There is this massive hullabaloo about India becoming the global epicenter for call centers and telemarketing, so how come Indian companies are themselves completely lacking in these resources?

Take ICICI Bank. Its one of the country's leading banks, but their call centers can be ghastly, to say the least. It took me 10 days just to be able to register a simple request regarding my debit card. Everytime I called - which was something like six times a day - all I would hear was that the systems are down and they are extremely sorry, but they cannot process the request. And then their call center executives don't even know the procedures - one lady spent 15 minutes arguing with me that it always takes 24 hours to de-block a card...then I called up two days later to learn that it does only take five minutes. And that's just one example!!

Then there is Orange - they always manage to call days after you have made your payment, asking - and extremely rudely at that - on when you are planning on making the monthly payment. Even after you inform them that the payment has been made, they continue interrogating you and really excel in making you feel like the lowliest of criminals. Why don't you keep a better check on your own accountancy systems?

But nothing can beat Airtel. They have somehow gotten the cellphone numbers of virtually every non-Airtel subscriber in Bombay, and keep calling advocating that we switch over to Airtel. Then when you tell them that you are not interested, they will not let you go till you tell them why the hell not. I had this female ask me this question three times yesterday afternoon, and she kept badgering me till I finally had no option but to simply switch off the phone.

And, of course, there is my cable operator - Microvision - whose broadband internet service is completely unavailable 20 days a month, but when you call the female there actually tells you that this is just the way it is, and if you bother her with calls anymore she will throw the phone away!

HELP!!!!!