An Episode of a truly poor customer care
It all started last October, a few days before the Diwali, I had dropped a cheque on the 14th of October of Rs.17454 dt.14.10.09. My due date for the payment was 22nd October'09 and hence cautiously enough, I had dropped the cheque in a HDFC BANK, in time to avoid the untimely payment penalty charges and also the interest of the above mentioned amount that would have been imposed on me otherwise.
The cheque was sent to my Bank, IOB, for clearance on 20th of October, just a couple of days ahead of the due date. On the same very day I had received an SMS, stating that the cheque had not been cleared by my Bank and that I need to make payment through an alternative method to avoid a delay in payment and the consequent penalty.
I have an HDFC BANK account, through the ATM of which I made the alternative payment of Rs.17454. on 21st Oct’09. On that same day, at around noon the previous payment of cheque got cleared, info via Bank SMS. I spoke to the customer care the next day to ensure that a double payment was received by the HDFC BANK CREDIT CARD, they confirmed me the same. To avoid a similar situation in future I had asked the customer care executive to specify me, Why and How had such a fault occurred and who’s mistake was it. I was told to wait for a day and call up again the next day, as it takes time for their system to get updated for any further detail on any issue.
I spoke to Pawan, a customer care executive on 23rd, who told me that it was a machine related fault, which stated that my cheque was not cleared at the first instance although the same got cleared later on. He also told me that the balance or the excess amount would be adjusted at my next purchase. This amount was big enough for me, so I wanted it back, as soon as possible. I asked for reversal of the money to my HDFC BANK Account through which I had made the payment via ATM. I was told that it may take 72 hours for the reversal.
I spoke to Seema, at the customer care on 25th , who stated the same as I was told on 23rd, to remind the factor once more on 27th I spoke to Pawan, at customer care came to know that my request has been raised and the process of refund has been forwarded to the concerned department.
The customer care made me talk to Lavleen on 29th Oct’09. I tried to find out as to if there was an e-mail ID or phone number of some higher official related to the concerned department of reversal of the excess payment. I needed the money urgently and hence I asked what more could have been done in this regard by then. I was given a reference number and now clearly stating that it would take at least 7 working days for the reversal.
I called up on 5th November to know the status, by referring to the number given. STILL UNDER PROCESS. On 17th November I spoke to Rasheed, got the same reply.
The HDFC Bank Credit Card, double payment due to a system fault from their side had put me into good amount of trouble. I was constantly chasing the issue. On 21st NOV’09 again the customer care put me to Preety, the executive now asked me to go for a new Reference number and assured that I need not have to call to them any further. The money Rs.17454/- would be refunded with in 7 working days.
I thought it was better to start spending through the Credit Card in order to reduce the balance. I was fed up by now. Spoke to Vikas, another customer care executive on 1st Dec’09, to know the status, he sang the same song REVERSAL UNDER PROCESS and no new reference could be raised regarding the same. Sashank, was the last man I spoke to on 04th Dec, and narrated him the month long story. On 05th Dec an amount of Rs.10,540.25/- was reverted back to my HDFC Bank Account. So it took 42 Long Days for an International HDFC Bank Credit Card to revert me back my money.
Now the Questions are:
Who should be penalized for this delay?
Who should bear the loss, that I had to face, not getting the money in time, which I was planning to invest in shares at a time when the market was down?
Why is the HDFC Bank Credit Card not have a TOLL-FREE Customer Care Number?
I made the alternate payment as it was sure that the Cheque wouldn’t have cleared later on. To save my self from an untimely payment penalty I had to face all this punishment.
It is needless to say that I had spent a lot over phone to tell the story each time as the HDFC Bank Credit Card Customer Care didn't have a toll-free number.
