Supervisor and technicians/helpers

For a business to sustain, grow and give proper service and revenues to the company,
there ought to be a healthy ratio of supervisor and workmen.

Unfortunately I find that many companies have a supervisor working with just
one or two technicians.

A supervisor should be able to take care of atleast four to five technicians and
another six to eight helpers....

Revenue streams

In the air-conditioning business, there are several revenue streams.

Sales, service, repairs, service contracts.

For a company doing only air-conditioning business sales can at best be
not more than 50% of the revenue stream.

If people think that they can survive mostly by sales, they are sadly
mistaken....

Cricket team has eleven players

Yes. A cricket team has eleven players.

Similarly for a company manufacturing air-conditioners a number of players - wholesalers, retailers and dealers are required to

move the goods. And each player's role is important.

Chasing a total of 212, after the 3 down batsman has scored 80 plus the score at one time tumbles to 209 for 9 with 5 balls to spare. The last batsmen scoring that 4 runs is important!

So everyone has a role.

Be sure of your role and play the game with pride!!

Happy Ugadi !

Horoscope and selling air-conditioners

A horoscope is supposed to give some clue about what is likely to happen in future.

A leading businessman dealing in air-conditioners jokingly remarked that one should check
the horoscope of the buyer before selling him an air-conditioner.

This remark was made years back when air-conditioners came with a one year guarantee.

But due to competition all round companies have come up with five-year guarantee and what not.

In this scenario it will be well worthwhile to discreetly check on the buyer before selling him
a unit.

Chances are a customer might turn up after two or three years with henchmen and ask for
free replacement of unit and what not!

I know instances where sellers have avoided selling units to some given customers.

One has to be careful!

Bhuvan Shome - Hiss but don't bite

April 2.

Another famous Bengali director - Mrinal Sen. But a Hindi movie. Bhuvan Shome.

There is a story where God advises the snake to stop biting at the drop of a hat. Hiss.
And the people will run away. Don't bite!

In the corporate world the boss may show the gun, but he should not actually shoot.

The crux of the movie is how a transformation occurs in a very strict officer.

There are any number of directorial nuances in the 96 minute movie which one can
enjoy.

The train moving in fast track. Only the tracks are shown. Then the train changes
track. In real life too one must move away from the rat race. The modern management
jargon is "out-of-the-box".

Life has to slow down if it is to change. Shome is shown travelling in a slower vehicle.
The horse carriage. Later on he travels in a much slower vehicle. The bullock cart. While
he is travelling in the cart number of women walking in a row with pots on their head
suddenly branch out into two. When too much of weight on one's head he should change
track...

I know only a smattering of Hindi. The cartman singing "chahe mujhe koi junglee kahe"
- very apt for the situation.

Shome shoots but the bird is not hit. It falls down out of fear. Shome is shown to return
the bird to Gouri after introspection. "You are the one who can take care of it and nurse it."

The movie ends with Shome shown to let go an employee without harsh treatment.

A must watch movie.

April 1

All Fools Day?

Far from it. April 1 is the first day of a new accounting year for business.

Wishing you all the start of a healthy and profitable year ahead!

We do not wish to fool anyone nor will allow anyone to fool us!

We are committed to customer service of the highest order!

For the AC&R business, the April-June quarter is the busiest months.

Wish you all best of luck!

Business is about making some money, but...

Business is about making money. Yes. But at times one has to do something
without expecting anything in return.

Let us say that an elderly person rang you up and informed that the
remote of his air-conditioner is not functioning.

You go to his house and find that only the batteries were to be replaced.
Replace the batteries and refuse to take any money, even the cost of the batteries.

Anyone should be able to imagine the satisfaction derived by the receiver and the giver!