Many CESC consumers across the city who suffered long spells of power cuts in the past few days and desperately tried to reach the utility for help complained about how unhelpful the helpline was at a time of distress.
Unlike before, when a call to the helpline was answered by a person, the CESC helpline 1912 now offers an interactive voice response (IVR) that allegedly failed many Kolkatans when they needed help the most.
Many said they could not register their complaint through the IVR system on Sunday night.
Reaching a CESC representative with a query meant navigating multiple layers of questions from an automated voice. It is difficult on any day. Worse when there is a power cut during a heat wave and if the person seeking help is elderly.
Several Kolkatans who managed to speak to a CESC representative said they had to answer a series of questions by pressing keys on their phones — one, two or three — before they heard a human voice.
The Telegraph found that a consumer has to cross seven to eight rounds of specifications by pressing keys on a phone to generate a docket number.
Around 9.10pm on Monday, this newspaper tried doing the same — to report a power supply issue — and had to cross eight rounds, without getting an option to speak to any representative.
This newspaper found that if a consumer whose mobile number is not registered with the consumer ID of that particular CESC connection, calls the helpline, he or she will have to insert the 11-digit consumer number over the phone to proceed to lodge a complaint.
If someone whose mobile number is registered with the consumer ID wants to report a power cut, he or she will have to go through the following steps:
Step 1: The IVR will ask to choose a language by pressing one, two or three.
Step 2: The machine will ask if the query is about power supply/bill or related to AC overload or regarding uninterrupted service during any event.
Step 3: If the option of “power supply” is chosen, the machine will ask if the query is on supply off/voltage fluctuation or on an emergency wire snap or related to a follow-up on an existing docket number.
Step 4: If the option of supply off/voltage fluctuation is chosen, the machine will mention the name of the person in whose name the CESC connection is registered and asked the caller to confirm or deny.
Step 5: If the name is confirmed, the machine will ask if the query is related to the individual’s home or for the neighbourhood.
Step 6: If “individual” is selected, the machine will ask if it is about power supply or voltage or any other issue.
Step 7: If “power supply” is chosen, the machine will ask if the power supply has been off for more than one hour or less than one hour.
Step 8: If “less than one hour” is selected, the machine will generate a docket number and a text message will be sent to the registered mobile number. CESC officials said the IVR system has evolved over the years and at least 160 consumers can report their grievances through it simultaneously.
The officials said consumers can also report their grievances through a dedicated WhatsApp number or other helpline numbers or through a chatbot mentioned on the website of the utility.
“In the case of manual interface, if all residents of the same locality start calling the same number at the same time, that will result in the jamming of the telephone line. We have different helplines to accommodate multiple complaints at the same time,” said a senior CESC official.
Ritesh Chakraborty, a resident of Chatterjee Bagan in Haridevpur on the city’s southern fringes, said he could finally connect with the CESC helpline after trying in vain for 22 times.
“The entire neighbourhood was awake last night because of a power cut. We were all dialling the CESC helpline to report the outage. It took us around two hours to connect with them,” said a resident of Haridevpur, where cops had to be deployed to pacify agitated residents of Banerjee Para on Sunday night.
Mithu Chakraborty, another resident of Haridevpur, said her 74-year-old mother Shipra, who had cataract surgery last week, suffered from “great inconvenience” because of the power cut.
“The power went off at 11.40pm on Sunday. Two CESC vans came and some people were trying to fix the problem. But as the supply was not restored even in the morning, residents became impatient. Then the police came. The councillorcame, too. Only after that some senior engineers came and the connection was restored around 1.30pm,” Chakraborty, a homemaker said.
She said many of her neighbours complained that they failed to reach any CESC representative as the calls dropped mid-way.
