BENGALURU: The anytime payment kiosks of
Bescom
are anything but what their name suggests. Reintroduced only last year following public demand, the self-service counters can’t be used whenever you wish.
Dedicated operators sitting beside the machines at almost every sub-division office to aid customers with bill payments are indication enough that the service requires manual assistance. When Chethan R (name changed) visited the sub-division office in Basaveshwarnagar last week, he was unable to make use of the anytime payment
kiosk
(ATP) without the operator around.
When he questioned the manager, Chethan was told the kiosk could still be used by the public when it is in “consumer mode” after office hours. “However, I found that to be untrue as I couldn’t make the payment,” said Chethan.
Chethan was lectured by the manager on the operators’ utility: they prevent people from using fake notes to make payments, help them when their notes get rejected by the machine for being smudged and chip in when there are software glitches. Chethan, though, was not convinced. “What is the difference between a cash counter and an ATP kiosk? Earlier, the person would be stationed behind the desk, now he stands along with the customer to assist him. How is it
automated
,” he asked.
At the MG Road sub-division office, ATP kiosk operator Manjunath Managavi said most customers who come to pay their bills have no idea how the system works. “Not everyone is technologically adept. Those who can do it on their own do so, but almost everyone expects us to help. When they try to do it on their own, they get stuck and invariably seek assistance. People are mainly worried about having exact change, but if an excess sum is paid, it automatically gets adjusted in the following month’s bill,” he said.
Despite such assurances, customers remain unsure. N Sunder Babu, a resident of Ulsoor, said it was his lack of tech-savviness that made him ask for help. “I am not that good with technology. I don’t want to get stuck and have the machine swallow my money,” he said.
Bescom (MG Road) assistant executive engineer Suresh said operators are present as customers frequently seek help. “The machine itself will not accept fake notes,” he said.
IT services have been outsourced to a company called Idea Infinity that runs the software at the kiosks. Even the receipts generated after using the kiosk state that the transaction was made “with operator assistance”.
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