Saturday, November 14, 2009

Rediff Customer Support Policy - buy and get lost?

Has anyone tried to contact Rediff.com customer support? Then you will understand what I mean. It is perfect example of a disaster.
  • No telephone Numbers - No matter how important your issue is.
  • No Chat support
  • Not even an “email id” mentioned anywhere
  • No Form

The only thing they have highlighted “Enter you order number and Check Order Status”. Adding to all these woes, I send an email yesterday for a serious and urgent problem in with regards to a Domain Hosting. The reply I get has nothing to do with what I asked

This is their reply to an Urgent Issue. It is so freaking humorous that I am compelled to share the content.

“Our customer support representative will attend to your mail and will revert within 2 working days. Since your interaction is being tracked through the subject line, we request you not to change the subject line for your future correspondence. If you query is about an existing order, then do ensure that your order number is mentioned in the mail. Note: You may track your order via mobile by simply typing TRACK <> and send it to 57333. Your status will be updated via SMS. Alternatively, you may follow the status of your order by viewing the same at Track My Order. In case you have not mentioned the order number, then you may click on Track My Order to retrieve the order number and send us a fresh mail by clicking on the HELP section. Please ignore this message if you have quoted your Order number and allow our Customer Support to get back to you in time. Glad to assist you. Regards, The Customer Service Team http://www.rediff.com/”

We are paying through our nose for Domains, Hosting etc… but not a single point of contact? What is the customer policy? Is it “buy and get lost”? So who is responsible? Why is such big company ripping people off? How can we as people still afford to keep them in business. Totally no respect for customers.

I quote a line from the very famous song “Hotel California”.

“We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave!”

Monday, October 19, 2009

Internet - an efficient and transparent way of governing

I was humoured by a report which stated that seasoned politicians are afraid of using the internet to avoid any "Cattle Class" like controversies.

What they need to understand is the Internet is now a media of the Masses. It is such an important and easy way of getting in touch with your elected representative, especially in a fully literate constituency like Trivandrum.

If public servants can use it as medium to communicate ongoing progress of development work and receive petitions and update status etc... What an efficient and transparent way of governing.

This is where we need educated people like Dr.Shashi Tharoor "to lead the way". I pray and hope that the rest of the "Holy Cows" follow him.

Jai Hind!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Bail Out - The magical new Bizz Word

Bail Out - or rather "Bail me out" is the magical new Bizz Phrase in 2009. From the eyes of the common man, this phrase means - When a business belonging to top industrialists loose money, they need more money from the government.

I am not a communist, but why should my money (the common tax payer) be used to pay for their ineffciency and wrong policies.

And a does bail out mean lessons learnt or remorse or change or restructuring?
No... not at all.In what we see around a "Bail out" is a time for celebration and exuberant spending, parties, buying new jets, salary hikes. The sad part is that there are even hefty compensations in millions given to top executives who have achieved the Bail Out from the government not even considering the fact that they are the ones who screwed up... Instead of taking action against them, you reward these fat cats.

Recently, private airlines are crying for Bail Outs. Why? dont they have money or rather huge profits from their group companies which they can use instead of a government bail out? Vijay Malya should use his liquour profits to bail out King fisher not tax payers money.

The real worry is who is going to Bail Out the world's millions, the poor, the actual deserving, the starving and the dying.

Will any government or G8 hold a summit to discuss possibilites of saving the dying or feeding the poor? Will any opposition walk out for the cause of the poor. Will any of the world presidents or heads of states meet up to discuss anything other than finance or millitary or nuclear or sanctions.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Everyone is entitled to know the law or is it different for the Rich and Famous?

Celebrity and Socialite Ms Sheetal Mafatlal was detained at Mumbai airport on Saturday night by the Air Intelligence Unit for under valuing the jewellery she was carrying. Like most celeb cases, this too would be washed out of the window and the commoner will forget as "time heals anything in India". As in this case the ignorance of the India Law cannot be an excuse to break it.

At least in this case a really strong messages has to be send across that nation

1) No one is above the law of the land.

2) You cannot be ignorant on basic laws. If you are a citizen you need to know the law of the land.

Just imagine if the country's most affluent and educated say they do not know the law, what would be situation of the under privileged which constitutes 95%.

