Archive for March, 2009

Keeping your customers: a lesson learned

Posted: March 17, 2009 in Uncategorized
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Sitting in India, we have the luxury of having someone to drive our car, having someone else to wash our car (manually) daily, etc. I have been enjoying these privileges too.
I have had a separate person who cleans the car and another one who drives me around. Recently, we got a new driver, who after having spent a few weeks with us, suggested on his own, that he can also wash the car, and can he do that please? Thinking to be one of the very trivial decisions, I agreed. And got a message sent out to current car washer, that he should stop washing the car from 1st of March.
He earns what I consider, a very small sum of money, for washing my car daily. And I did not even think about this, when I decided to make the change, to have the car washed by the driver.
However, come the first Sunday of March, and the car washer sought the opportunity of my presence at home, and came up to see me. I thought he may be wanting to settle his account. But I was surprised.
He made a fervent plea to me, to allow him to continue to wash the car. He asked me if I had any complaints of his washing. And if not, why do I want to deprive him, of his earnings of me? Also that based on a certain regular flow of income, he has his expenditure planned out, and losing one, will affect him. In short, he appealed to me, at all levels.
And ultimately, I saw reason in his argument, and decided to let him continue the service.
I could have insisted to change, and he would have not been able to insist further, but he made a strong case, and wanted to get his point across. He spent a good 15-20 minutes, making his case, and ensuring that the opportunity of having an audience with me, was well utilized. And he retained me.
I thought about this, as a lesson in customer retention. In present tough times, when our clients are changing vendors to save costs, or for other reasons, are we trying half as hard, to keep their business? Because for the car washer, it impacted his life directly, he was more concerned. In a corporate environment, the loss of a single client does not necessarily translate immediately, or at least apparently, to a personal loss. Does that make us a little complacent about letting the business go without putting up an adequate fight??
Think about it..

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The AIG bonus issue: a viewpoint

Posted: March 17, 2009 in Uncategorized
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There is a lot of noise and disapproval about AIG giving ample bonuses, to its executives, after having been a recipient of a huge bailout package from the US government. The general sentiment is that why should the bailout money go to enrich few individuals, that too, so amply?

The sentiment is right in it’s place, and from the point of view of public perception, it makes all sense.

But here is another viewpoint to the same issue.

And I must admit at this point that I do not know a lot about AIG and it’s matters, in particular, and that my argument is about the concept, and not so much, about the specific case.

Say, a company (in this case, AIG) is in big trouble. And the only way that it can be rescued is, by getting some external aid (like the bailout, in case of AIG).

Now, if the company is in big trouble, besides the money, it will also need exceptional management skills to bring it out of trouble. Maybe the current management is no good, and which has caused the company to be in its present state of trouble, in the first place. Fair enough. Then, there is new management that needs to come in, and fix the mess.

So how does a troubled company get in new and capable management? Why would a smart team come in, and work for a company, which at best, can be rescued back to life, and quite likely, it may continue to flounder, or even sink? Why would a capable team leave their current assignments and come in, to do this rescue act? Or if there are a few good team members, in the company, why would they stick on, and not leave to take care of their own careers??

Not everyone is a Lee Iacoca. Not everyone is doing out of personal motivation – for the brand, for the company, for the country. All those things are fine, but people have their own lives and their careers to worry about.

So if an individual or a team decides to take up this huge challenge of bringing out the company from it’s deep hole, they need to be rewarded fair and well. Perhaps more than fair and well. Because they are taking a risk that they do not need to take.

Of course, the structuring of the package can be done well, and can have a huge incentive on success, but even without success, a basically decent package is required to get the person/s in, in the first place.

So even as it appears wrong, as per public perception, I believe that decent packages, perhaps inclusive of good bonuses, are a need, at such times. Otherwise, you pay peanuts, get monkeys, and lose the bailout money without rescuing the company after all!!

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Indian Elections – sick of the politics already!

Posted: March 10, 2009 in Uncategorized
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The election season has started. And I am not at all happy with the goings-on. In fact, I am sick of it. Already. And I know, it’s early days. And it can only get worse. I am sick of the quality of candidates getting into the fray. Sanjay Dutt – accused in Mumbai riots, Azharuddin – accused in match fixing, political progeny with no other track records, arbitrary freeloaders… ! Damn it!

