JioFiber’s AI Bots: The Rise of Automation, The Fall of Customer Service
By: Javid Amin | Jammu | 22 July 2025
AI is undeniably the future. But are we deploying it in the right places—or blindly letting it replace human empathy and common sense? My recent ordeal with JioFiber is a case study in how AI bots and hyper-automation can turn minor issues into full-blown crises, leaving suffering clients stranded and helpless.
The Beginning of the Nightmare — July 17
It all started when my JioFiber connection suddenly stopped working. I assumed it would be a minor technical hiccup, something that could be resolved with a quick phone call. But what followed was nothing short of a digital nightmare.
I reached out to Jio Customer Services through every possible channel—phone, email, WhatsApp, and even Twitter. To my surprise (and horror), all access points led to the same place: AI bots.
No real people. No voice on the other end. Just emotionless scripts and auto-generated responses that had zero relevance to my issue.
Soulless Automation & Zero Empathy
For hours, I was stuck in a loop of useless bots that kept asking me the same questions over and over again: “Have you tried restarting your router?” “Is your white light blinking?” “We are working on it.”
Of course, they were not working on anything—because there was no one to understand what I was going through.
Eventually, the AI system raised a service request. But the proposed solution was downright absurd: an engineer visit scheduled at 9:30 PM. Yes, you read that right. A home visit at night, which was not only unprofessional but borderline unsafe. It left me wondering: Has Jio outsourced its technical staff to part-time night owls or space engineers?
Escalation Didn’t Help Either
From July 17 to July 19, I tried every method under the sun to reach a human being. But all I got were more bots, more scripted apologies, and more frustration.
Eventually, after continuous pressure via Twitter, someone responded—but only to inform me that the service request was being “re-evaluated.” As if that was some kind of progress.
Then came the shocker: The engineer visit was cancelled and rescheduled to July 24. That’s a seven-day blackout for a problem that likely required just 15 minutes of manual intervention.
Living in the Stone Age, Thanks to JioFiber
No internet for a week in 2025 is not just an inconvenience. It’s a complete societal disruption.
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My office work came to a halt.
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My children couldn’t attend online classes or access educational resources.
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My entire family was cut off from entertainment, basic information, and communication.
It felt like we had been pushed back into the digital Stone Age—thanks to JioFiber’s AI-first, human-last approach.
What About Common Users?
Let’s get real. If someone like me, who understands tech and has access to public platforms like Twitter, had to scream into the void for days to get attention—what chance does a common user have?
The suffering clients in smaller towns or less privileged backgrounds will be left with no support, no redressal, and no dignity. For them, the promise of 24×7 customer support means a bot that repeats itself endlessly while their lives remain on hold.
Why Corporates Love Bots (and Why They Shouldn’t)
From the corporate boardroom’s perspective, AI bots are brilliant:
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They cut costs,
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They run 24/7,
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They scale easily,
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They never take a coffee break.
But what they don’t offer is urgency, understanding, or the human ability to judge context. And that’s the crucial gap in customer care today. In the quest to maximize profit, companies like Jio have minimized what really matters—the customer experience.
The Real Cost of Automation Without Humanity
This wasn’t just a connectivity issue. It was a systemic failure. One that exposes how over-reliance on AI without human intervention can paralyze customer support systems.
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No accountability.
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No escalation path.
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No one to say “I understand, let me help you.”
Instead, we get useless bots, robotic replies, and customers suffering silently.
What Needs to Change
Corporates need to understand that AI is a tool, not a replacement for empathy. Customer service—especially for essential services like internet and connectivity—must always provide a human fallback. Otherwise, you’re not solving problems, you’re amplifying them.
Here’s what companies like JioFiber need to implement immediately:
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Real-time human support for urgent issues.
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Escalation ladders that lead to real people, not more bots.
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Time-bound service commitments that are realistic and monitored.
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Accountability—someone must own the problem.
Until Then, AI Is Just a Corporate Experiment on Us
We’re not anti-technology. We’re not resisting the future. But until AI can truly replicate human understanding, empathy, urgency, and common sense, it has no business being the only gatekeeper between a customer and their essential services.
We deserve better. We pay for better. And it’s high time we demand better.
