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Stories to stand out

I came across a wonderful story of a singer who worked hard and trained himself to be a good singer. Ray worked in a shoe factory and one day he decided that wants to be a singer and songwriter. He worked hard and put in lot of hours in training by listening to records. He achieved what he wanted to achieve.

Apart from his singing, what moved me is his powerful story. I decided to listen to his music because I was moved by his story. So many times we have seen that stories are building blocks of any successful purpose. Stories provide authenticity to whole mission of person or an organization. Without stories you are one of numerous noodle in a bowl and if someone throws noodles on wall some sticks to the wall and lot of them fall on the floor and forgotten. Those which are on the wall are plain lucky and will fall after sometime.

I read somewhere “Experience stays with people while money goes away”. To build memorable experiences, one requires powerful stories. Stories which can become talk of the town. Oprah Winfrey is famous because of stories she chose to show on her show. Tom shoes are selling shoes with the help of incredible stories around their efforts of helping poor and needy children in Africa. Internet is full of interesting customer experiences shared via stories about Zappos.

It is important to have stories in these tough times. Businesses which some compelling stories to tell will stand out. So is true for individuals.

Take away point – Have a powerful story which you can narrate to your customers.




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My Tryst with Service – Paranthawala at IIT Gate

My love for good paranthas often takes me to new destinations. This time I decided to write about my favorite parantha eating destination i.e. Rehri wala near IIT Gate.

If you are looking for a nice dining area, well dressed stewards, interactions in English and nice romantic, quiet dinner, this is not a place for you. And if you are looking for some yummy paranthas at a cheap price then should visit this place.

It is roadside joint after crossing IIT flyover and you can spot it from distance with lot of buses standing and waiting there as this is also a favorite food destination of bus plying staff.  You will also find lot of IIT students (present and old) having paranthas over here. There is lot noise at this eating joint. Setting is not very perfect for dinner or lunch but if you love street food then this should be a must visit on your list.

They sell only paranthas but they have reasonable range of paranthas. You can order potato, onion, potato-onion mix, cheese, cauliflower, mix and egg parantha. All are sumptuous and delicious. Their highest selling one is egg parantha. You can have paranthas with butter, curd, pickle or their sabzi. Not to worry, they will taste delicious with all combination.

More than paranthas, what I like about this place is friendliness of staff. They are illiterate, not wearing clean dresses but they have mastered the simple rule – customer is God. They are always polite, initiating conversations (you will not have a dull moment with them) and helpful. Zoobie wanted to learn the technique behind egg parantha and they gleefully provided all their secrets.

Like all street foods, this will also not pinch your pocket.
  • Aloo Parantha – Rs 10
  • Paneer Parantha – Rs 12
  • Egg Parantha – Rs 15
  • Curd – At MRP
  • Cooking lessons – Absolutely free
And yes, do have their masala chai.

Take away point – Good product coupled with good customer service can help you in overcoming your other shortcomings.

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Flow of feedback


In old ways of doing business the flow of feedback between organization and customers was controlled and it was one way. Onus was on an organization to listen to customers. If company wants to take feedback they will provide ways and means to the customers like feedback form, call center numbers and customer service email ID.

In case company believes that whatever they will churn out, customers will lap it up then they decide not to listen to customers. In case products are not meeting expectations, customers cannot do much about it. They may speak to few people, they may stop using the product but information will  halt there. Information will not reach to heights where it can cause potential damage to a brand or an organization.


But everything is changing now. If companies decide that they do not want to listen, customers will use social media to voice their concerns. They will raise their concerns through blogs, social networking sites and Twitter. No organization can run or turn their back towards customers. Also, organizations need to keep their eyes and ears open all the time and keep monitoring these online discussions.

One such case of monitoring conversations, I discovered on this site . Sushil found an error on Tata Xenon website and tried to contact them. But feedback form on their website was not working properly and he could not give his feedback. Sushil decided to write a post about his experience and wanted to highlight the concern to Tata Xenon team. Tata Xenon team responded on his blog and thanked him for his feedback. Good to see that Tata team was monitoring conversations and not sleeping.

Sleeping is not an option any more. So is not listening.
PS:- One more conversation which any brand would not like to ignore.

