Issue settled

My issues with Tata Indicom have all been resolved amicably. The manager of customer complaints took note of my previous blog post and got in touch with me and made sure that the issue was resolved without any further hassles.

I am impressed.

I am impressed that Tata Indicom's higher-ups take customer issues seriously.

I am impressed that a blog entry can have such an efficacious impact!

It reminds me of a centralisation-decentralisation debate that I studied last year. People in the higher rungs in an organization (govt. or private sector) are usually more motivated and identify themselves better with the organization than employees in the lower rung. Hence it makes sense to invest more authority and responsibility in them.

However, there are fewer employees in the higher rungs and they cannot humanly handle all the grass-root issues. So, enough powers are delegated to the lower rungs, in the hope that it would lead to better performance.

With technology though, there is a possibility of performance improvement even without delegating powers to the lower-rungs. Modern tools allow higher-ups to have a greater control over their subordinates through various forms of feedback, like by checking for any criticism posted online!

Chandrababu Naidu was a classic example of this phenomemon called 'recentralisation'. With video-conferences and all, he was able to track what was going on in the districts, reversing the trend of giving a freer hand to district officials.

Small wins

I had bought a wireless internet connection from Tata Indicom in April. It basically accesses internet through Tata's cellular services. They provide a USB card, which acts as a modem.

But for some reason, the card found itself in Singapore towards the end of April and I put the wireless services on hold. They told me that I wouldn't have to pay until I reactivate the services.

Now, they send me a bill for Rs 600, and when I enquire, they say that rental charges have to be paid and that only any data usage charges will be deducted.

Howmuchever I tried to argue with the customer care, I got a standard reply - 'Sir, I understand your concern, but our plans indicate that you have to pay the monthly rental'.

Frustrated with their replies, I told him that I wouldn't pay and that I would go to a consumer court to settle the issue. The moment I said that he said, 'Sir, I can deduct Rs 250 from the bill'.

I was surprised at the speed with which he agreed to deduct the amount.

Do consumer courts in India really work?

I don't know.

Awareness about consumer rights is still low in India I think. In spite of stellar tele-serials of yore like 'Rajini'.

Update: This issue is now closed. See the next post.

It turns out my brain's neural networks have skewed their weights in favour of social sciences and away from engineering. I seriously messed up my interview. And my neurons need a major retraining in engineering.

It's totally the time for a pathos song in my life. Which one would be better than the evergreen one from the movie 'Dr. Chakravarthi'?

Aasalu teerani aawedanalo
aasayaalalo aavesamulo
cheekaTi moosina ekantamulo
toDokarunDina ade bhagyamu, ade swargamu!

Moving on

I didn't make it to the civil services. I am waiting for my score-card to see what specifically went wrong. Was it my interview or the scores in written papers?

In hindsight, I think a few things could have been done better. If I had approached the exam with greater positivity, I probably could have made it. There was always some fear lurking that I wouldn't make it and finally it has come true. I should have had a greater belief in myself and should have overcome my fears.

Here are a few reactions from friends and family on hearing about my result:

-- Did you check it carefully, are you sure you didn't make it?

-- It's ok, now you will be doing what you 'should' be doing.

-- Oh ok. I'll call you again.

-- Try the exam again. You are obviously passionate about the civil services.

-- Hey, I am sorry to hear that.

Clearly, quite a variety.

For now, I am moving away from the civil services. I am in Bangalore right now, waiting for my engineering interview. Will Bangalore be my karma-bhoomi now? Will Karnataka offer me my first job, ever?

Results will be out tomorrow!

A friend, Apurva, asked me if I was nervous about the results, and when I beat around the bush and accepted that I was nervous, though not in as many words, she wrote these lines for me:

" when, with pure thoughts, you
worked hard, right through!
have no doubt, for sure
rank one, shall be yours!"

Apurva is a poetess of rare quality, as you can see! :) No kidding though, she has won awards for her poetry.

It's interesting now, that the 'rank one' seems to have been taken by an acquaintance from my Medical Test day. He is a doctor, and graduated from AIIMS a few years ago. I referred to him in my previous post! Sometimes, world seems like a small place!!