A mobile retail showroom had this catchline in its ads: Where you buy, matters.

Today, it no longer uses this line; Nevertheless, where you buy still matters.

A big retail chain has tied up with a GSM telecom service provider for co-branded mobile services. The prepaid mobile packs are available at the retail chain's outlets. But what the staff know about the product is only what is written in the product pamphlet.

Once you decide to become the ‘proud' owner of a pre-paid pack, you are at the mercy of the staff, or more precisely, their ‘knowledge level'. Each one of them will have their own interpretation of the rules. Seeking the team leader's help also won't solve the issue. “What that person told you yesterday was wrong,” comes the staple reply. But isn't ‘the person' one of your own staff? Yes, but all he can say is sorry. The company's Web site also throws light only on the basics. Nothing more. The only thing you can do while buying (even co-branded) prepaid cards at supermarkets is to be prepared for surprises, sometimes unpleasant.

Are the customer care services of telecom service providers better? No. A customer service officer of a company that has 3G licence for Bangalore but not Chennai, assured me that the service would be launched in Chennai “within a month”. “But you don't have the 3G licence for Chennai,” I said. “Why don't you leave your phone number. We will get back to you on that.” It's over two months, and I am still waiting for the ‘get back' call.

My friend, when he enquired about GPRS rates, was told that though his free limit would be 2 GB, downloads would be charged. He was left scratching his head: how can downloads be charged when he had 2GB of free browsing? What the customer service officer did not make clear was that all downloads from the mobile company's portal, such as wallpapers, songs and downloads, were chargeable.

If you think mobile showrooms are better, you could be wrong again. The staff in many mobile showrooms are absolutely clueless about the software version in mobiles. Many are also blissfully unaware of the features of mobiles. “See here,” said an executive pointing out the features listed on the box when asked about the features.

What is the Android version in the mobile? “It's 2.1,” came the reply. But the box says ‘Android 2.1 ready'. What does that mean? “It means it has the 2.1 version,” he said. It took a senior staff's intervention for him to admit that you have to update the mobile to the 2.1 version whenever it is released for the mobile.

So, better do your homework before venturing out to buy mobiles, accessories or new connections. Or go to a showroom where you can expect to find executives who are likely to know things. Where you buy, matters. How you buy and the guy who is selling the product also matter.

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