Introduction

My Experience with Nokia

Care Centre- A True Story

By Rajarshi Goswami
@ZRonnieG

Source- http://winsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/820-product-hero-3-
png.png

WHY I LOVE MY LUMIA
Many people ask Why did I buy Lumia 820 instead of Google Nexus or any
other Android phone or an iPhone? I always said that I love the fact that I stand
out from the crowd and I love the design. Its stable, refreshing and has
completely new UI (Windows 8.1 added more to it). I love the fact that I carry
my office with me. When I bought my
Lumia on 5th May 2013, not many
people had Lumia. This is just my
observation and the actual market
numbers may say something else but
whenever I look around in the Delhi
metro I either see Samsung or Apple (I
must say they really entice the so
called show offs of Delhi with their
attractive EMI schemes ) smartphones.
Many times, people came forward to
ask which phone is it because they
never saw tiles and it attracted them. I
work in a small company with 30
people and I was the second person in
the office who bought a Lumia. Now
there are 12 people who owns Nokia Lumia and even the receptionist bought a
Nokia 520 recently from flipkart.com. My CEO owns a Lumia 525 and discarded
iPad saying Lumia is so much better and useful for him. I am not saying that I
brought this change in my office but yes, I spoke passionately about Nokia (now
Microsoft) whenever my colleague enquired about it. The first thing I do in the
morning and before going to sleep was open the Weave app and WPCentral
app to keep myself abreast of news related to Windows Phone. I saw how
things have changed in a year and how Lumia (especially 520) has taken over
iPhone in many countries, notably in Italy and in South America. I loved the Nokia
marketing people and it showed how passionate and active they were in trying to
showcase Lumia. So many people like me are actually in love with Lumia
Many people ask Why did
I buy Lumia 820 instead of
Google Nexus or any other
Android phone or an
iPhone?
despite being asked skeptically many times Why Lumia and why not
iPhone?

THE MISHAP
I was playing the 2048 game when it suddenly slipped from my hand in a split
second , as a passerby bumped into me while rushing into the metro. I checked
the screen immediately but didnt see any crack then. Unfortunately, as I was
alighting from the metro I saw a bluish blot spreading across my phones
screen. The touch was working fine but by evening the entire screen turned
black. I have heard of many horrendous experiences in Nokia Care Centre and
that they charge too much. I was paranoid and wrote to Nokia (@NokiaHelps,
@Nokia and @NokiaIndia). My experience in twitter taught me one thing i.e. you
can cry but no help (read miracle) will ever come to you. At the end, I gathered
enough courage to scout around how much Nokia Care Centre would charge me.
WOEFUL TREATMENT IN NOKIA
CARE CENTRE
I went to four Nokia Care Centres in New Delhi and the prices they quoted for
replacing the display are as follows-
1. Ace Communication, Pitampura- INR 6,500
2. Hotline communications, Karol Bagh- INR 7,000
3. M/s Durga Communications, Kingsway Camp- INR 6,000
4. NRI Communication, Lajpat Nagar- INR 6,850
I was too tired by the time I reached Lajpat Nagar and didnt have the strength to
go back to Kingsway Camp since they gave the lowest rate. Before I share my
horrible experience further, there is a question I would like to ask-



Why do you have the same mobile price across all Nokia Stores when I
went to buy the Lumia whereas you charge different rates for
repairing? Do you know how I felt?
Cheated! I did not expect this from Nokia at all. I asked a local shop that repairs
all mobile phones, the shopkeeper actually worked earlier in Nokia Care before
opening his own shop. Do you know how much he was charging? INR 3,500! I felt
that Nokia is actually trying to take advantage of the hapless situation of a
customer. Stop singing the song that you need to pay the rent and salary to your
co-workers. That person (at the local shop) also has to pay the rent and salary, yet
he charges half the amount. How? Nor will I buy the argument that he is selling
sub-standard item (Chinese material as most says) because it means that your
original component can be replaced with sub-standard stuff and yet it
works perfectly. You dont have a standard price for components (I will come to
it later) and you charge twice the amount. That shopkeeper told me lot many
things but I shall not put it here since I didnt witness it myself and my main
intention is not to point fingers at Nokia. I just wanted to share my bitter
experience and really hope that you would soothe my mind by answering certain
questions that have been going on in my head.