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Hate tax or overweight opportunity


Ryan Air has decided to levy a ‘fat’ tax to passengers who will not be able to fit into the seat without removing separators and are not able to fit into the seat belt. When you first read it, it sounds funny. But Ryan Air says that it is passengers who want them to levy this tax on overweight passengers as it is uncomfortable for the fellow passengers. Fat passengers spill over to neighbor’s seat!

As it goes with customer feedback, you have to listen more than your ears. All customers are looking a comfortable ride irrespective of their size. Some customers feel uncomfortable if an overweight person is sitting by their side. This is not airlines fault. Adding extra tax may turn away many potential overweight customers. This 'fat' tax may turn out to be a 'hate' tax which could cause a potential damage to Ryan Air.

Most of the companies provide good service when customers do not have any specific need or want. True service skills are tested under conditions where customer is asking (or worse he could not articulate what he wants) something specific. And when you start addressing a particular need (said or unsaid), you start delighting your customers. You create zealots who will swear by your service and brand.

Ryan Air can make a separate sitting area with larger chairs especially for fat people. I do not know how many fat customers travel with Ryan Air. But I guess one or two rows of such seats should do. And charge extra for that seating area. Customers will readily pay if value is shown to them and might start loving it for taking good care of them. God knows, Ryan Air becomes a favorite airline for fat people.

Take away point: No extra tax will benefit you if you are not understanding the needs of your customer.

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Processes are brick walls?

I overheard the following conversation in Baskins and Robins ice cream parlour.

Customer: I want a single scoop of banana caramel in cone.

BR Employee: Single scoop cannot be given in a cone. Cone comes with double scoop only.

Customer: Why?

BR Employee: It is a company policy.

Customer: But I want a single scoop and that too in a cone. I will pay extra for the cone.

BR Employee: I cannot give it to you. Company will deduct from my salary if stock of cones did not match in the evening.

Customer: (Surprised) Seems your company sucks. Give me a single scoop in cup.


Oops! What a damage.

I know BR makes high quality ice creams which tastes good. They charge high prices as well for their ice creams (which is justified given the high quality of their product). But there brand is getting hurt at point of sale.

Processes and policies can cause customer turn offs. Customers do not know the reasons why such silly-sounding policies require to run a business. Processes and policies are required to run businesses efficiently but they should not be at the expense of customer experience. Processes should be an experience enhancing tools.

If customers are asking single scoop in a cone, BR should make processes which help them in delivering it efficiently. Do not build brick walls so that customers stop demanding. Instead destroy brick walls inside your organization so that customer voices can be heard in all the departments and customers get what they want. It is not simple but then fulfilling needs and wants has always been a daunting task.

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Marketing lessons from Susan Boyle

Adage has come out with its own list of marketing lessons from Susan Boyle. I have also posted some business lessons that can be learned from this wonderful lady's life.

This lady is talk of the town. She rocks.

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Purpose vs Noise

Noise is a gimmick which businesses involve into to provide themselves to gain short term advantage. Noise can take you to heights but fall is inevitable as noise is without any base. Noise is generally eyewash. Noise is mud slinging politicians. Presence of Indian politicians on internet is a noise. Politicians using film stars for their election campaigns are noise. Me-cheaper-than-you tactics by businesses are noise. Noise cannot create trust. Noise may help you in selling some products but not your vision. Noise will not help you in creating any long term impact.

Purpose is a long term vision of a business. Purpose is a dream of an individual to make a difference in the world. Purpose has an objective which is measurable. Purpose will bring you loyal customers. Purpose will help you in selling dreams, hope and trust. Lot of hard work is put into purpose. Tata Nano exists because of a purpose. Mahatma Gandhi had a purpose. Mother Teresa made difference because of a purpose.

Strong purpose with noise can be a deadly combination. Stay focused and use noise to sell your purpose. IPL is one such combination. Jarnail Singh’s shoe throwing incident is another one.  Susan Boyle is a product of such combination. 

Choose what you want – purpose or noise. You will reap the benefits of your choice.

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Business lessons from Susan Boyle


“First come thought, and then organization of that thought into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning as you will observe is in your imagination.”
                                                                                                                                         Napoleon Hill

Susan Boyle rocked Britain’s Got Talent with her singing. Her average looks went unnoticed because of her singing talent. Everyone who has heard her could not stop praising about her singing talent.

