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BMTC customer service...a new high
Written By mohan anekal - 10 February, 2011
Bangalore Bus Action Transportation public transport
I had a peculiar experience on 1st Feb while travelling in a BMTC bus.
I bought a Volvo Gold Day Pass at Attibele on that day morning. However, the dates 8-11 were torn while tearing the pass from the bunch. Added to that, on the month column, the conductor had ticked 1 and 2.
While returning back, the checking staff caught hold of the error. They were not in a mood to buy my version of the argument, and insisted that i pay the fine of Rs. 500/-. Their argument was, the pass could have been issued on 11th Jan, and I might have torn off the dates 8-11, and re-ticked on 2nd month. I did not want to create a scene, and obliged to pay the fine, though fellow passengers advised me to pay off "something" and get out of the mess. Why to get into the trouble of moving from pillar to post, or losing 500 bucks, was their logic!!
I stuck to my logic, if anyone had paid any money without any fault, for the genuine pass bought, there should be an avenue to trace the pass and get the money back.
I took the photograph of the pass on my mobile, as they said that the pass has been confiscated and cannot be returned to me.
I drafted a letter giving the details of the entire episode, attached the photo of the pass and the fine receipt, and visited the CTM office at BMTC, Shantinagar. I handed over the letter at the CTM office, and was assured to me that they would sort out the issue within 15 days.
I was surprised, when I got a call today from the BMTC office, apologising for the inconvenience caused by the incident. The staff asked me to visit the office along with the original fine receipt and collect the money.
I will visit them (with a box of sweet, of course!!) tomorrow and post my experience here.
Glad that the BMTC has grown so high.
Cheers BMTC.
COMMENTS
murali772 - 11 February, 2011 - 08:30
@ Mohan A - Good for you that you are happy with the BMTC having sorted out the matter. But, I very much doubt if BMTC has learned any lesson from the episode, and organised itself to prevent such instances repeating. Obviously, they can't because they are still in the DOS mode - check this
Mistake by Conductors - Commuter has to bear
Vasanth - 11 February, 2011 - 09:40
I think lesson learnt here is never agree to take a torn pass from conductor however he might convince you.
BMTC should have taken the information from where the pass was purchased and should have asked for explanation by the conductor for the same. Passenger anyhow has paid the penalty promptly.
Why not ticket printing machine printed day passes and monthly passes having date and time. This will eliminate this confusion. Also, one can take monthly passes starting from any date to anydate unlike the current situation where it is valid from 1st of one month to 1st of next month. This is being followed by Indian Railways. Montly passes are valid for 1 month from the date one purchases the pass.
Alas! My expectation was not so....
mohan anekal - 11 February, 2011 - 12:32
@ Murali, @Vasanth thanks for sharing your views.
I had a different experience today. My logic would say that any amount collected as fine, and no corruption involved, the corporation would return the money.
Today, I visited the BMTC office, met Inspector Chetna. She had the money ready with her. She asked me to write an acknowledgement for the receipt of Rs. 500. On questioning her about an acknowledgement on a sheet of paper, she revealed that the money is being collected by the conductor and paid to me!!
I told her, in that case I would not accept. The corporation had collected the money through a fine receipt and I expect the corporation to return, not the conductor. I was honest in buying a genuine ticket, and conductor was honest by selling a genuine pass and accepting the error on it. I insisted her that the way to take it forward is to train the conductor/s to avoid such situations, or create a SOP in such cases of pass being torn (which by any certainity would happen any time, as they are handling pieces of papers).
I was taken aback when she told me that there is no provision to return the money so collected. She added that, going buy the rules, based on my complaint, disciplinary action had to be initiated against the conductor for being so callous, which could hurt the conductor in the long run. She gave an option that, if I was not interested to take the money, I could collect the same and hand it over to the conductor!
Many things ran in my mind at that instance. The conductor had a chance to claim that the pass was in order when it was issued. She could have even told to the investigating authority that it was customer's mistake, etc.
I wanted to thank the conductor for her uprightness. I took the cell no. of the manager of the Depot 25, through him, collected her contact no..
When I called her, she was very apologetic for the embarrasing situation I might have faced in the bus.
I appreciated her for being honest and accepting the errors on the pass. I will hand it over to her in my next meet.
The overall incident was a very good learning for me as well - to a very great extent.
I too am building a small company with about 25 people. I know now, very clearly, to demarcate the non deliberate errors. Most organisations can easily do so.
If I put this clause of BMTC in my company, how could I motivate and retain the employees in the long run? is it not a perfect recipe to promote corruption, esp. when an individual is paid Rs. 2500-3000 a month and made to make a living in Bangalore? Rs. 500 is almost a week's salary!!
By the way, the box of sweet is still in my bag!! May be, I will share it with the conductor....
imran_huq17 - 11 February, 2011 - 18:18
I have always advocated that the employees welfare needs attention along with the public convinience..check this & here
They employees especially the drivers , conductors ,mechanics ,cleaners definetly deserve better treatment by the management
Regards,
Imran.
Bheema.Upadhyaya - 16 February, 2011 - 08:46
Many times it worked for me, not to get solution but to get response at least :)
They will ask for route number, bus number ,depot number(which anyone hardly notes down) and of course date and time.
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