We purchased a pureit (pure-shit) recently and it was leaking profusely from the bottom chamber and our concerns are still to be addressed. Needless to say, people like us based on our trust on HUL brand purchase pure-shit and what follows is a painful experience. Adding to all this, their stupefying responses furthers the frustration and stress. Even our effort to reach out to their senior management through mail has been an exercise in vain. Those at senior level will never respond and the ones who respond (The local offices bearers) are just buttressing and adding salt and chillies to the wound. They are equally hopeless. Let me recount my experience by putting up the mail that I sent them on February 1.The mail goes like this..

“It was 23rd January 2011, a fateful day, when I made this terrible decision of purchasing a pureit compact blue and what followed was an ordeal with this horrible product. There was a leakage on the first day, which was delightfully ignored. Second day's consequent filling also resulted into a leakage. Starting from 25th January, Mr Joby Cherian, a friend of mine, made a series of complaints (complaint no-C113098856 on 25th, 1930126768, 3113109998 on 31st) and was given the assurance of redressal within one working day, which was never kept.

On observing the pureit one can see water dripping from the central point of the bottom chamber, which is clearly a manufacturing defect. This can also be verified by your technician, only if he grace my home with his presence.

This product of yours has breached the trust that I previously had on HUL. It has also become a reason for loss of peace ever since I made that terrible decision!..!

Now coming to the most crucial point of this mail- I am announcing a self-imposed deadline to hear from your side and i.e. till this weekend, 6th February, 2011, failing which, I will consider myself free to approach the honourable consumer court. I do not expect a repair but a genuine replacement.

Lately I have come across the so many bad reviews about your product that is flooding the Internet and it’s tingling me to vent out my personal experience so that at least some consumers can be warned about this product.

This letter is a last hope on your claim “Customer relationship management in Hindustan Unilever ltd., is considered as the key parameter in building the brand. It also serves for us the key mission of bonding and understanding the consumer better continuously.”(as mentioned on the website)

Regards
RC and JC

Dealer’s Address:
Guruji Electronics, G-12 A
Plot No – 2362/1
Maharaja Complex, Main Patel Road
New Delhi- 110008
Ph- 011-25703218, 25703281

Mail To:[email protected]
[email protected].”

In response to this mail, I admit that I got some response and was thrilled to receive the pure-it guys (two real people) at my home. They came and reinstalled the lost hope, only to be thrashed and assaulted later. Let me say something more about their visit, they observed the pure-it and agreed that it was a manufacturing defect. My goodness, they accepted it. This was the short lived “AHA moment”. I got the shock of my life when their boss spoke to me and asked for Rs 450 for the replacement and without losing seconds I responded with a stern no, not even a single penny I said. Boss conceded and said this will be sorted out. Their blatant promise ridden calls followed for 2-3 days with no delivery on those promises. Finally, on 4th February I called them asking about the progress. He said he is still looking for the proper replacement and will get back in2-3 days (another eternal promise). At this point I told him “Yours is the worst after sales services I have ever experienced” and his answer was very genuine “I agree that we are not able to satisfy you. I am also feeling bad that I am not able to help you but what can I do”. At last, at least one guy in the whole organisation accepted that they are hopeless and unable to fulfil their responsibility. Till 6th February, I got calls from many bosses and the deadline just passed and now- no more calls.

The opening page of their website carries this message—

Dear Consumer,

Customer relationship management in Hindustan Unilever ltd., is considered as the key parameter in building the brand . It also serves for us the key mission of bonding and understanding the consumer better continuously.

Over the years we at HUL have invested, and carefully nurtured this aspect of our business and made it a part of our brand DNA. This is the main ingredient in our quest to add vitality to life, as we meet everyday needs of pure drinking water with Pureit brand.

Though this consumer centric approach has given us millions of satisfied consumers, and a leading edge in competitive advantage vis a vis competition we encourage escalations and testimonials from the consumers which will help us to set renewed bench marks in our internal processes. We promise you that these escalations are taken very seriously and the satisfaction is guaranteed as per the guidelines of our business.

We will respond to your escalations, feedbacks immediately by phone, mail or by visits from our team members to understand and give a solution to your queries.

We also receive several testimonials appreciating our CRM activities and the excellent Product and selling experiences, we are grateful to such mails as it helps us to further renew our vigour in working for the satisfaction of our consumers,

Thanking you,

Mr. Vikram Surendran
General Manager - India operations, Water division
[email protected] and [email protected]"

I have two quotes for their senior management-
Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises, for never intending to go beyond promise, it costs nothing. ~Edmund Burke

Never take a solemn oath. People think you mean it. ~Norman Douglas
I am extremely disappointed with HUL and would advise consumers to be careful before purchasing pure-it, I mean pure-shit. This is not a promotional mail since I am not suggesting people what to buy but just what ‘not to buy’. Overlooking customer grievances has become HUL’s second nature and leave the only option of contemplating legal action. The HUL should learn from reputed global brands like Toyota who do not hesitate to recall their entire product from the market in case of any fault. In this case, forget about the recall thing as that will be too much to ask for here.