/- (4000 + 1490) was purchased on 27/01/2009 from Madurai.

Some of the channels listed in the package are not yet activated like for ex.:

Star Plus, Maa TV, Zee Telugu, ETV Telugu, ETV 2, NDTV 24x7, Neo Sports, Neo Cricket, BBC & CNN.
DO PROVIDE YOUR EARLY REPLY.
BEST REGARDS.

Unknown May 6, 2010 at 10:14 PM

Here i post a copy of mail which i send to BIG TV CC
'Dearest' 'Customer Care Provider
This is with great distress and disgust with the gross
unprofessionalism that i have decided to put across this last mail to
contact you as my efforts in the past one week have bore no results
and been a mere ridicule of my time and energy. The problems with the
TV connection began exactly on 1st May 2010 and have been trying to
put across the complaints since then though my complaint could be
registered only on 3rd May 2010. As part of the same efforts and
inability to contact your customer care executives and their
subsequent inability to guide me in the appropriate way I had mailed
you as you may know.
The customer care executives have been been toying with various dates,
complaint numbers and lame excuses whenever I try to talk to them and
the problem with the connection has not been redressed so far.

The screen still shows 'refreshing the channel list' and none of the
technicians have visited my house despite of repeated assurances from
your part. Moreover, I got a telephonic message today reminding to
recharge my add ons as the balance is low when i have been not able to
watch a single shot for straight seven days now.
May I inform you my severe discontent with your service and the
treatment of customers. At this juncture I do not know what should be
the further step and how far this would go.. Kindly consider the
matter and do the needful...
Thanking You

Kiran April 12, 2011 at 10:53 PM

i never experienced any prob listed except custumer care problems.ive some ideas to tel u customers. most of the complaints are about time wastage of connecting with ivr.in my experience ,dont cal ,for 2 weeks,peak time like ipl season,world cups etc...or call after 10pm or before 8am.im thinking that its the good f eeback to you....happy viewing......if u hav any problem,contact via email:kiranrs143@gmail.com.thank you.

Post a Comment