Coming back to Lajpat Nagar Nokia Care, the entire unit looked as if they didnt
have anything to eat for days. The entrance was shabby (a narrow staircase that
abruptly leads to Nokia Care) and it looked like anything but posh and elegant. I
was directed to counter no 5 and since no one was sitting there (what?), they told
me to sit at counter 4 where a girl with the tag Rukshana was waiting. I told her
that my screen got cracked and that the touch was working even though there
was no display. She didnt take any details of my phone and asked a guy behind
I know that Nokia will state that they have standard charge and even if
you complain to them, the customer care people will call you back to say
that they checked and the price is same and this is the amount a screen
costs. What can you do when you know that they are actually trying to
hide the dirt by ticking you off?
I think I should better tie up myself, gag myself and hit myself against a
wall. I tweeted to Satya Nadella (@satyanadella), Bill Gates (@BillGates),
Stephen Elop (@selop) and Joe Belfiore (@joebelfiore) and raised my
concern. Do you think anything has happened till now? Hit the Wall. Hit
the Wall. My brain kept on saying.
the counter how much would it cost. He said INR 6,850, to which I requested to
show me the cost of components and how does it total up. He retorted back (I
repeat retorted) mockingly that price list is confidential and the customers are
not allowed to see. What the heck! You charge differently in different stores and
you dont allow me to see the component wise charges. This basically means,
Nokia gives dealership to a person and gives the freedom to that dealer to
decide the price. Its obvious that the actual price must be quite low and they
charge a huge amount from customers, and since his only concern is that he will
able to use his cellphone after he gets it repaired, he is ready to pay the amount,
grumbling to himself. Nokia is not a scavenger or are you? I asked the man
behind the counter that in Kingsway Camp its only INR 6,000. He just ignored me
and got back to work. I asked the girl and all she did was smile back. I asked her
again and she replies that the price of components keep on changing because of
varied reasons.
What? What is this happening? Why is this happening to me? Why do
I feel humiliated? Why am I being ignored like I am nothing? Why is
she smiling at me mockingly? How can the price of components
change in two days and within a city?
Oh! I felt cheated, helpless and humiliated that I cant do anything but to request
them to repair it. I need my phone. There is no one to help me out. No one
actually cares and Nokia Care is definitely not a place where people actually care
about you. Where do I go?
Theres nothing I can do.
After ten miserable minutes they call me to counter 5 to say that it has been
repaired. Another girl, with a tag trainee now sits there and she has absolutely
no idea of what is happening, what she has to do and how to respond to my
questions. Whatever I enquire about, she asks Rukshana at counter 4 and replies
back. What is this Nokia? You put up a trainee (which is fine because one has to
learn) but a trainee who has no idea and knows nothing? Shouldnt you give
some basic training and knowledge before that person can sit at the front desk.
This shows how much you really care about your customers and how sloppy and
unprofessional you actually are. I controlled my anger and asked for an itemised
bill (they refused again) and took out my credit card. Do you know what
Rukshana said from her counter?
Sorry Sir. We dont accept card and only cash is accepted.
Who would carry INR 7,000 in the wallet? This is nightmare. I rushed downstairs
(be careful, its not even lighted properly and one can fall down) where theres an
ATM. I guess my bad luck did not stop there and I had to walk nearly half a
kilometer before I found a working ATM. This is insane that Nokia Care takes only
cash. Now, this smelled really fishy and confirmed my doubt. I came back half
drenched, with sweat (Delhi is now 41 degrees) to another absurdity from
Rukshana.







