soulquest

Passion..

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:19:00 +0000

Customer Contact Week

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:24:00 +0000

Oriental Bank of Commerce has advertised 19-24 Dec 2011 as " Customer Contact Week" - feedback/suggestions welcome !:)

This must be the outcome of some profound strategy. Listen to the customer for a week and spend the rest of the year working on the suggestions ?

The scent of an airline..

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 05:03:00 +0000

British Airways plans to introduce a signature scent in the aircrafts . Interesting initiative by an airline.

Later perhaps..the perfume in an aircraft shaped bottle !:)

Shhhh....

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:39:00 +0000

Festivals in particular and Mumbai in general is a ripe market for ear plugs . Instead of giving pointless gifts like sweets - lets give thoughtful gifts like ear plugs to survive the din.

p.s - when 2 festivals coincide give extra strong ear plugs.

God save the God(s)

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:57:00 +0000

Lord Ganesha definitely represents prosperity when devotees gift kilos of gold each year. What happens to the gold post the festival one wonders ?

What prevents the devotees from using that money to feed / educate children , provide medical aid to the needy or plant trees ?

The poor God(s) must surely despair at being reduced to the status of a hedonistic , greedy mortal of poor taste.

God save the God(s).

End the deficit..

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:13:00 +0000

“I could end the deficit in 5 minutes. You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP all sitting members of congress are ineligible for re-election.”

—Warren Buffett giving us a quick lesson on incentive in an interview on CNBC.

A nearly fool-proof way to get any economy back on track !:)

Happy to sue (customers)

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:25:00 +0000

Vodafone sent a notice to a customer who posted on his Facebook wall about his problems with the service provider. This has to be a new low in customer service. Incredibly foolhardy and arrogant of Vodafone to think that they could get away with this stunt in today's connected world.

The customer alleges that the CMO asked him to change to another service if he was not satisfied. What a role model for the rest of the company ! Instead of addressing the service issues if a senior executive speaks high handedly to a customer it sends strong signals to the rest of the organization that this is an acceptable attitude.Vodafone might as well disband all service training programs (if they do conduct any).

Vodafone's gripe is that Dhaval posted numbers of their executives on his page. This is a huge offense in Corporate Land. Companies devise elaborate procedures to keep customers as far away as possible from their senior management. As a test case the next time you call any company - airline , credit card , retailer , phone company - if your problem is not being resolved by the person handling your call just ask them for the name, telephone number , email id of the service head or CEO . Suddenly they will get very co-operative or they'll develop amnesia or say that they only know their immediate supervisor. Often organizations become a world unto themselves with senior management feeling like monarchs of their fiefdoms. They don't want to be bothered with lowly matters like customers especially when it's a Rs 1000-1500/ month type of revenue (the CMO would have paid way more attention to a B2B client ).

Vodafone's facebook page is filled with complaints from customers across the country. Some of it in language that would be deemed profane. Maybe Vodafone should clarify that what they're trying to say is it's ok for people to vent their fury on Vodafone's page rather than their own ?

This episode opens up opportunities for ad agencies of the phone companies . Vodafone's agency can figure a new tag line since "happy to help" is not valid. Other phone companies can add "we don't send notices to our customers" in their list of virtues.

Who is the leader ?

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:17:00 +0000

Baba Ramdev has promised to go on a fast from June 4. A news channel put together a panel for the 9.00 pm news which had Justice Santosh Hegde and a representative from the Congress

(Manish Tiwari possibly undergoing therapy to recoup or coaching on how to defend the Congress in the latest scam ) and few other folks. Part of the discussion initiated by the anchor was about the "Anna" camp , "Baba Ramdev" camp etc . He kept asking "Who is the leader of this movement ? Anna or Baba ? ". Justice Hedge's reply that both are leaders whose views he respects was not sufficiently newsworthy enough for the anchor who kept repeating the question.

"Who is the leader?" (in the context of this situation) comes from a paradigm that there can be only one leader. A pyramid structure which can hold only one person at the top. This type of questioning is also symptomatic of the times where depth , introspection , analysis are compromised for quick conclusions and buzz. This Maggi noodles approach to complex issues serves nobody's interest.

