Synopsis
The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) in New Delhi reports a tenfold increase in grievance calls, now supporting 17 languages with AI technology for enhanced complaint resolution, as informed to Parliament.Key Takeaways
- NCH handles complaints in 17 languages.
- Calls surged from 12,553 in 2015 to 155,138 in 2024.
- WhatsApp complaints rose from 3% to 18% by the end of 2024.
- AI tools have improved complaint handling.
- Operating hours are from 8 AM to 8 PM daily.
New Delhi, Feb 4 (NationPress) The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has become the primary platform for addressing consumer complaints, offering support in 17 languages alongside an AI-driven speech recognition system, as disclosed to Parliament on Tuesday.
The volume of calls received by NCH has skyrocketed over ten times—rising from 12,553 in December 2015 to 155,138 in December 2024.
Correspondingly, the average monthly complaints registered have jumped from 37,062 in 2017 to 112,468 in 2024.
Moreover, the registration of grievances via WhatsApp has witnessed a significant increase, with the proportion of complaints submitted through this platform soaring from 3% in March 2023 to 18% in December 2024, reflecting a notable shift towards digital communication methods, stated Minister of State for the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, B.L. Verma, in a written response in the Rajya Sabha.
The helpline operates in 17 languages, including Hindi, English, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Nepali, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Maithili, Santhali, Bengali, Odia, Assamese, and Manipuri, enabling consumers from various regions to submit their complaints via the toll-free number 1915.
“The helpline is operational from 8 AM to 8 PM every day of the week, excluding national holidays. To improve accessibility, a call-back facility is also offered. A specialized call center has been set up to guarantee timely assistance,” the minister noted.
The number of convergence partners has progressively risen from 263 companies in 2017 to 1,038 as of now. The technological advancements of the NCH have significantly enhanced its call-handling capabilities.
In a pivotal initiative aimed at further improving grievance resolution, NCH has launched AI-driven Speech Recognition, a Translation System, and an AI-powered Chatbot as part of NCH 2.0.
The AI-enabled Chatbot offers immediate support, optimizing complaint processing and elevating the user experience. These enhancements ensure that consumers from various linguistic backgrounds can access the grievance redressal system equally.