The Hindu : Bescom to have another IVRS

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 13, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

Bescom to have another IVRS

By Divya Sreedharan

BANGALORE June 12. The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) has decided that it needs another Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS).

This is despite the fact that there are already many complaint-handling procedures — ``1917'', which is a 24-hour centralised IVRS where users can opt for either English or Kannada, a toll-free line ``1600-33-8017'', and the telephone numbers 2267118, 2267119. Now, in newspaper advertisements recently, Bescom issued a "request for proposal" saying by June 20, companies must bid for supply, installation and com -missioning of integrated software and hardware for an IVRS.

But does Bescom really need the new IVRS? Its Managing Director, Bharat Lal Meena, says they need to upgrade the present technology. Besides, the existing services are not accessible to consumers in Bescom districts such as Bangalore Rural, Tumkur, Kolar, Chitradurga, and Davangere, he points out.

According to him, the latest project is an expansion of the existing IVRS. "We will have dedicated lines, people can send voice mail etc., to the Bescom's corporate office and this will `escalate' complaint-handling," he explained.

This was in keeping with Bescom's plans of strengthening its online payment facility (which has got lukewarm response so far), web-based data collection, linking up with banks, an interface with its own offices and so on, he said. Bescom hopes to do all this and more through a soon-to-be-launched website, `www.bescom.org', which its officials insist will be different from the one hosted by the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd.

But for quite some time now, Bescom has been accused by consumers in rural areas of "indifference" to their problems. Now, Mr. Meena says the new IVRS will help consumers from all parts of Bescom's jurisdictional area, to complain and get faster redress for their problems.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Nearly 50 p.c. BMTC buses EURO II compliant

Bescom to have another IVRS

`Fractal World' begins at Alliance Francaise

Case against weekly editor

Autorickshaw forcibly taken away from driver

Benefits of rainwater harvesting