India can be frustrating. Wonderful, but immensely frustrating. We had a fairly easy first few weeks but now that we are looking after ourselves, we are beginning to understand what it means to live in India. I'm not trying to say that life is hard for us - it isn't - but there are challenges here. It requires immense amounts of patience (which neither of us have, but are working on) and a good deal of ingenuity and willingness to think of creative solutions to apparently unassailable problems. There is no doubt that this is the learning experience that we were looking for; the important bit is working out how to cope with this positively.
The following things have caused headaches and large numbers of phone calls over the last week.
1) Car insurance (10+ phone calls and a car inspection)
2) Tata Sky TV package (arrgggghhhh - see below. Still unresolved)
3) Changing a light bulb at the entrance to our apartment (driver managed to collapse whole light fitting in 10 second unsupervised period)
4) Paying a mobile phone bill (eventually dispatched driver to sort this out after online payment and direct debit failure)
5) Fixing a blocked drain (solved with four men and a bucket)
6) Fixing a washing machine which doesn't drain (currently unresolved)
7) The wireless connection. Not in the last week, but still scarred in our memories.
8) Applying for a credit card and savings accounts (unfathomable amounts of documentation and money in current account required).
9) Organising regular pest control for our apartment (required as standard in India)
Tata Sky has been particularly special. Ostensibly simple and very good value (all channels we want for 400 rupees a month) but we made the mistake of trying to use a box left here by the previous tenants rather than starting the whole process from scratch. Here is an example one of my many conversations with Tata Sky:
Tata Sky 1: Hello, this is Tata Sky. How can I help you?
Me: Hello. I have just moved into a new apartment. I am a new customer to Tata Sky and would like someone to come round to install a box, which we already have, at our apartment.
Tata Sky 1: What is your ID number?
Me: I am a new customer, I do not have an ID number.
Tata Sky 1: It is on the box.
Me: There is no ID number on the box, please can you tell me how to get a new ID number, or send someone round to look at the box?
Tata Sky 1: What is your ID number?
Me: I do not have one. Please tell me how to get one?
Tata Sky 1: What is your ID number?
Me: Please can you transfer me to someone who speaks English?
[Long pause, being transferred...]
Tata Sky 2: [Long stream of Hindi / Marathi words]
Me: Do you speak English?
Tata Sky 2: [Long stream of Hindi / Marathi words]
Me: Do you speak English?
[Long pause, being transferred...]
Tata Sky Automated Voice: Please enter your 10 digit ID number to continue.
Me: [Suppressed scream]
Philip: [Laughs hysterically]
Tata Sky has eventually being progressed by abandoning the existing box and starting from scratch, with our Hindi/Marathi speaking driver ably handling the phone calls (with close supervision to ensure no accidental upgrades to include Marathi movie channels).
I've often heard people in the UK complain about UK companies having call centres in India. STOP COMPLAINING. These people are the cream of the call centre crop; the remainder seem to work for the Indian companies we are dealing with now. I'm sure that many of the people we've spoken to are fine speaking in languages other than English; but any claim that many make that they speak English is not true!
There are already a few key rules which we have made for ourselves and are trying to abide by. They are as follows:
1) Wherever possible, operate online (if this is automated and processed automatically) rather than the phone if possible. There is no language barrier and you get things in writing, plus an operator cannot cut you off if they don't know the answer to your questions (standard behaviour). The exception to this is "booking complaints" online. This seems to be a method to document one's frustrations in writing, but don't expect a response or any follow up action!
2) When you keep hitting brick walls, ask for advice and if possible ask someone Indian to help you out. It often requires understanding of the system (and not being foreign) to sort things out.
3) Be very very persistent. If someone tells you that they cannot help you and that you should go elsewhere, be sceptical and willing to keep badgering them to find a solution. Almost anything is possible, but you may need to try many different options to get there! If you stop chasing people every day, the chance of something being followed up proactively is small.
4) Delegate heavily and envoke helping of housekeeper or driver wherever possible. They can find quick solutions to problems that will keep you busy for days. This was also reduce stress and demands on your time considerably.
5) Find sanctuary. If something is frustrating you, don't get cross but instead do something relaxing and enjoyable to make yourself feel better.
6) Join online mailing lists (good ones) to seek the help and comfort of others. Many people are very friendly and have been through the same process as you, and are only too willing to pass on their knowledge.
7) Learn that everything takes time. Breathe deeply and tell yourself that it will all be sorted eventually.
8) Try to stay within the system and keep things simple. Anything slightly unusual (i.e. a Tata Sky connection when you already have a box) is likely to cause carnage.
9) A relatively small amount of money can solve any problem pretty quickly. Just accept that this is a foreigner tax.
