Ae Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo..!!

Chandigarh has traditionally been an oasis when it comes to driving discipline. People everywhere are same but the enforcement of rules and conditioning of mind are two important elements in our behaviour behind the wheels. This is where Chandigarh triumphs Mohali, Zirakpur and Panchkula handsomely. When I say people are the same , I mean one would find the driver driving a car with Chandigarh registered number also taking it easy the moment he or she leaves the City Beautiful behind. It is like a dilligent and studious boy graduating out of the School System with flying colours and then joining some Engineering College only to go astray subsequently. 

What is the reason behind such behavioural change behind the wheels? Well it is nothing but poor traffic management system and lack of will to address the issues. Whenever you find a vehicle flouting the norms, most probably the number would start with PB or HR. For example, driving at high beam is a norm in Punjab and Haryana. In Zirakpur, the vehicles come from all directions and with high beam on as if their intention is to blind the other drivers. Ukraine could have destroyed Russian convoy with ease had they sought help from Punjab. Infact in one traffic light bordering Panchkula and Zirakpur , I could see cars with high beam ON while the custodians of traffic are standing right beside. The Old Ambala Road is a disaster and someday there will be a major loss to someone given the way people drive and the condition of the roads. To add to the woes, there are jaywalkers everywhere. Cows come out to take sunbath everyday and do not want to give an inch. Only if they could stay put exactly in the middle in a queue then our purposes would be solved.

With mushrooming societies, the road is getting busier by the day. The potholes are not fixed and there is a part where you feel like you are taking the staircase to an elevated road as well. PWD is turning a blind eye to such miserable conditions. I am sure local residents would have raised the matter many times but there seems to be zero monitoring and corrective action. The road divider is being dismissed by some and they are so hell bent on reaching first that it does not matter if they are driving on the wrong side. Someday someone may even flatten out the divider. Even dividers created using Ambuja Cement won't hold up here. Its MY WAY or MY WAY ONLY here. Then there are those high powered fancy LEDs which almost pierces through you as you approach that oncoming vehicle. I wonder what purpose these serve other than adding to the "Coolness" of Dad's Gift. Bikers, on the otger hand, behave like babies and are desperate to hug daddy(read cars) at every available opportunity. 

In one such service lane running through the length of the flyover, you will encounter drivers coming from the wrong side... arrey bhailog wrong side se aa bhi rahe ho toh atleast ek hi side se aao na.. right ya left... dono side se toh nahi. You are made to feel guilty and left wondering whether they are flouting the rules or you are. The traffic cops stationed at Old Ambala Road or at Singhpura try their best but their condition is that of a person trying to keep a paper boat floating at sea. There are no lights to help them and even if the lights are installed, the likelihood of strict enforcement is anybody's guess. I found it funny to observe that there are two different worlds on both sides of Sector 39 lights. 

I would be lying if I say that I can do no wrong and I admit that I have made mistakes occasionally too. Each day is a learning experience. If you happen to make a mistake, own up and pay the fine. Do not negotiate for it gives one a sense of entitlement and also stops being a deterrent for future compliance. If you are confident of not having made a mistake, then stand your ground. Traffic cops have a very difficult job to do and its not easy to keep composure. Things will improve only if we all do our parts well. 

To close, I have always been a very patient soul. I never used slang while driving in Chandigarh but in Punjab, the patience is being put to test and I have picked up a slang or two as well. Aa saale... 😉

“Ektara bajaile mone poira jaay…ekdin BANGALI chilam re!!”

This post has its roots in that feeling of guilt which makes a strong appearance every time I sit down to watch Zee Bangla SaReGaMaPa. The tagline that goes with the programme is “Gaane Gaane Tomar Mone” and with that they claim that they have found a way into our hearts through all the songs on offer. And I must admit that this programme has not only won my heart but it seems to have found a certain whip of dominance in my head with which it lashes out at every other musical alternative in there. Now the question is what a feeling of guilt has got to do with a mere programme on TV? It is neither a sweet nor is it a chocolate that the Doctor had asked me to stay away from and I failed to resist the temptation. Will explain that "guilt" bit of course but there is something else that precedes guilt and hence needs to be addressed first.

