The Club That Was Designed To Have
Zero Members
The Club That Was Designed
to have Zero Members
Yes, you read that right.
Atlys prides itself on delivering visas on time 99% of the time, but it’s the -1% that keeps us up at night. We let some customers down, and the -1% club is our way of saying sorry and taking responsibility for those rare misses.
This club is more than just words—it’s a space where we listen, learn, and make amends.
As customers who’ve faced delayed visas can relate, the frustration is real, and so is our commitment to fixing it. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that every Atlys customer gets their visa on time, and in doing so, reduce the -1% club membership to a grand total of zero.
Look away,
This is going to hurt.
We value customer feedback - even the kind that stings. Angry tweets and social media call-outs may hurt, but they push us to do better. If you’ve had a disappointing experience, know that we take your concerns seriously and are committed to learning from them to improve.
That’s why this site showcases scathing reviews instead of glowing testimonials. It's our way of embracing our mistakes and taking the required steps to grow.
Delay in Passport Updates
We had a moment - not the kind you frame and hang on the wall. The real-time updates on our app decided to take a break from being "real-time". That was awkward - definitely not our proudest moment.
Turns out there were a few lags in update notifications (the equivalent of running on low adrenaline). The system also ended up sending multiple WhatsApp messages on the same update status (the equivalent of running on high adrenaline).
While we fixed it faster than you can say "NOOOOO", it was a wake-up call about why we got into this business in the first place: to make travel simpler, not stressful.
Lesson learned. Trust and transparency are now our permanent carry-ons. These days, we treat every update like a final boarding call - because we’re not about to miss it again.
An Unexpected Spike
Early last year, our Chennai Visa Fulfilment Centre saw a spike in demand that we didn't see coming. The extra demand stretched our team to the limit, kind of like the Spartans in 300. Our system was equipped to handle 550 requests per day then - well over the market average. Then came the surge tsunami - a 721% increase! That was not part of the game plan.
And while we gave it our all, there were some unfortunate delays. Things got a little ugly, but we fixed it. This incident was a hard reminder of how things can change at the snap of a finger. Now, with an upgraded system, we're very well equipped to take on even bigger surges!
D.O.B Confusion
Back in 2023, we had a little 'Oops, this is bad' moment. While processing visa details, our system got its wires crossed on dates of birth, leading to some mix-ups in visa applications. Add to that, there was a little number confusion - '8's were being read as '3'. Not exactly the kind of experience we aim to deliver.
Our A-team was on the job immediately. We fixed it, and made the system updates necessary to prevent anything like this from ever happening again.
Since then, we’ve doubled down on the precision factor for our systems, giving even the tiniest detail first-class treatment.
System Overload
A few months ago, we made a bold promise: if Neeraj Chopra won gold at the Olympics, we'd give our customers free visas - provided they applied the very next day. Neeraj came home with the silver, but we decided to stick to our word. Unfortunately, our system threw a javelin into the works, causing an unexpected glitch.
You see, on a regular day, we get anywhere between 10,000 to 12,000 web hits. On the day after Neeraj's performance, the web hits shot up by over 1,500%! Yikes. Agreed, we shot ourselves in the foot a little with this one.
Some customers couldn't apply within the first hour of the problem, and let's just say they weren't thrilled (no death threats, thankfully). Our team quickly fixed the issue, but for us, that was a wake up call. We've levelled up our systems to handle any scale no matter what. So, Neeraj - go ahead and throw that javelin even further. We're ready for gold next time.
Now here's where
We make it up to you.
We understand that the last word a disappointed customer wants to hear is “sorry”. Especially when their travel plans have gone up in smoke. That’s why we’ve gone a step further to package our ‘sorries’ with a few heartfelt gestures.
Few things are more annoying than stressing about a trip because of visa problems. Initially, our system informed a customer that we couldn't process her Taiwan visa. She secured it from another agent, only to receive it from us two days later. After repeated refund requests, she received the refund after a month. As an apology, we gifted her a Calvin Klein luggage carrier. So, the next time she gets onto a flight, her luggage will feel like royalty.
Hearing “Your visa is delayed” isn’t music to anyone’s ears. One user travelling to Kyrgyzstan faced this when they couldn’t verify their visa on the portal due to an OTP issue - something we couldn’t access either. Fortunately, they were allowed to check in using their US visa. To apologise, we gifted them a pair of Marshall headphones to block out all the noise and plug into better vibes.
A month-long Jordan visa delay, 10 days chasing travel insurance, and just one day left before travel - clearly, not our finest hour. To make up for it, we gave these customers Seiko watches to make up for all that lost time. Because time heals all, right?
A tiny typo in a customer’s name caused a big detour. Our system’s spelling error meant she missed her flight to the UAE. We felt the turbulence and upgraded her to business class for her next trip. It’s the upgrade she deserved.
Because our refund took a little longer than it should for some people, we gave away Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren wallets. Perfect for carrying their refund money in style (when it finally arrived).
Due to a delay in visa approval from Australian Immigration Authorities, we missed the ETA, causing the user to miss their flight. For a visa journey that hit a little turbulence, we gave an iPad. Replacing anxious hand-wringing with some quality smooth swiping and scrolling seemed like a smart move.
