More often than not, i was asked whether there was any difference between a consumer and customer. Many of friends gave me definitions and their perspectives for each of those terms. I have been both a consumer and customer on many occasions (well in fact every minute in daily life) in India. I may not able to comment or compare the true experience of a customer in other parts of india, but i have much experience in India to write few lines about it and i can continue to do the same and hence i started this blog. Please read on, with a recent experience:
A customer support executive from a reputed international bank calls me and confirms that they are talking to me only 
During the phone call they ask me whether I am interested to get my monthly credit card statement in email form. I responded saying, it is good idea but then I questioned them why can’t the bank folks send me an email about the same. They had received my email in the application form when I opened a bank account with them. Apparently this executive said, (s)he is from a different department and hence (s)he does not know about my email id. I politely gave my email Id and requested for an email communication. Then the executive says (s)he needs my date of birth to confirm ’sending’ email to me. This is the place I thought of ‘educating’ the executive and asked why that information is needed?? When the bank initiated the call they should be knowing that they are reaching the right customer and why do they still some more information from me to confirm. I also explained that it is the norm for the phone calls originating from the bank’s customer , the bank executive asks for ‘date of birth’ or other such unique information to proceed further on the transaction. That’s how the call ended and the customer support executive ‘got’ educated. I receive an email reply from the bank promptly, regarding the statement copy being sent to email.