10) Most importantly, laugh about it and don't let it get to you! It's not a disaster if you miss someone of the Ashes as you still have no television after 20 conversations with Tata Sky. Keep things in perspective and all will be well. Remember all the brilliant things about living in India that outweigh the frustrating ones.
The following things have caused headaches and large numbers of phone calls over the last week.
1) Car insurance (10+ phone calls and a car inspection)
2) Tata Sky TV package (arrgggghhhh - see below. Still unresolved)
3) Changing a light bulb at the entrance to our apartment (driver managed to collapse whole light fitting in 10 second unsupervised period)
4) Paying a mobile phone bill (eventually dispatched driver to sort this out after online payment and direct debit failure)
5) Fixing a blocked drain (solved with four men and a bucket)
6) Fixing a washing machine which doesn't drain (currently unresolved)
7) The wireless connection. Not in the last week, but still scarred in our memories.
8) Applying for a credit card and savings accounts (unfathomable amounts of documentation and money in current account required).
9) Organising regular pest control for our apartment (required as standard in India)
Tata Sky has been particularly special. Ostensibly simple and very good value (all channels we want for 400 rupees a month) but we made the mistake of trying to use a box left here by the previous tenants rather than starting the whole process from scratch. Here is an example one of my many conversations with Tata Sky:
Tata Sky 1: Hello, this is Tata Sky. How can I help you?
Me: Hello. I have just moved into a new apartment. I am a new customer to Tata Sky and would like someone to come round to install a box, which we already have, at our apartment.
Tata Sky 1: What is your ID number?
Me: I am a new customer, I do not have an ID number.
Tata Sky 1: It is on the box.
Me: There is no ID number on the box, please can you tell me how to get a new ID number, or send someone round to look at the box?
Tata Sky 1: What is your ID number?
Me: I do not have one. Please tell me how to get one?
Tata Sky 1: What is your ID number?
Me: Please can you transfer me to someone who speaks English?
[Long pause, being transferred...]
Tata Sky 2: [Long stream of Hindi / Marathi words]
Me: Do you speak English?
Tata Sky 2: [Long stream of Hindi / Marathi words]
Me: Do you speak English?
[Long pause, being transferred...]
Tata Sky Automated Voice: Please enter your 10 digit ID number to continue.
Me: [Suppressed scream]
Philip: [Laughs hysterically]
Tata Sky has eventually being progressed by abandoning the existing box and starting from scratch, with our Hindi/Marathi speaking driver ably handling the phone calls (with close supervision to ensure no accidental upgrades to include Marathi movie channels).
I've often heard people in the UK complain about UK companies having call centres in India. STOP COMPLAINING. These people are the cream of the call centre crop; the remainder seem to work for the Indian companies we are dealing with now. I'm sure that many of the people we've spoken to are fine speaking in languages other than English; but any claim that many make that they speak English is not true!
There are already a few key rules which we have made for ourselves and are trying to abide by. They are as follows:
1) Wherever possible, operate online (if this is automated and processed automatically) rather than the phone if possible. There is no language barrier and you get things in writing, plus an operator cannot cut you off if they don't know the answer to your questions (standard behaviour). The exception to this is "booking complaints" online. This seems to be a method to document one's frustrations in writing, but don't expect a response or any follow up action!
2) When you keep hitting brick walls, ask for advice and if possible ask someone Indian to help you out. It often requires understanding of the system (and not being foreign) to sort things out.
3) Be very very persistent. If someone tells you that they cannot help you and that you should go elsewhere, be sceptical and willing to keep badgering them to find a solution. Almost anything is possible, but you may need to try many different options to get there! If you stop chasing people every day, the chance of something being followed up proactively is small.
4) Delegate heavily and envoke helping of housekeeper or driver wherever possible. They can find quick solutions to problems that will keep you busy for days. This was also reduce stress and demands on your time considerably.
5) Find sanctuary. If something is frustrating you, don't get cross but instead do something relaxing and enjoyable to make yourself feel better.
6) Join online mailing lists (good ones) to seek the help and comfort of others. Many people are very friendly and have been through the same process as you, and are only too willing to pass on their knowledge.
7) Learn that everything takes time. Breathe deeply and tell yourself that it will all be sorted eventually.
8) Try to stay within the system and keep things simple. Anything slightly unusual (i.e. a Tata Sky connection when you already have a box) is likely to cause carnage.
9) A relatively small amount of money can solve any problem pretty quickly. Just accept that this is a foreigner tax.
10) Most importantly, laugh about it and don't let it get to you! It's not a disaster if you miss someone of the Ashes as you still have no television after 20 conversations with Tata Sky. Keep things in perspective and all will be well. Remember all the brilliant things about living in India that outweigh the frustrating ones.
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