Mobile Prepaid card

Location/place: Mumbai

Name of company/service: Vodafone

I purchased a Vodafone prepaid card for mobile internet worth Rs.99 from one of their retailers in Malad (W), Mumbai.
I scratched it a little harder, as a result of which the ‘secret number’ couldn’t be read properly. I pointed this out to the shop attendant, who asked me to approach Vodafone directly.
On 9th July 2012 I approached the Vodafone gallery located at Gaiwadi, Girgaon, Mumbai. The person on the cash counter informed me that there was some software problem due to which he wasn’t able to accede to my request & asked me to comeback after a few days.
I visited the same store again on 20th July 2012. Before going to the store, I found it appropriate to first check with the helpline number whether the fault with the software was rectified, which I did & the person on the other side confirmed that it had indeed been corrected.
This time Mr. Ranjit was on the cash counter, who informed me that the fault hasn’t been corrected yet and asked me to visit the store at a later date, after 23-07-2012!! After an argument with him he gave me a ‘gallery phone number'(9920302958)and asked me to give a call on it, to check about the system before I come to the gallery.
I lodged a complaint (no. 428625274 dated 20-07-2012)with the store executive against the inefficiency of the helpline executive, who had in the first place, informed me that everything was OK and the lack of internal coordination between the store & helpline.
I have been calling on the above number given by Mr. Ranjit, since Monday, 23-07-2012 but nobody has bothered to answer my call even once. After 4 days of relentless pursuance, I called the helpline number again today, on 26-07-2012, where I spoke to Mr. Javed, who told me that he is helpless in the matter & I will have to pursue it with the gallery!!
Therefore, I have been made to go round and round, from one place to another by the company’s staff for the last fortnight. Is this the way to treat a customer? Vodafone is an MNC but their customer service is horrible, to say the least. The employees sometimes do not have a clue of what they are doing, which leads to harassment & untold hardship of the poor customer. And this hasn’t been the only time I have been aggrieved. Let me inform you that I have been visiting this particular gallery for more than 3 years and you could be shocked that not once have I returned satisfied by their response.
I sincerely hope that the forum takes up my grievance with Vodafone in an exemplary manner & redress it in a way, that sets a precedent for other service providers as well, in terms of customer service and provide relief to millions of consumers in the country.