Yes, before guilt, there is a great deal of embarrassment that one has to deal with as one goes blank when asked to sing a couple of lines in his or her mother tongue. Not being confident with one’s vocal skills is alright; not remembering any songs is acceptable but consciously ignoring one’s roots is where GUILT & SHAME come in. Today when I tune in to this programme and watch young guys and girls unravel the rich jewels of our culture and language, I kind of feel like kicking myself. As I look back to my school years, I can vividly recollect that image of myself on stage and getting appreciated for Bengali recitations. I used to be so enthusiastic with the cultural stuff that even a back row position in chorus was an exciting prospect to me then. And yes, then there was that bit about being a “Bangalir bachcha” as well and so expectedly my sister got a Harmonium as a gift and I landed up in a tabla class. I liked the instrument and loved Zakir Hussain's Tajmahal tea commercial as well but it was too much for me to walk past my cricketing gang during Sunday morning “primetime” and do “Tere kete dhinna” for a couple of hours. After a year or so, Baba realised that I was more of a Faaki-baaj Hussain and that was the end of my tryst with tabla. For some reason, I gradually withdrew from the cultural activities in school and never got back that old zeal. In short, I lost a part of myself to the boring routine of a student life.

Further, nineties was not the best time for a kid to get introduced to Bengali cinema. We were that generation which found itself in the midst of mediocrity and between two extremes; genius of Uttam Kumar and the brilliance of new age Bengali cinema. Black and White stuff didn’t appeal to kids like me, “Goopi Gyne Bagha Byne” was the lone bright star to fall back upon and most irritating aspect was that almost every second Bengali movie seemed to be soaked in what I call “Baba go-Ma go Glycerine". My only memory(from what I happened to watch then) of a Bengali cinema of that decade was of perhaps Victor Banerjee tearing up a saree and tying it up on his head before he goes hunting for the bad guys. I almost became allergic to Bengali songs and cinema since that point due to wrong impression. 

That was also the time when WWF, Bollywood Masala, 365 days of cricket and Friday Fury invaded our living rooms in a big way. As for audio media, we just started sailing in the vast ocean of Kishore Kumar’s hindi collection and then there were Sanu and Udit hits as well. Whatever hindi audio cassettes were bought home, all of those belonged to me in letter(This cassette belongs to Ayan Goswami and no one else) and in spirit while the Bengali ones were my sister’s property. I became very meticulous while switching channels as well and knew which channels to avoid. English songs or drama came knocking much later and that was the final blow of the hammer that broke all my ties with Bengali songs or cinema. Not that western music influenced me highly but it was "cool" to be in sync with your peers.

It was only when I started working in Hyderabad that the "Bangali Chele" inside me woke up and this was thanks to a small silly revolt in my hostel room after finding my roommates from South exhibiting obvious bias while switching channels. That was like getting to taste my own bitter medicine. And then came that day when I created a folder called “Bengali songs” on my PC. One or two songs every now and then started trickling into that folder followed by a couple of movies directed by Aparna Sen. It was a pleasant change that somewhat transformed my opinion of Bengali entertainment industry. Ghar ka matlab Be-Ghar hoke hi pataa lagta hain!!

Being receptive and being prepared are two different ball games altogether for this year; when I watched Zee Bangla SA RE GA MA PA for the first time, I was so overwhelmed that I almost had tears in my eyes. It shook me completely and I realised what I had missed over the years. I watched the second episode and the GUILT only grew stronger. Then came third, fourth and today it was the nth episode and every day these guys have managed to make me fall a little bit more in love with Bengali music. When I introspected as to which element in this TV show moved me so much, I could only find one answer and that is BEING TRUE TO ONE’S ROOTS. As one of the lines from Ashim Sarkar and Rishi’s Kobi-Gaan claims, FOLK IS TRULY THE MOTHER OF MUSIC. We cannot actually begin to appreciate global music without appreciating the tunes that are so close to our heart and home. If you watch this programme, you will find that the producers sincerely dig deeper into our cultural roots, pick various unexposed facets and present it in such an innovative way that the impact transcends across ages and borders. The old Bengali songs that I would have never touched suddenly seem so fresh and fantastic. Old wine in a new bottle actually works if the wine tastes awesome and the bottle itself grabs eye-balls. Here, I have to praise the contestants as they perform more like seasoned performers while the musicians create magic effortlessly every day. All the artistes go about their business with a smile in their faces and that is the best happiness index certainly. This is by far the best musical reality show in India. Truly, Gaane Gaane Amaar Mone..!!

