Chowrangi

PTCL sucks! Everybody knows this but we are still lusted and tempted by their marketing hype and sales gimmicks. While PTCL management has re-branded the exterior with new slogans, designer furnishings and cool advertisements, it is still the old cobweb-dangling bureaucratic dinosaur.

I had the misfortune of applying for PTCL DSL (aka Broadband) in June 2007. As noted earlier, it took them a month to activate the connection. At that time I thought better late than never and maybe PTCL is going to deliver this time. However, the honeymoon period ended in few days and I have started having issues with the connection, ranging from frequent disconnections to poor quality of service.

Frustrated with the service and making several attempts to get it resolved, I decided to call it a day in last week of October 2007. I requested for a disconnection and got confirmation from their IVR that the account is terminated (details here).

To my surprise, next month’s bill still got DSL charges into it. I went to my exchange and asked them to sort this out. After spending good time with the Accounts, DSL and Customer Support departments and winding up and down hundreds of stairs, they determined that DSL account is really terminated and eventually the bill was adjusted accordingly.

Three months passed and I almost forgot about PTCL DSL blues. However, my joy was short-termed as PTCL still had me in its books. I got shock of the month when I received latest phone bill, because PTCL has thumped hefty amount as DSL charges. So, started another journey to the exchange and following happened afterwards:

1. According to DSL Support person at my exchange, while my DSL connection is terminated, billing is not stopped and I have to personally visit Broadband Head Office at Clifton to sort this out. On my inquiry as to why I was billed after 3 months, he said there was some fault in the system and many DSL consumers have not received DSL charges in past two months.

2. According to DSL Control Room person at PTCL Broadband Head Office, Clifton, I have not returned my modem, that’s why I am getting billed. I asked him that if I have not returned the modem, why my account is terminated as per PTCL policy they do not close account unless they get their things back (Modem, Splitter etc). Also, why I am billed after two months? He had no answers for that. Eventually he decided to remove DSL charges, made comments on the bill and asked me to go to Accounts Department.

3. The Accounts Department guy issued me a letter from ‘Senior Manager Broadband’ which stated that they had considered my case in a meeting of Regional Vigilance Committee meeting and decided to issue a waiver. This is big lie as clearly there was no such meeting and letter was printed off the cuff.

4. The letter also stated that the service was not closed earlier due to ‘stuck in BNCC‘. I fail to comprehend why the guys at Clifton are unable to close the account when it was clearly terminated in October, as confirmed by DSL people in my exchange.

5. The letter was given to me and I was told to take it to SRO and get my bill adjusted, which I did. Coming back to my elements, I checked the letter closely and it was dawned on me that the letter had incorrect phone number. Due to a typo the last four digits were jumbled up. Fortunately, the SRO was unable to notice it.

I have observed that while PTCL Customer Support staff (Front Office) has plush environment, the Back Office staff (Accounts, DSL Support, Customer Support) is working in miserable conditions. They do not have proper cooling, drinking water for customers was not seen any where. The DSL support people were sitting in a small room with cobwebs hanging and wires dangling every where. Their computers were without UPS and restarted twice during my 30-minutes stay.

Note: Certain information on the bill and letter is hidden to protect privacy

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• Alcohol Exports Bring $220 Million To Pakistan - November 9th, 2008
• Open Letter of Appreciation to Government of Pakistan - November 5th, 2008
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• Pity the Nation - October 26th, 2008
• Lab Pay Aati Hai Dua .. Ban Kay Tamanna Meri - October 16th, 2008
• Predictions of the Century: The Fate of Sarah Palin, and Asif Ali Zardari and United States of America - October 12th, 2008