There are some lessons which businesses can learn from her. And here is my list:

Dream: - Susan’s mother wanted her to be a singer and she has promised her that she will fulfill her dream one day. It is important to have dream. Many businesses were started and built because their owners dreamt big. Steve Jobs always dreamt of making a dent in the Universe. Richard Branson always dreamt of having fun while doing business. Every business should have some dreams which will help in shaping its vision. Do not feel shy, dream big.

Hang on: - There is no such thing as overnight success. Susan worked hard for many years to achieve this overnight success. After you know what you want to achieve, start making plans and roadmap to achieve that dream. Hire right people, provide those necessary tools, be cost efficient and stay on course. It is easier said than done. Be prepared to work hard. Most of the businesses fail because they do not have patience and strength to hang on. Hang on.

Long term plan: - Gimmicks can help you in gathering immediate attention. They will provide you word of mouth and can provide stimulus for short time but do not expect them to provide long lasting platform for your business. To build reputation you have to be consistent with your quality, products and pricing. More than a gimmick is required for making businesses sustainable.

Constant message: - Through messages and interviews, Susan has just one point to drive home – it is not about looks, it is about music. So many times businesses fail to implement this important lesson. If you stand for high quality, maintain that stand. Do not mix high quality products with lowest possible price. That does not happen and customers are aware of this fact. Make sure through each and every interaction of your business, same message is conveyed to everyone.

Use of social media: - Do not write off the power of social media. Millions of users have downloaded Susan’s performance in first 72 hours and people spread the buzz using Twitter. Social media is free tool available to businesses. Make sure it is being used for interacting with customers, for marketing, for PR and for generating buzz about your business.

This is not a comprehensive list and readers are feel free to add their lessons as well. And if you have not listened to Susan, please do that. You will be thrilled.







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Value conscious or eroding value

All companies are talking about value. According to Brandweek, word value in marketing is most used and abused in this recession.

In India, all retailers are playing me-offering-lowest-price plank. Realtors have lost lot of wealth by investing in luxury housing projects and to regain some of that wealth; they are launching affordable housing projects in hordes.      

In US, Microsoft is shouting aloud, through flurry of advertisements, that PCs are cheaper than Macs.

However, certain Japanese companies are bucking this trend. They are also adding value but after carefully studying the changes happening in consumer behavior. Japanese organizations are playing on price, selling what customers want, tweaking the distribution channels and are using consumer insights to gain businesses. Tough times ask for innovative solutions and Japanese are doing it.

There are some community newspapers which are doing well in US (sorry lost the link somewhere) while big newspapers are struggling to maintain their circulation numbers. Reason – they are offering local news and content which is relevant to their local user. Advertisers prefer these community newspapers as they were able to reach out to their target customers.
 
Community newspapers are hiring out of job local to deliver newspapers. Their growth is also attributed to some basic customer service skills which are imparted to newspaper delivery boys and thus delivering an enhanced customer experience which national newspapers are not able to do.

These are tough times for businesses and they demand innovative solutions. Yes, value is important and in the end, things you stand for will determine your value.

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Making it easier of customers

 

Today I went to a Café Coffee Day (CCD) for a cup of coffee with a friend. On entering, I saw a customer shouting at cashier. Being a customer service person, curiosity of what happened and how cashier is going to handle the whole situation, I went straight to the billing counter. As the story unfolds, there were two reasons why customer was irate:

  1. Customer ordered coffee and he was not given any bill.
  2. Customer waited for over an hour for his order but he was not served. Reason – service people forgot to process his order.
Customer wanted to speak to someone senior. Cashier reluctantly provided number but he was not picking up the phone. Customer wanted to register a complaint but there was not complaint register. After observing the whole episode, I thought CCD has failed to implement some basic steps of customer service.

According to a study, 96% of the customers do not complain at all and they simply shift to another service provider. And customers who complains they actually committed to the brand. CCD should make it easier for the customers to complain or give feedback. This can be done

  • By providing complaint/feedback book at the café
  • Phone numbers of customer service/senior managers should be displayed
  • Feedback/suggestion forms should be available
  • Email address where customer can register his concerns
It is not necessary to implement all the above mentioned steps but make sure what ever steps are put in place, they should be followed religiously. Acting on the feedback is also important and that will be discussed in some other post.