She now checks my details (IMEI number) and tells me that my warranty has
expired. Luckily I had my invoice. The Nokia online (some website with
trade.nokia.online domain. Im not sure) is showing that my warranty has expired
whereas it should be on 5th May 2014; two another days are still left. I thanked
God that I brought my invoice along with me , else God knows what other
charges they would have put on me, saying the warranty has expired




After that, they gave me a handwritten bill. What nonsense! Why didnt I get a
computer generated bill? How can I be sure that you have put the same amount
in the accounting software in your computer that you have charged me? You may
have put INR 3,500 in the computer whereas you wrote INR 6,850 in the bill. No
customer would ever complain because they get the bill. Nobody would
Everybody knows when a person takes cash only. Its because you do not
want to show how much you have earned. When do you give a
handwritten receipt? Who would have thought Nokia gives handwritten
bills? And that Nokia do not accept cards and all payments has to be done
through cash. This raise questions whether Nokia are transparent in their
dealing and really cares about their customer. I thought Nokia had good
values and values their customer.
Even scavengers have heart. They are literally trying to rob me!!
question. This is a scam. You are looting people. Theres no transparency and
most importantly of all, never expected this from Nokia.























You have no idea how cheated and humiliated I feel. My heart aches as I
write this article knowing very well that theres no one who would listen
to me. I am not 50 Cent that Nokia would send me a new one just
because I felt I was treated unfairly by Nokia. My voice would just get
drowned over time and all they need is to ignore me for few days before
I give up.
Why am I writing this? I need to take this out of my system and I need
answers to my question. What I have experienced today was beyond my
imagination. I still love my Lumia but I really hope that the screen doesnt
get cracked because a common middle class person like me can only do
one thing. Pray. Beyond that theres nothing I can do. Because I know
nothing will happen and I again have to endure the helplessness a caged
bird feels.








I dont need any apologies. I am tired of apologies. This is because, I feel
like you have slapped me hard and then you say sorry and go back to
work as if nothing has happened. Meanwhile, I sit quietly still smarting
from the incident, deep down trying to console myself. So please spare
me and dont write an apology letter.
I cant do anything except to swallow my anger and accept it meekly. Can
I expect any change after this incident? Ask anyone. They would guffaw
and look at me as if I am naive.
Thank you for your attention.

Warm Regards
Rajarshi Goswami (Ron)
@zronnieg

I was using my wifes mobile and after I got it repaired I opened
my mobiles shell to replace it with my SIM. I saw the interior edge
of the shell caked with dirt. I know its a small thing and people
would argue that over time anyone would have that thing. But this
is sad. This shows lack of appreciation of work by Nokia employee,
lack of passion and lack of professionalism. If I would have been
the person who replaced the screen, I would have wiped the edge
with a cloth. I shook my head and took out a cloth myself to clean
the edge.
Pathetic and Sad!!



PREDICTION- HOW IT WILL END
Sooner or later I will get a call from Nokia apologetically saying that they
have checked all the Care Centre and has found nothing wrong in the
prices/dealings and apologies for all the inconvenience caused. They all
accept cards but that day it was not working in the Lazpat Nagar Care
Centre and hence they requested me to give them cash. Basically they will
put it down that I was lying. They need to sweep the dirt under the carpet.
Many of the people working in Nokia is at stake. They need to give
answers to the questions I have raised. How do they do it? Denial is the
best option. Club me down saying that I was lying is the best and easiest
thing.
Where is the customer empowerment? It was thought that Social Media
will bring the transparency and stronger commitment from the companies
but one forgot to take into account that there are brains constantly
working behind the cogwheels to stem such transition.

Let us consider a ball park estimation of how much Nokia
might be making by repairing screens alone in India.
Assumption- Nokia is earning INR 2000 per screen and there
are at least 5 such cases per day in a store. There are around
494 stores across India. Hence thy make ~ INR 5,000,000 per
day. This translates to ~ INR 1,200,000,000 per annum. This
is just an assumption and I agree that there are flaws in my
assumption. Nevertheless this is just not fair.
Despite assuring me that they would revert within 48 96
hours, they didnt. I am still waiting.. Haha like a fool.
Why?