It is high time that people be more proactive to learn and teach the law. Its also high time that the government enforces a compulsory subject call the "Indian Law" , which must be taught to everyone starting from schools.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Relevance of issues raised by Parties

It is so sad to see that even in the 21st Centaury; all the issue raised by political parties seems most irrelevant. There real issues like mentioned below get no attention.

1) Corruption 2) Injustice to women 3) Faster and more effective Judiciary 4) Effective and corruption free policing. 5) Food 6) Water 7) Effective Drainage and Proper Waste disposal 9) Roads and Infrastructure, the road tax system is pathetic. 10) Pollution and Environmental control 11) Power 12) Education

People has to wait 10 years for Vehicle insurance claim? Lack of coordination between the various governments agencies, especially between the states. It is night mare if you have a job that gives you transfers from a state to a state. There is not one descent road or bridge. Why do I pay taxes? When nothing of my core issue is being dealt with? It is so easy to sit and blame Terrorism, Al Qaeda, Pakistan etc… but what is these parties doing for India? None of these parties has even given one point that will ease the pain out of a commoner.

They will go ahead with Ram Mandir, stop English Education, declare Taj as an International Monument, rename states, cities and roads to regional names, Beat up women who drink and wear jeans, create Hartals or strikes and close shops, hospitals and block roads.

But how will all this help me the common man?

Saturday, April 4, 2009

In-Adequate Exposure of Political leaders nationally or globally

International Exposure of Political leaders is the need of the hour. Especially in states like Kerala, where the level of education among the leaders is adequately high. Education alone cannot help you make right decisions you need exposure, and exposure to good governance. Being the most educated state in the country we have the lowest economic development. It is fact that our current leaders are not able to imbibe anything new into the system or even into their own party worker.

 Why are Malayalees outside doing so well? Why are they so hardworking outside? Why do they support working 24x7x365 only outside? Why can’t they do it within?

 It will take a person like Dr. Shashi Tharoor, a Keralite, with immense exposure globally to take on this mammoth task of revolutionizing the Malayalee thought process.

 We the NRK’s living outside Kerala welcome the decision that Dr. Shashi Tharoor took to contest the Lok Sabha elections.  Also that fact that his contesting will open the gates of politics to the young educated and exposed talent for new ideas to transform our society.

Monday, March 23, 2009

IPL and India

If some sense prevails within the Organizing Committee, they must reschedule the matches and hold it in India itself.
Moreover the IPL committee has no right hold the country to a ransom at an important time synonym to a national emergency; i.e. Lok Sabha elections. Tomorrow even if India is going through war, will these people will go ahead and play the IPL?
Everyone is talking about security to players, but how can IPL guarantee security to each and every citizen that is involved. The Government needs to take this up more strongly.
The whole essence of this tournament is the regional spirit and that would be killed if held anywhere else other than the region each team represents. Imagine a guy from Essex, England, cheering for the Chennai Super Kings?? Or the English Premier league being held in India, who would you cheer for?

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

India and the Oscars….

I love 2008-2009… What’s suddenly happening? Indians are winning Gold at Olympics, winning at the Oscars, Indian companies going ahead and acquiring other firms abroad. Yes, we are getting into the main league. I feel the same way as Americans felt when Obama was sworn in.

 A very discouraging article in Yahoo, “It shouldn't have won” by some Sandipan Deb (http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20090224/1241/top-it-shouldn-t-have-won.html) prompted me to write this.

 I have always loved AR’s serene music and had no doubt that one day he’ll make it to the top. But when less famous Resul Pookutty went up there and said "my country and my civilisation", I could feel my blood boil with pride. He went on to add “This is not a sound award but a piece of history being handed down to him” and I can’t agree better on his choice of words. Yes, truly it was history in the making. At least now, I hope the world will see that there are many talented technicians, artists and film makers who currently work with barely no new technology can do lots more with some international recognition and support.

 No matter how insignificant this may seem to some; this is indeed historic and will remain as “happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme”.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

End of the Human Race ?

After much thought and I have begun to realize that some of prophecies regarding the end of world is slowly coming true. The one and only reason is “Intolerance”. This growing hatred between humans is crossing all boundaries and reaching new dimensions with the fight for religion, land & money. The message of hate rather than love, the message of divide rather than unity, the message of death rather than life is spreading like wild fire. And soon every man will be by himself, all alone in this big wide world.