Regarding my coffee, CCD forgot to process my order as well. I guess it was a bad day for them.

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Customer Engagement Lessons from Obama

Obama is keeping his 13 million supporters engaged by sending regular emails.
He is showing CRM people how customer database can be effectively managed and utilized.
Keep the customer engaged: - You have worked hard, closed the deal and got the database of customer. Now what? You have got two options – sit on the customer database or use it to keep him engaged. He has given you the permission to market yourself to him and onus is on you to utilize it. Customers can be engaged by informing him about new products, taking his feedback on new processes or products, remembering him on his birthday and anniversaries and of course you can use this database for future sales. Keep him engaged and sales will follow. It is about building relationships.
Make the communication personalized: - Days of spam are over. Nobody have time to look at spam. Also nobody wants to look at an email which is not personal. Personal messages help in connecting with customers at emotional level. Personalized messages convey that they are user specific and are unique to his needs and wants.

Make communication an easy process: - Obama mails which are sent to users always contain phone numbers of the recipient's local congressional representatives. By doing this he is just making it easy for users to get back to the person responsible in case required. How many company CRM managers would do that? Most of the customer service and CRM people try hard not to give their numbers and prefer providing call centre numbers and generic customer service email IDs. In India many times store managers of retail stores do not prefer to speak to customers, let alone give away the phone numbers.

Obama is showing way to marketers and CRM managers by taking care of his 13 million supporters (or customers). It is now up to us to learn and implement.

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Loyal, to whom


Loyalty cards have long been blue eyed boys of CRM and marketers. They are used to enhance customer relationship, build a base of loyal customers, design an offerings based on customer preferences and serve loyal customers well so that they become brand advocate.
However, Raj has an interesting and different take on this. His point of view is that companies are losing lot of money because of dishonest employees who tend to use loyalty cards for their personal use. According to one report, a company has lost half a billion dollars due to multiple redemption of coupons.
Almost every major retailer has invested lot of time, money and effort to make their loyalty programs a success. They have spent huge funds to understand consumer behavior, shopping pattern and enticing consumers with tailor made offers. But those efforts have gone in the drain as some dishonest employees are making money and companies are suffering losses.
Reasons for this loss are loose processes at the billing counter, certain staff related procedures not followed religiously, job dissatisfaction, and poor financial health of employees.
Processes and procedures play an important part in achieving certain goals and any lapse in processes can make that goal achievement difficult.
It is important to have internal customer (employee) satisfaction to achieve external customer satisfaction. Job dissatisfaction of employees will reflect in their customer interactions and customers will not get any satisfied response to his queries and concerns. Hence whole customer experience has gone for a toss.
This is whole thing is like a leaking bucket – keep filling it from one side and have an open end at other side so that everything flows out. Find ways and means to plug this hole.

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Simple rules for great service

Some small budget movies are making lot of money in US.

But what's really driving this year's box-office surge? Three movies: Sony's "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," Fox's "Taken" and Universal's "Fast and Furious" have grossed more than $350 million combined, surprising analysts and outperforming even movie-mogul expectations.
Reason: they market it differently.

A closer examination of their success suggests Tinseltown's studios and stars aren't merely reaping the benefits of a nasty recession; they're also creating those benefits by making substantial changes in marketing and distribution -- tweaks that retailers and consumer brands should note too.
According to reports, these movies did four things right - Hit the bricks, Hire hungry talent with something to prove, Break taboos and Sizzle sells in any season.

The above four principle are also required to deliver some exceptional customer service.

Working at ground level :- Spend time with people who are face of your company. Nothing beats listening to customers. Spend time where your customers are. JetBlue CEO always spend time interacting with his passengers in the flights. He takes feedback about services. He is connected to ground and it is no surprise that JetBlue flying experience is always a pleasure.

Hire hungry people :- This is the most important point. Employees who are face of the company should be hired and trained with great care. They are the company for customers and customers will build image of company through them. Hire people who have passion and hunger for customer service.

Break taboos :- For years retailers have put up return policies which did not offer any benefit to customer. Policies were pro companies and did not offer any chance to customer for any negotiation. Then came Zappos and their 365 days return policies. They challenged the status quo and they have now 75% customers as return customers.

