CELCOM VERSUS MAXIS CUSTOMER SERVICE

If for some reason you forgot to update your CELCOM handphone payment and your hp is barred, and you made the payment online via CIMBCLICKS, DO NOT expect your handphone to be instantly re-connected!!!

I logged on www.celcom.com.my to check the outstanding amount to make the necessary payment to the mobile number that has been barred and the following screen appeared:










Having received the amount to pay, I clicked on the "Pay Now" symbol to make the necessary payment.

The next screen then displayed the option to either pay full or to pay "Other amount". I click on "pay full", select "Saving/Current Account (FPX)" and then I click "Continue" on next screen to confirm the payment amount and to proceed to the next step.

At the next screen, I select CIMBCLICKS as the Internet Banking Account preference and proceeded by clicking "Agree and Continue". A CIMBCLICKS pop up window appeared and I requested for TAC, select 'banking account' to make payment and all transaction is done and completed. A payment receipt was then displayed which detailed out the payment date & time at 12/05/2011 22:00:37, the Account Holder's name, Account Number, Mobile Number, Amount Due, Total Amount paid, Approval Code, Transaction Type, Reference Number and Mode of Payment.



I noted the APPROVAL CODE & REFERENCE NUMBER, dialed Celcom Careline 1300 111 000 at 10:10pm and spoke to NIZAM to give the approval code & reference number to expedite the reconnection of the barred line.

This was when the whole epic began.

When I quoted to Nizam- CallCentre the reference number first, Nizam asked why the reference number is so long with 21 digits... My reply, I dont know, it was a reference number generated by celcom.com.my. Secondly, he asked me to check if the amount paid had been deducted from my bank account?

The idiotic conversation pursued but to summarize it, I told Nizam the purpose of my call was to expedite the re-connection of the barred-line by giving the approval code & reference number which Nizam claimed Celcom SOP was to wait and for the money paid to appear in Celcom's account first before any reconnection order can be issued!! I said, that cant be..... quoting my more than 15 years experience with MAXIS. For reconnection of barred line, all that we have to do was to call MAXIS call centre and give the receipt number as a prove of payment and the instruction for reconnection will be issued in less than 2 minutes of calling MAXIS CARELINE.

Nizam then referred to his superior and re-confirmed back to me that CELCOM's procedure is to wait for the money-paid to appear in CELCOM's account first before CELCOM can proceed further with re-connection.

My last word to NIZAM was: "You meant to say that the reference number and approval code displayed by CELCOM online receipt is hopeless and useless?, and CELCOM will only refer to CELCOM bank account details before CELCOM can proceed for re-connection processs? Nizam answered YES!! and ask me to call back in 30 minutes to see if CELCOM has received the money paid in their bank and asked me to check if the money paid has been deducted from my account (hello... of course the money paid has been deducted the moment the transaction is confirmed, otherwise CIMBClicks will not issue any reference number).

I was very agitated and hang up the call. Luckily my primary line is with MAXIS. This incident will never happen with MAXIS.