The tangible and visible entity that makes us available everywhere. The accessory that is more docile, and that which bestows on us the privilege of the world in our hands. Yes, I’m an indeed talking about our mobile phones. Text, images, music, internet, maps and all that you can imagine of – just a click away.
By mid day I had the opportunity to visit a link that explains the experiments at the Nokia test center. The information that the link provided was indeed a surprise to me. The link describes the various tests that a mobile phone undergoes before reaching the market. It was indeed disheartening to see the tests that a phone has to undergo. The tests include the keypad-pressing test, bending test, dripping water test, drop machine test to name a few. Machines that were specially designed for this purpose carried out these tests. I was taken aback when I saw the video on that page describing the various tests. Visit this page and you will indeed agree with my views: http://asia.cnet.com/crave/2008/11/25/the-stuff-that-happens-in-nokia-test-centers/
Nokia is indeed a scene-stealer! Read on!!
My mom has a Nokia handset. One that is not expensive with the basic features that any phone can corroborate. The phone failed in operation and we (my mom and I) took it to the nearby Nokia Care center. The scene, which follows, describes what is called customer service and care!!
The Nokia Care center was located on the first floor of a small-housed building. The staircase was not brightly lit. It was like entering a derelict bungalow.
Once we were inside the service center, it was dispiriting. There were chairs arranged like that of a classroom with people occupying all of them, except for the fact that there were no tables. On to the front there was a glass room where the service people were experimenting on the various models and versions of the Nokia phone. The forepart consisted of a desk behind which there were three people who attended to customers.
We were completely at sea. After about 2 or 3 minutes we realized that the service center followed the token system. The token generator was located on the corner of the room in line with the door entrance, which abides the idea of having to look at it. We got a token for our phone and were waiting for vacant chairs. Only later did we realize the token numbers were called out manually (at least most of them).
The duration we had to wait was over 2 hours and the experience that we had there was storming. Customers complained of not having gotten back their phone for over 3 months. Few pleaded to the service people to return their phone irrespective of its working condition. Every alternate customer posed a question on our mind about the quality of the service being provided. There were strenuous arguments, pleadings and of course lines of reasoning from every customer on the validity of getting back the phone.
The scene, which lasted for more than hour, was indeed a nightmare to us. The point that distressed me the most was the rather hard pinging reply that the customers got back from the service desk. They were lethargic and impatient. It made us get nervous. The time came when we had to give our mobile to the service desk.
We walked forward with numerous questions in our minds. The service personnel asked us to fill in some details on a form and asked us about the nature of the complaint. We provided information and the phone was taken inside the glass room for a battery check up. We were told to leave our phone with them and return 3 hours later. My mom was suprised by the reply and she politely asks the lady at the desk as to whether the phone will come back to working condition. The reply that we got was that they needed 3 hours to understand what was wrong with the phone. (Fine! They had a lot of phones that were ready to be serviced.) Not done with her reply, the lady continued to say that it would take minimum a month to return the phone. (OMG!) Not addressing the nature of the issue, how can service personnel decide on the duration of having to return the phone?
There were thousand questions running in our minds by now. My mom and I looked puzzled at each other. The only thing that ran in our mind was that we could always get a new phone than walking up to the care center every week (like others customers did).
We told the lady that we would service it outside and without a single thought or confession she returned the phone to us.
Later during the day we decided to check the phone in an unauthorized cellular service/ sales outlet. The phone was repaired in 5 minutes (Can you believe that!!!) and the only single problem was that the power switch wasn’t functioning. To address this issue Nokia Care required a month!!! There was nothing wrong with Nokia; it was with the service center. Two sides to the same coin is all I can say!!!
By mid day I had the opportunity to visit a link that explains the experiments at the Nokia test center. The information that the link provided was indeed a surprise to me. The link describes the various tests that a mobile phone undergoes before reaching the market. It was indeed disheartening to see the tests that a phone has to undergo. The tests include the keypad-pressing test, bending test, dripping water test, drop machine test to name a few. Machines that were specially designed for this purpose carried out these tests. I was taken aback when I saw the video on that page describing the various tests. Visit this page and you will indeed agree with my views: http://asia.cnet.com/crave/2008/11/25/the-stuff-that-happens-in-nokia-test-centers/
Nokia is indeed a scene-stealer! Read on!!
My mom has a Nokia handset. One that is not expensive with the basic features that any phone can corroborate. The phone failed in operation and we (my mom and I) took it to the nearby Nokia Care center. The scene, which follows, describes what is called customer service and care!!
The Nokia Care center was located on the first floor of a small-housed building. The staircase was not brightly lit. It was like entering a derelict bungalow.
Once we were inside the service center, it was dispiriting. There were chairs arranged like that of a classroom with people occupying all of them, except for the fact that there were no tables. On to the front there was a glass room where the service people were experimenting on the various models and versions of the Nokia phone. The forepart consisted of a desk behind which there were three people who attended to customers.
We were completely at sea. After about 2 or 3 minutes we realized that the service center followed the token system. The token generator was located on the corner of the room in line with the door entrance, which abides the idea of having to look at it. We got a token for our phone and were waiting for vacant chairs. Only later did we realize the token numbers were called out manually (at least most of them).
The duration we had to wait was over 2 hours and the experience that we had there was storming. Customers complained of not having gotten back their phone for over 3 months. Few pleaded to the service people to return their phone irrespective of its working condition. Every alternate customer posed a question on our mind about the quality of the service being provided. There were strenuous arguments, pleadings and of course lines of reasoning from every customer on the validity of getting back the phone.
The scene, which lasted for more than hour, was indeed a nightmare to us. The point that distressed me the most was the rather hard pinging reply that the customers got back from the service desk. They were lethargic and impatient. It made us get nervous. The time came when we had to give our mobile to the service desk.
We walked forward with numerous questions in our minds. The service personnel asked us to fill in some details on a form and asked us about the nature of the complaint. We provided information and the phone was taken inside the glass room for a battery check up. We were told to leave our phone with them and return 3 hours later. My mom was suprised by the reply and she politely asks the lady at the desk as to whether the phone will come back to working condition. The reply that we got was that they needed 3 hours to understand what was wrong with the phone. (Fine! They had a lot of phones that were ready to be serviced.) Not done with her reply, the lady continued to say that it would take minimum a month to return the phone. (OMG!) Not addressing the nature of the issue, how can service personnel decide on the duration of having to return the phone?
There were thousand questions running in our minds by now. My mom and I looked puzzled at each other. The only thing that ran in our mind was that we could always get a new phone than walking up to the care center every week (like others customers did).
We told the lady that we would service it outside and without a single thought or confession she returned the phone to us.
Later during the day we decided to check the phone in an unauthorized cellular service/ sales outlet. The phone was repaired in 5 minutes (Can you believe that!!!) and the only single problem was that the power switch wasn’t functioning. To address this issue Nokia Care required a month!!! There was nothing wrong with Nokia; it was with the service center. Two sides to the same coin is all I can say!!!
1 comment:
Service centers are always a nightmare. Once, the TV remote stopped working and we had to go to the showroom to change it...after making us wait for almost an hour, the service staff said it would cost us Rs. 3000 and we had to come back the following week to get it.
We took a bus and went straight to Ritchie street and got a brand new remote for just 200 bucks. It has been two years and beleive me, the damn thing still works..:)
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