Sizzle always sell :- Adding your signatures while delivering customer service always delight customers. PizzaHut always sizzles if you happen to host your birthday part in their restaurant. You celebrate your birthday in PizzaHut and their staff sing a song for you. Employees go out of their way to ensure that you have fun.

Simple rules but great results.

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Going out of the way to serve

Now that's what I call a great customer service.




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Stand out

Came across two wonderful links which inspires to take steps which can help individuals in dealing with recession and make them stand out from rest of the population.

Top Peters write about various steps one should take to deal with these tough economic times and stay back in his job and do well. Apart from other things, his mantra is strive for excellence. Some other points are

  • You work longer.
  • You work harder.
  • You may well work for less; and, if so, you adapt to the untoward circumstances with a smile—even if it kills you inside.
  • You volunteer to do more.
  • You always bring a good attitude to work.
Full list is a must read.

Another link is from Andy's blog. He has outlined things which as an individuals we should do to build personal relationship and tide over these times.

Out of work? Start doing favors.

Whatever job you had ... someone really needs your expertise.

Volunteer to help a startup. Advise a small business. Mentor. Teach a class. Blog about it.

1. It will keep you out there where employers will see you.

2. You'll make a lot of friends who will take care of you.

Do a favor a week, and at the end of a year you have 52 companies and a 1000 people committed to helping you out.

If you have will, above points are simple to implement. If above points do not help you, than throw a shoe at some politician. This will definitely make you outstanding.

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Takeaways from IndiBlogger meeting

IndiBlogger meet was on April 4. My takeaways from this meet are:-

  1. It is not about age but it is about attitude: - Audience was dominated by young bloggers but blogger who got all applauds was Mr Ravindaran, who confessed that he is looks like an ancient in this meet. But his sense of humor floored every participant.
  2. Fun was the middle name: - It was not a usual meeting where PowerPoint presentations dominated. Fun was integral part of the meeting and bloggers got to know each other well because of ice-breaking sessions.
  3. IE 8 looks cool:- I have not used it but from the presentation it looked like Microsoft made some decent effort to make new version of Internet Explorer more user friendly.
  4. Copyright issues are tough, but an important nut to crack for bloggers:- This session did break many myths. Everything that is available on Internet is not free. Bloggers need to go through the fine print and use the material cautiously.
  5. Bloggers believe in shameless oops! sorry... 'honest' self promotion :-)
  6. If used effectively, blogs can be used to build internal communication channel of a company: - More and more companies are using blog to communicate freely with customers as well as employees. It is helping companies in building a sustainable communication channel.
  7. Twitter is like a religion for most bloggers:- Most of the blogger do believe in the power of Twitter.
  8. Bloggers believe that knowledge should be free and open: - They believe in sharing their expertise with fellow bloggers.
  9. Bloggers are always keen to help fellow bloggers. Long lives this community. One blogger do not charge anything from Indian bloggers for his services.
  10. Pizzas were biggest distractions for bloggers.
My presentation on above points is below.
Indi Blogger Meet
View more presentations from adeshsidhu.

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Making artificial waves

In America, malls are making waves (literally) to increase the footfall. These tough times are making everybody think out of the box and try out things which most of us have only dreamt.

While mall owners may be batting around plenty of unusual ideas, the Flowrider —
a 10-feet-tall wave machine that sends 35,000 gallons of water gushing over a
slope at more than 30 miles an hour — is among the most unusual.


Is luring customers by installing wave making machines a good idea? I do not think so. This space can be utilized better in lot of better and cheaper ways.

  • Malls can lend the space for community service – teaching kids, imparting new skills to kids.
  • This place can also be lent to NGOs for their weekly meetings who always struggle to get space for their meetings.
  • Local Toast Masters clubs can also be requested to come and use the available space for their meetings.
  • Space can be effectively utilized by organizing free vocational classes for out of job people. Costs of instructor will be much less than generating waves.

The above mentioned points will cost lot less but will build some goodwill around the mall. Real relationship will be build between malls and customers. Novelty factor will wear out but people always remember how we treated them in bad times.

It is time to engage customers and engage them wisely.

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'Keep Riding' with relationship marketing


Royal Enfield (manufacturer of bullet) has come up a new marketing initiative.

