Take only what is due to you....

I note down my daily expenses meticulously.

A few days back, I had hardly done one or two purchases and the next morning when
I jotted down my expenses, I found that I was short of Rs.500.

I raked my brains but could not figure out where I had spent a sum of Rs.500.

Two or three days later I went to the petty shop from where I buy bread regularly.

The moment she saw me, the shopkeeper immediately handed me a 500 rupee note saying

that I had handed over a 1000 rupee note and had vanished after she had given change for 500

and had herself gone to the next shop to change the 1000 rupee note!!

These days this is a very rare gesture. There is a proverb in Tamil which says: "Ainthil valayathathu

Imbathil valayuma?"  A rough translation could be that habits die hard.

I at once knew that this lady and her husband will always do only fair business. 

Needless to say, nowadays, I try to patronise that shop as much as I can.

One's hard earned money will always come back.

You may play tricks - but never be tricky.

We were on the lookout for a good microwave oven.

We chose one in a huge showroom but did not buy it then and there.

A few days later we went to an exclusive showroom of the Brand and wanted that model number.
They didn't have it, but said they would get in a week or so later and supply after phoning us. Since we
were not in a hurry we accepted. But even after ten days there is no phone call.

Yesterday we happened to pass by another exclusive showroom of the same Brand and we walked in.
They too did not have that model but suggested another model which we were ready to take. They said
they would check up and confirmed one piece was available. We swiped the card.

Immediately, much to our chagrin, they said the piece is not there but they would source it and send it to
us the next day. I said okay.

The proper way of playing this trick would have been for them to tell us that it is not in stock but that they
would source it and supply within a day or two. Everything would have been fine.

The next day they never phoned me. When I phoned the guy said he would get back in five minutes.
Two hours later when the climate it hot and when my mood is hot, he does not pick up the phone.
When I get them on the landline they say they will give tomorrow!!

I have two questions:

(1) Who will teach them proper customer service??

(2) When will companies stop bringing in umpteen models, so that items could be readily given??

The mark of a confident salesman

Recently we visited a leading retail showroom in Madipakkam to check out the latest models
of washing machines and driers.

I could easily make-out that the salesman in charge of the washing machines was pretty sure within
a minute of our beginning to converse with him that we are not going to buy a machine that day.

His knowledge about washing machines was quite admirable. He patiently explained the features of
the various machines and tried to assess what combination of washer and drier would suit our requirements.

By helping a customer with profuse product knowledge, a good salesman can easily gel with the customer
and ensure that he gets the business when the customer is ready for the same!

Vat a solve!!

This is the fact:

(1) A proposal on levying 12 per cent service tax on food served in air conditioned restaurants has
evoked strong reaction from both the hospitality industry and customers. (In fact, when I visited the
famous HSB fast food joint yesterday, I saw a notice stating that 29-4-2013 will be observed as a
Bandh day to protest against this and also shortage of coins).

(2) Already public is paying 10 per cent VAT on food served in restaurants.


This is the reality:

It is a famous three star hotel very close to a more famous five star hotel in Chennai. My brother walks
in and has tiffin in the restaurant in which the AC  is not working. Fretting and fuming he has his tiffin
and is given a bill for Rs.43 including taxes. (What exactly is the quantum of taxes in this case? Nobody knows!!). 

He asks  the server who doesn't know. He takes it in his stride and walks out of the hotel. Again getting curious he walks back and asks the receptionist who doesn't seem to know and in turn he calls the Manager. As my brother starts questioning him, he says the tax is 14.5% (!!) and quickly takes out a 
hundred rupee note from his pocket (Mark: from his pocket) and asks someone to refund the money.
My brother is happy for the moment. I

I am not. And thousands who read this post will not be happy.

The point is: WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING AROUND US?

How I signed an agreement.

Last year I bought an apartment for my daughter and son-in-law.

I had spoken to the builders and was satisfied with their workmanship and integrity.

When they produced the builder's agreement to me, I just checked the cost portion
of the apartment running to a few lines. The agreement was running to four pages.

Once the cost was checked, I told them. Please see how I sign this agreement.
I closed my eyes (literally) and signed in all the pages.

I continued: If I read this agreement, I may not sign it at all. I will surely have several
objections, because it will mostly be one-sided. So I do not wish to do it.

I have placed my trust on you to do a good job. Only remember that.

Needless to say, they did a very good job, no escalations and further requests for money.

Till this day, I have not gone through that agreement.

Remember, in business, it is all about that one word: TRUST

What is excellence in Service?

Of course you have read it:

Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.

We walked into the R.K. Supermarket in Estancia township in Guduvanchery the other day.

Employee in the lowest rung SMILED.

She asked my grandson his NAME.

She spoke a few words and got to know that we are soon moving in.

And then

And then

And then

She says: 'WELCOME TO ESTANCIA"


This extraordinary behaviour cannot be taught in any upmarket business school.

It comes out of SELF-LEARNING.
It comes out of INTEREST IN THE CUSTOMER.
It comes out of a DESIRE to HELP OTHERS.

Why are you asking me so many questions?

Almost every other day a customer will come up with this question:

"I asked you the price of air-conditioner. Why are you asking me so many questions?"

Quite a few get irritated. Because before I suggest a model and give the pricing, I should definitely
have the answers for my following questions:

(1) Where do you live?
(2) Is it you own house or rented?
(3) In which floor do you reside?
(4) Do you have proper electric connection to run an ac?
(5) What is the approximate room size?
(6) How are we going to fix the unit?

When I explain them why answers to these and a few other questions are important, they appreciate the
fact. Half my sale is done.