Maybe Nestle can launch a campaign saying our noodles have spawned a whole new approach to analysis and discussion of issues (which are way more convoluted than the noodles ). With Maggi at least one can get an enjoyable snack at the end of the few minutes. When a news channel (or any organization) uses that approach to a complex issue all one gets is wasted time.

Monday mornings

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Monday morning 10.30 am meeting in progress- the phone rang persistently. Answered the phone to find the call from Matrix Cellular to ask if I would be travelling overseas and if yes they would like to offer their services . I've used their services several times. Their calls every fortnight to remind are a waste of their money and my time. ( I'm glad the co that issues the forex has not decided to call every fortnight..I would probably plan a trip overseas to escape such calls )

Monday mornings are not the best time to market services like these. The start of the week tends to be an important time for most folks - planning , review etc . To call customers then is an unappreciated interruption that could actually work negatively . In fact , even emails should be prudently sent especially in a b2b context. Send the marketing/ biz proporal mail later in the day (I.e on a Monday) * or week.
* exceptions being time bound proposals/ tenders or if already pre agreed to send in the communication asap.

The lady from Matrix who called was visibly disappointed . I felt sorry for her. In this case the call was unnecessary and the timing couldn't have been worse. Planning sales calls better would help the morale of the sales person too thereby opening up the possibility for better results ( there are cos that need to introspect and analyse whether they should be calling the customer at all or at the frequency they currently are e.g would an email do the job just as well or better)

Realigning sales calls to an appropriate time will make for a better week and better results for all involved.

KYC - Know Your Customer

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:12:00 +0000

My mobile service provider of 12 years kept sending text messages "Your invitation to join Loop M-Channel - a service for best offers and promotions expires in 10 days. To join reply to this SMS with yes". Out of curiosity I texted 'Yes'. After which followed the most bizarre question a company could ask a customer after 12 years - "are you 1. Male or 2. Female ? " . This was then followed by a question about age group and interests.

The fact that the questions are easy to answer via sms and that the replies are free - possibly gives the company the feeling that they can ask pretty much anything.

Maybe they should use the facility to ask more pertinent questions " Do you intend to remain our customer ? Text 1 for Yes , 2 for No "

Divine deals

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:05:00 +0000

India won the World Cup. The euphoria still in the air.

Am discovering interesting information about individual deals struck with various Gods..and who are now making good on their end of the deal. An aunt who has promised 108 coconuts , my cook gave Rs 101 this morning. Across the country there would be millions of folks who struck some deal with their God(s) for India to win this cup.

It would make for a more equitable country if the giving was channelized towards helping the needy.The victory would extend beyond the sport.

Land of the Brave

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:35:00 +0000

Japan is a country close to our heart . We have several Japanese clients, business associates and friends. It’s amazing and inspiring to see how stoic and brave they are. Across companies we see the same message ‘We must now work to build the future of our country’. We see this in individuals of different age groups . Truly remarkable and admirable.

We wish the citizens of Japan strength , courage , peace and joy to overcome and triumph the many challenges they are faced with.

Suitcase shelf..

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 14:05:00 +0000

Have a few suitcases at home. They take up a fair amount of space and don't fit into the space on top of cupboards. Suitcases in a room take up space and create a visual clutter. This is a problem . And an opportunity.

There's scope to design simple , hollow cupboards with an openable door in which the suitcase(s) can slide in. The top of the shelf can be used for creative display. Drape a lovely fabric on it to add flair and vibrancy to the space.

The idea can be creatively rendered . The sides of the cupboard can have frames in which to slide in pics , the sides can have delicate carvings etc

Plant trees

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 09:39:00 +0000

Political parties have been defacing Mumbai roads with garish posters for years now. Lately some of them have inserting a message in the posters. Possibly a lame bid to look like they have something to say.

The latest one is a NCP poster where the politician's face is about 86% of the poster space. The residual space on the poster has a message to plant trees and save the earth.

Considering the way the agriculture ministry is operating this is now essential for all Indians to do in order to get food at a reasonable cost. Quite clairvoyant and considerate of the agriculture minister to print posters to alert us .