Royal Enfield, the Chennai-based manufacturer of the Bullet, has kicked off a new marketing initiative aimed at giving buyers a true feel of its cult motorcycle.
Called ‘Keep Riding’, this effort steers clear of traditional forms of selling and, instead, will rope in the company’s regional field staff, brand stores and key dealers.
It is these people who have been entrusted with the responsibility of reaching out to Royal Enfield customers and giving them the opportunity to experience their motorcycles through long rides.


This is Relationship Marketing at its best.

When companies are resorting to cost cutting in marketing budgets, Royal Enfield is investing where its customers are.

Royal Enfield always have cult following who do not swayed by cheaper or more fuel efficient motorcycles. ‘Keep Riding’ initiative will further help them in building long term relationship with existing as well as prospective customers. They are not thrusting the product on the customer. Prospective customer will get to use the motorcycles in live conditions and will test the true capabilities of the product. Company will understand the customers needs about the product and thus will be able serve them better in future.

Royal Enfield building network of enthusiastic customers who will try their motorcycles and if they liked the product, will buy and also spread positive word of mouth.

World is moving towards personalized and relationship marketing from mass marketing. I hope companies are tracking this change.

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Recessionary beards




Recessionary beard is in. Adage reports

Some guys express their anger about the recession by tussling with London bobbies outside the G20 meeting. Some guys protest more silently -- by letting their beards grow.
Hence the "recession beard," a theory propounded by Philips' Norelco and its recently retained brand spokesman, Esquire grooming editor and New York salon owner Rodney Cutler.
I have always kept beard (Stubble or full beard) as I have liked it. I have one more (rather cool) reason to keep beard.

Talking about protests, Ramesh has some innovative ideas to protest.

Enough is enough. The right to protest has been abused totally. It looks like any sensible global discussions can only be held in totalitarian countries. Methinks there must be a global consensus on how to handle protests.

  • Protesting online is best. Everybody can air whatever view they hold. A large number of people can read about the protest, if they wish to, and can either accept or ignore it.

  • If people want to protest in person, they have to send a representative to a designated place where they can have their say for 15 minutes and the press and TV can cover it to their heart's content (China and Singapore have such a policy)

  • If they do a mass protest, they have to pay for the cost of security and the cost of cleanup. (India has such a law, but it is ,alas, rarely implemented)

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Satisfied customer is an asset

My friend Raj got his Hyundai car serviced by one of the authorised service centre. He was not happy as fault was not fully repaired. He wrote a mail complaining about his concerns.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Unsatisfactory Repair Services_Safdarjang Hyundai
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:15:24 +0530 (IST)
From: Raj Rohlania
To: cr@hmil.net
CC: rohlania

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

1. It is submitted that I am the user of ELANTRA No HR 24 H ****, and have been patronising your dealer Safdarjang Hyundai (Gurgaon-Haryana) for last 2 1/2 years.

2. I reported for periodic maintenance on 29 Dec 2008 to your dealer and incurred a bill of Rs 8750/-. THERE AFTER, THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED STARTING TROUBLE IN COLD START AND LONGER SELF REQUIREMENT FOR THE DAY. I again visited your workshop on 01 Jan 2009 and reported the defect that after servicing, vehicle is giving starting trouble. HEATING PLUGS were changed @ Rs 7779/- and was told that the problem is due to COLD CLIMATIC conditions. However, the problem persisted and I reported the same to customer care department once they contacted me to find if I was satisfied with the repair services.

3. On a long outdoor journey on 02 Jan 2009, I found vehicle chocking and giving abnormally low mileage. As an immediate help, I decided to have the vehicle checked at WAY SIDE REPAIR SHOP dealing with Diesel engines. Within a minute he identified the problem as that of leakage of DIESEL PIPE from the diesel filter. He cut out the leaking portion and re fixed the pipe. THERE HAS BEEN NO STARTING TROUBLES SINCE THEN. On my querry as to the cause of this leakage, he explained that probably during routine servicing, the pipe got damaged. He further clarified that my starting troubles were not due to heating plugs but due to leaking pipe.

4. The words of way side mechanic are believable for the simple reason that had the problem been with heating plugs, it would have been resolved when new ones were fitted. But it persisted despite new heating plugs.

