It’s been 6 days I haven’t had the chance to check internet in my laptop. Luckily today, I got chance to use it and I couldn’t think of a better way to express my feeling than to pour it in my blog.
First of all thanks to WorldLink Communication (self proclaimed no. 1 ISP in Nepal). It’s because of it I was not able to have any online presence for over 6 days. Of course I could and did too check my mails and Facebook on my mobile but using packet data connection via telco connection is too expensive in a country like Nepal where they charge sky high price for each MB of data I download or upload.
Scenario:
It started from 30 April: I saw a bunch of guys climbing over the poll tryina’ change the box (Wlink’s box). The net wasn’t working since then (in the morning it was working). When I asked them, they said it’d be completed in few hours and then internet will be up. Apparently it wasn’t fixed that day. I called the support asking the reason. They said they’re changing their boxes in the area to make the service better and that it would be fixed tomorrow.
1st May: The internet is still not up. I didn’t call though because it was “May Day” and public holiday. I didn’t want to disturb them (At least I had the courtesy to think of the situation like that). I knew though that they claim to have 24-7 and 365 support system and I could have called and asked for support. I still didn’t want to disturb them on a holiday.
2nd May: The internet is still not working and I know there is something wrong in the poll. The network cables were hanging outside the polls and one of them was probably mine. I called the support and they said they’ll open a support ticket and soon somebody will be there to solve it soon (so they hadn’t opened any ticked on 30 April). BTW nobody came by to fix it and the day passed.
3rd May: I needed to check my emails desperately for downloading work and study related stuffs. Internet wasn’t working. I called them again; they said support will be there soon to fix it but in vain. I was busy with my exam preparation and that day passed by too.
4th May: My exam was right the next day. Internet wasn’t working and I couldn’t still download slides. I went to a friend’s home in the morning, downloaded the sides, checked my emails, and apologized to my clients for the delay with their work. After returning home, I called WorldLink support again. They said they would forward the problem again to the branch and that support will be there asap. That never happened.
5th May: After returning from exam, I tried to connect to internet but it was still not working. I called WorldLink’s New Plaza branch directly and they said they’ve noted my problem and that they will call me immediately with the support. Then they stopped taking my calls. WTF!!!
6th May (Today): I called the Head Office, talked to the support angrily. I called the marketing team too demanding immediate support and asking him how I will get compensated for the days I haven’t use internet. They said I my internet will be extended by 5 days (days I hadn’t used internet). But I asked, “what about my opportunity cost. I lost my client’s loyalty during that period, a lot of my work pending … what about that?” The marketing guy abruptly cut my phone while I was still talking (so much for the customer support). A guy came and fixed my internet and right after my problem was fixed I got a text from Wlink saying my net will expire in 13 days. It wasn’t extended my 5 days at all. Funny right??? They didn’t have time to send me a text or even an email to let me know that my net was not working because of maintenance of whatever reason they were telling be but they could send me a text 13 days before it’s expire time hits.
So, my internet is working now. But should I be happy with it now? Coz I am not. Not yet. I will go to their office tomorrow probably and ask for answers because this isn’t the way they are supposed to treat us. We are their customers and we have paid for the service … that also in advance. If we don’t get the service that we deserve, we have the right to complain and they are liable for the hassles that we go thru and they need to compensate us. If this was a case in the US, probably we could sue them in court. Isn’t there any way to take legal actions against them here in Nepal? Or are we supposed just stay quiet and let them treat us like shit.