Impulse purchase ?

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:20:00 +0000

Visited a mall on Christmas week-end . Went to a dept store to make a purchase. The item was located in 3 mins. Billing took nearly 15 mins . Cash counters were not adequately staffed + the usual 'system is slow today' problem .

Retailers put in lot of effort to stock 'impulse purchase' products. The prospect of waiting 15 mins at the cash counter is enough to deter the most impulsive purchaser.

The obscure we eventually see. The completely obvious takes a little longer !:)

Moral right

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:22:00 +0000

The NewsHour on Times Now today had a debate on the 2G scam with the usual list of panelists - one from Congress, one from BJP , 3-4 journalists . The Congress guy lamely defended the Prime Minister by saying ' BJP has no moral ground to talk on this issue considering the scam in Karnataka'. The TV show anchor miraculously picked up this brilliant idea and started a volley of questions to the BJP person.

By this yardstick there is no hope for India. Most of the political parties and politicians in India differ only in their degree of corruption. So , they can't ask anything of the government or of each other. Maybe they should sign a peace accord to amicably continue looting the country.

Why walk when you can fly ?

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 06:55:00 +0000

Soar beyond your fears

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons from
Arabia. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever
seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.

Months passed and one day the head falconer informed the king that
thoughone of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky,
the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the
falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to the
member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace
windowthat the bird had still not moved from its perch. Having tried
everything else, the king thought to himself, "May be I need someone
more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this
problem." So he cried out to his court, "Go and get a farmer."

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above
the palace gardens.He said to his court, "Bring me the doer of this
miracle"

The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king.
The king asked him, "How did you make the falcon fly?"

With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, " It was very easy, your
highness. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting."

We are all made to fly -- to realize our incredible potential as human beings.
But instead of doing that, we sit on our branches, clinging to the things that
are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they
remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, the
mundane.

So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling and
fulfilling.

So let us learn to destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to
the glory of flight.

From the Book "Why walk when you can fly"

Why customer service matters

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 13:10:00 +0000

While on the subject of service some thoughts from an undoubted champion of customer service.

Awesome service

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 09:56:00 +0000

Japan is undoubtedly the land of awesome service. It’s not unusual for a taxi driver to stop the meter if he feels he’s taking a longer route than necessary.

On asking a Muji store associate for the nearest train station location – she pulled out a map book of Tokyo , photocopied the relevant page and then came out 2 floors to the street level to explain the directions.

On a cold and rainy in Tokyo stopped at a cafe en route to collect a sandwich takeout. The restaurant manager invited us to wait inside where it was deliciously warm and comfortable. Served hot tea while we were waiting, added an extra topping to the orders placed. Brought warmth , comfort and joy. Raised the bar for service.

What happens when friendly awesome service is delivered ? The person doing so feels good and empowered. The customer is delighted. Possibly becomes an evangelist/regular customer of that company / store. If the customer is a visiting foreigner it enhances their experience of the country. At a basic human level we seek and appreciate a sense of connectedness. Some things go beyond the realm of business.

Muji is one of the largest retailers in Japan. The cafe is a much smaller business.

Awesome service is possible at any scale of business.

We or they ?

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 09:12:00 +0000

Visited a dept store today. The service at the counter was good (which was by the brand's team i.e not the store staff). There were 3 cash counters. Only 1 was manned. Resulting in avoidable waiting time for customers. Asked the cashier why don't they operate at least one more counter to service customers. The reply "There is a shortage of staff. They are not hiring enough people". One would have expected to hear "Sorry , we have a shortage of staff".

When a person refers to their company as "they" :

1. Maybe the company has not been able to create an environment where the person feels valued

2. If "they" are the problem then it is less likely that the person will take initiative/responsibility to address the customer's problem.

The "we/ they" problem could be specific to a location or a company wide problem. At whatever scale it exists it is detrimental to all involved - the customer , the employee and the company.

Listen to your team. What pronouns do you hear ?