In the early days, I saw some good folks (intelligent, educated, clean…) taking up the cause of BJP and working on it actively. But with the disastrous alliances or lack of them, that BJP is landing itself into, its not looking good at all. The leadership is looking weak, and allowing the Congress, the Third Force and its old allies, to take them for a ride. How can this party prevail when it shows such a weakness?

All the alliances talks are openly appearing to be opportunistic horse-trading. Already. Even before election results are out. Like there is no philosophy. Only opportunities. Damn it!

What kind of a system we are stuck in? Those who were part of a mainstream national level alliance, also want to become regional, and open up their opportunities to swing any way that they can.. as there is more value in doing so!

Yes, there are the thinking people’s candidates and parties emerging. But I am not sure if they can make any serious impact this time around. So in the meantime, with all the citizen movements, and the voting awareness that has been brought in, I am afraid that we are going to have a system that stinks. Regional parties who may assert themselves and hold the country to ransom. And potentially, smaller parties or leftist parties having a disproportional say in government formation, perhaps including the choice of a PM.

Damn it!

Rang Rasiya – a must-watch Ketan Mehta film

Posted: March 1, 2009 in Uncategorized
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Saw a preview of the film, Rang Rasiya last night. It is yet to be released, and this was a private screening. I enjoyed the film thoroughly.

Before viewing the film, the story of a painter’s life did not seem fascinating to me. But I am glad that I went in spite of such reservations. For the story of the painter, Raja Ravi Verma makes for very fascinating viewing. That he is a real life character and this story is from our history boggles the mind even more. What a character Raja Ravi Verma was!

Indeed, what hit me most about the movie was to discover the character of Raja Ravi Verma. And understand some more about the character of mavericks. Geniuses of our world who live by their own rules, and where passion rules above all.

Ravi Verma was an amazing artist. But he always needed the right inspiration. Which at most times, was found amongst the women who came into his life. Beautiful women, whom he then visualized as Goddesses, or as other mythological characters. And painted them for preserving their beauty for posterity. As a dialogue of the film states that “you are beautiful, but you will not remain beautiful for ever; my paintings will..”. Passion enables Ravi Verma to create scores of paintings one better than the next. He enjoys the adulation of women. And loves to enjoy life as well.

But beyond paintings and beyond inspirations for paintings, Ravi Verma was a special man! A class above. He, who gets a once in a lifetime opportunity of an audience with the Maharaja of Baroda, only to refuse what the King wants him to paint, and suggest something else. And he gets his way. His confidence convinces the King to give him his way. Ravi Verma, in his quest to capture the looks of India, travels far and wide across the country. Absorbs the scenes of India, and again rediscovers his inspiration to come back and create more fascinating work.

He was different. Because he wants the art exhibits to be thrown open to public viewing. To get a sense of how his work is appreciated by common people. And when that happens, he discovers how much of an impact his work can have. Seeing a painting of a Goddess that he has created, common men bow down like they would, at a temple!

Still later, Ravi Verma is shown to have that dash. Where fascinated by the concept of a printing press, he is willing to put the last shirt on his back, to stake, and get the printing press, so that his works can be mutiplied, and the impact is felt across a much larger cross section of society. He is successful in this endeavor too. Or later when he encounters motion picture for the first time, and is again, ahead of his times in appreciating the impact that it would create. So much so, as to sell off his press, to create some money to give to a young Dadasaheb Phalke, to go an bring the magic of cinema home! Indeed, in that respect, he was the true entrepreneur and also the true VC, way before those terms were invented!! His argument in the court, when his opponents have dragged him there, is reminiscent of Abhishek in Guru.

I have become an admirer of Raja Ravi Verma, after seeing the film. Perhaps such streaks of brilliance is what separates the many good professionals from those who stand tall, as First Among Equals!

Ketan Mehta is the pefect director to handle projects of this kind. He has a feel for India’s culture and history, and he does a great job here too. Randeep Hooda is quite a revelation, at least to me. I thought of him as an average actor, till this movie. Here in Rang Rasiya, Randeep scales new heights and shows amazing acting range.

The film is an Adults Only certification film. It is expected to release in a few weeks now. I am sure it will please a discerning audience and makes for a great multiplex product!