5. In light of the above, I have a serious apprehension that your Safdarjang Motors (dealer) repair service capabilities are seriously suspected. Their wrong advice not only caused me loose Rs 7779/- and also the mental agony and hardship of taking vehicle to them repeatedly.

6. On 15 Feb 09, I visited your dealer and had given a written report - THEY DID NOT HAVE CUSTOMER CARE FEEDBACK REGISTER (as claimed by customer care deptt)

6. Overall, do I conclude that the technical capabilities of way side service shops are more than that of your authorised dealer ?

7. You may like to re evaluate technical expertise of your safdarjang motors (your dealers).

8. Please care to reply - I shall feel obliged.


Thanks and regards


Raj Vijay Rohlania
In reply, he got a promotional email. Yes, believe me.

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "HYUNDAI"
To: "raj rohlania"
Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 2:43:00 AM GMT +05:30 Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
Subject: Avail Free Checkup & great offers for your Hyundai Car


Dear Customer,
Greetings from "HYUNDAI MOTOR INDIA"
Celebrate your festival with Hyundai
Thanking and Assuring you of our Best services at all times
With Warm regards & best Wishes
HYUNDAI MOTOR INDIA LTD.
(24x7 TOLL FREE NO. 1-800-11-4645)
MOBILE NO. 09873***645


He did not get solution but a promotional email. He did not get an apology mail but a promotional email. He did not get any kind of commitment of resolution of his problem but a promotional email.

Raj broke his association (No prizes for guessing) with Hyundai by writing an email.

From: Raj Rohlania
Subject: [Fwd: Unsatisfactory Repair Services_Safdarjang Hyundai]
To: cr@hmil.net
Cc: rohlania@*****.co.in
Date: Friday, 20 March, 2009, 4:01 PM

Dear Sir/ Madam,

My trailing mail remains unanswered till date - however, I have started getting your promotional mails.

Request do not send me any promotional mail as I am no longer interested in your products for the reason that you do not think it fit to care for your customers.

Thanks and Regards

Raj Rohlania
After the above email, he got a phone call from service center after his second mail. They were apologizing and wanted to go any lengths to resolve his concern But it was too late. Raj got his car repaired from somewhere else and he does not want any association with Hyundai.

A satisfied customer is an asset to a company because:
  • He will spread positive word of mouth about company and its products
  • He is less sensitive to price changes
  • He will upgrade himself to new products (as and when launched) of companies
  • He will pay less attention to competitors products
But Hyundai service center does not care about this. And Hyundai lost a customer.

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Touching voters but not making fans

BJP will woo voters by sending email and SMS.

"BJP is planning to step up its Lok Sabha campaign by combining a personal contact programme through emails and SMSs with an advertising blitz."
Traditionally, elections in India use all communication media for their promotion. Parties promote their manifestoes and candidates through every possible communication channel.

The most popular were Advertising (print medium and broadcast posters, leaflets and billboards and audiovisual), Personal selling (one to one meetings with candidates and voters), Public Relations (speeches, events, press kits, lobbying).

New channel, which is exploited for first time in Indian elections, is Digital marketing. Parties have set up their websites and blogs to reach to their target audience.

This medium is being used for two reasons: -

• Obama used digital marketing effectively to raise funds and communicate with voters
• Internet plays an important part in the life of millions of young voters.

Blogs and fan clubs on social networking (part of Digital marketing) enable parties not only to reach to their targeted audience but also help consumers to talk back to the parties. They enable conversations. They facilitate dialogues.

However, there is one flaw. None of the parties are willing to use this powerful personal communication channel for conversations.

BJP decided to spam the email boxes of voters because they want to touch huge base of voters in less time. This personalized communication channel is being converted into mass marketing channel.

Digital marketing is wonderful channel to spread ideas, create fans and provide a base that grows. But it requires time.

Parties may win the election but they fail to convert voters into fans. They had a chance. And a communication channel too.

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Get A Kick - Customer Service Quote


Here goes my customer service version of above quote

"Customer service should be rewarding like heaven, reliable like death and delightful like love."

Long live customer.

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IndiBlogger Meet - April 4, '09

IndiBlogger meet is coming up on Saturday, April 4 '09. Just uploaded a presentation on meeting. Check it out and be there.

Indiblogger Meeting
View more presentations from adeshsidhu.

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