Mall mania

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 15:57:00 +0000

Visited a local mall . These days malls seem to let out the central space for promotions and events. The companies hosting the promotion seem to think the best way to get return for investing in the event is to do so at a decibel level which will reach out to every corner of the mall. What follows then is ear damaging decibel level.

The event at the local mall yesterday was aimed at kids. The health of the children is seriously at risk to be exposed to such decibel levels. The store I was at had glass doors. Yet the sound of the promotion pervaded drowning the sound of the music in the store. It was impossible to browse through other store windows due to the cacophony. This is counter productive for the mall and the stores.

Yours truly asked for directions to the mall office. It was located in a corner of the building. Met the mall manager and shared my views. From her expression and reactions 2 things were clear :

1. This was the first time they (she and 2 other persons from her team ) were faced with the point of view that such a decibel level is a nuisance and a health risk.

2. No visitor to the mall had ever approached them to share such feedback.

In India we see 2 extreme reactions from retail customers - either they will passively endure poor service / quality or they will get extremely aggressive. The mid path of assertive , consistent feedback is seldom adopted.

In many ways we create the environment we inhabit. Pl choose to influence it .

ENDhiran

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 06:32:00 +0000

Watched the movie Endhiran. In my book this is def one of the most overrated movies in the history of Indian cinema.

Tortuous songs , a machine getting obsessed with a woman and even trying to figure how to procreate ! At various points in the movie I was wondering how will this movie end ? More importantly WHEN will it end ?

The hype around this movie is unbelievable. Possibly the fan following of Rajnikant sails a theme like this through to box office success. With another actor Endhiran would have ended by now.

If you must watch this movie do so last thing at night so that you can recover with a good night's rest. Or take a leaf from this outlandish movie - get a robot to watch it for you and spare yourself the effort.

The End (of this post).

Noisy newspaper

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:38:00 +0000

The Times of India (TOI) today morning literally created a racket.Volkswagen had attached a noisy contraption in the newspaper to play out some message repetitively.This attempt at gaining attention definitely worked as one had to expend effort to shut the device off. An entirely irresponsible campaign by TOI and Volkswagen.

1. A Vo lkswagen car is not an impulse purchase that people hearing the radio quality,irritating pitch will rush out of their homes to the nearest dealer.

2. A colossal waste from an eco perspective.Metal and plastic that will land in a dust bin even before the morning is over.

3. The fact that a newspaper is irresponsible enough to allow contraptions to be attached to it can open up ideas for groups wanting to spread terror (a point of view spontaneously put forth by several people who received TOI today).From a newspaper that conducts eco campaigns this was least expected. Just because an advertiser is willing to pay does not mean that TOI should willingly go along.

redesign Design institutes

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:18:00 +0000

We are looking to recruit for design and merchandising positions in SoulQuest. Am amused and amazed by the quality of communication from some of the candidates from premier design institutes.Poor communication from a candidate ends their chances at the application stage itself.

Design institutes possibly assume that their sole task is to teach the students about design to the exclusion of everything else. It's not about writing Shakespeare style prose. Students need inputs on :

1. Creating an appealing resume that's honest , confident - I've seen 5 page resumes of students who have just graduated . Few years into a career the resume will possibly become a book.

2. Learning to communicate - over email /phone and sms - in a way that even if they are not selected - at least they leave a favorable impression on the individual / company.

These days there is ample opportunity for students to learn such skills via the internet. However , emphasis by and some guidance from the institute will definitely make a huge difference.

Yet another bandh

noreply@blogger.com (Savitha Rao) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:14:00 +0000

There's a bandh across many parts of India today. It is unclear what it will tangibly accomplish other than loss of a day's wages for many and inconvenience to even more. The union leaders on TV this morning were not able to properly articulate what they hope to accomplish. There's definitely a lot of anger about price rise and other issues. They need to be addressed. But a strike of this type is not going to do that.

Look at the way the govt is allowing millions of tonnes of food grains to rot.They are busy trying to save their rear on a host of issues or blaming some group/individual/political party.This type of mind set will be hardly affected by a day's strike.

We really need platforms and the discipline+willingness to engage in meaningful discussions to resolve problems.