Chords Of Life

If my recent (first) experience on Remit2India.com is anything to go by, it seems to be yet another example of the mercenary ways of some Indian businesses – just launch the product, and market the hell out of it, without really bothering to ensure the service and customer support levels to back up your claims. Here’s my experience in a nutshell:

1. I wanted to remit money from my overseas business account to my India account. The instructions on Remit2India as to what I need to do in my overseas bank’s internet banking account to transfer funds do not match the internet banking interface. So I am unable to fill some details, or have to second guess others.

2. On the 3rd business day I still see the status as Money Awaited in Remit2India so I try and confirm whether they have at least received my money. Bank’s are of course notorious in promptly debited your account but letting you know only after several days in case there’s a problem in the transfer.

3. There is no customer service number I can call on the remit2India site. In fact, unlike most other transaction oriented sites, there is no prominent “Need Help?” prompts.

4. The number they DO have is a toll free number for automated advice only. No one answers!!

5. Tried calling the Times Financial Services board number on the TFS website. No one answers!!

6. Tried using live chat. Service is busy.

7. Tried after 30 minutes. Janhavi comes on the line and confirms that I will receive the money in my account today. I feel relieved, but am a bit suspicious. So I ask her if R2I has received the funds in its accounts. She repeats “as per 3rd working day today it will get converted.”

8. I insist that I need a confirmation that the money has been received by their account, and that I’m not so worried if I get the money later. After some more pressing she reveals “sorry sir i wont be able to check whether or not we recieved your funds.” and signs of with a curt “dropin mail for further quiries”.

9. So I ask how was she confirming that I will receive the funds today when she can’t even confirm if R2I has received the money? And would you believe it she had just disappeared from the chat. Without as much as a thank you/good bye, she had just logged off and refused to respond any further!!

Here’s an edited transcript of the chat session..

Welcome to Remit2India Online Money Transfer Service
How may I assist you?
Janhavi> Thank you for contacting Times Financial Services. This is Janhavi. How may i help you?
You> Hi, I transferred XXXGBP from my BANK UK A/c to BANK India A/c on 6th Mar
You> It still says money awaited and there is no way to trace the money.
You> please help
Janhavi> May I know your customer id or email address in order to process your request?
You> cust ID is YYY
Janhavi> Kindly stay online while I check the details of your remittance.
Janhavi> sir it will get converted today.
You> have u received the funds in your Bank account?
Janhavi> as per 3rd working day today it will get converted.
Janhavi> are you there sir?
You> I need a confirmation that the funds are not lost in transit and that you have received them that’s all.
You> its okay if you convert later today or tomorrow, juts confirm you have received the same.
Janhavi> dear sir, there is now way that your funds will be lost because its a bank to bank transfer .
Janhavi> is the money debited from you acoount?
You> yes, obviously, the money gets debited from our account the moment i make an online transfer, but…
You> it can always happen that BANK UK debits my account but after 1 week finds my transfer details insufficient and then reverts to me after sitting on it for 1 week….
You> you see, your transfer details were not exactly in accoirdance with BANK UK intertnet banking platform..
You> there is no place to enter a BACS code
Janhavi> sorry sir i wont be able to check whether or not we recieved your funds.
Janhavi> as we dont need your BACS code.
Janhavi> dropin mail for further quiries.
You> then how can you say with so much confidence that I wll get the money today? Shouldn’t you check the facts first?
You> are you there?
You> Janhavi??
You> please give me a number in India that I can call? This is very disappointing service from the times group!! Extremey rude and unhelpful!!

END OF CHAT!!

This is a service that deals with money from one of the largest business houses in India – how does Remit 2 India expect to inspire any confidence with this kind of service? The formula is simple:

a. Increase the number of ways a customer can sign-up for your service. Make it as easy as possible. But,

b. Cut-down the number of ways a customer can bother you for some after-sales.

c. And for the ways remaining, err, don’t bother, just leave it to some juniors to manage!