I might not have taken tabla seriously but I simply love the instrument and can’t stop tapping on the table or even the TV remote while I am listening to songs. That was a miss and I regret it. Funnily, I haven’t played a game of cricket as well in a long while. Wish I was this wise as a kid. Nevertheless, I no longer have a narrow approach to music and not being able to remember the lines of a Bengali song is, I guess, ACCEPTABLE. For now, I would sign off by wishing for myself a gift wrapped box of CDs of all the performances of this season of Zee Bangla SA RE GA MA PA. Well going by the readership, I am forced to croon- Jodi tor daak shuney keu na aashey.. tobe ekla cholo re!!!

INDIA'S DAUGHTER...a sad case of lost opportunities!!!

"Three things that never come back:

the spent arrow; the spoken word; the lost opportunity"

-William George Plunkett 

At the very outset let me make it clear that I have not watched the controversial documentary by Ms.Leslee Udwin. However, I also wish to highlight that I do not give a damn to those who keep saying that only those who have watched the video can understand the point of view being put across through the film. I feel I do not need to watch a video to understand how screwed up we are as a society. The nation wants to know, not what Mr.Arnab Goswami wants to preach, but where is the link to the banned video. Only if the nation desired to know how the daughters can be protected or more importantly, how sons can be brought up with right moral values.

With the likes of Meryl Streep apparently agreeing to attend the US premiere of the documentary, it would not be a surprise if the filmmaker walks away with an Oscar next year. One country's shame, another country's fame. And unfortunately if that happens, Indian Government should also get the Academy Award for the Best Supporting Role. By choosing to ban the movie, it has only managed to fire the engines of curiosity all across the world. Anti-piracy law has not been able to put a stop to the illegal download of movies(ask Mr.Akhilesh Yadav..hehe) and so there is no way that Indian Government could have controlled unauthorised online consumption of this product. India is not North Korea or China unless of course there is a definite policy shift towards that kind of CLAMP DOWN CULTURE. Myopic vision coupled with knee-jerk reaction on the part of the Government has ensured that India becomes the laughing stock of this world. It was anyways bad when the Indian newspapers headlined India as a "Nation of Rapists" and now we are a "Nation of Idiots" as well.

The ban by the Government itself is silly and the logic given by the spokespersons really baffle me. According to them, the words of the criminal are more infectious than the Swine Flu and can cause an epidemic. They gave zero stars to the film because they didn't like such content. How can a filthy Rapist be shown as being remorseless?? A nice question indeed. A remorseful Rapist is a Saint and then the movie is ok for nationwide release. We have grown up on diet of Hindi films which by default had the element RAPE in the chemical composition of a VILLAIN. Of course, the HERO got to kill the Villain at the end to get rid of the evil. That was okay as the RIGHT finally prevailed over the WRONG so what if every Indian(including kids) were exposed to things like RAPE, MURDER, & ROBBERY. Considering there was only one channel those days, I think many of us turned out to be quite alright. So, listening to the Criminal doesn't influence one to follow in the same footsteps for he/she is not Osho. Nor does Crime work on the model of Network Marketing. If your value system is good,virtues in place and brain intact then even Satan cannot lead you astray.

Without trivialising the issue, I would like to draw a parallel here with the use of anti-smoking disclaimers in movies that had been ordered by the Government. They wanted to ban smoking on screen but finally diluted the stance to allow the release with such disclaimers. Those messages make people cringe in their seats and therefore leave an impact on the minds. Would the Government have given a Thumbs Up had the documentary carried additional footage of strong messages of public outrage against such heinous crimes, criminals and mindsets including that of the defence lawyers. How about a few minutes of Mann Ki Baat on Gender Equality by the Prime Minister adressing the society through that film?? How about the voice of the mothers?? How about a pledge by the Police authorities and Aam Aadmi to be the 24X7 custodians of India's daughters?? The idea should have been to get the message across through this documentary that going forward this nation would be more responsible towards its daughters and NO ONE SHOULD DARE TO HARM THEM. This is where the Government lost an opportunity to mobilise public opinion and set the ball rolling towards transformation of the civic society. This is where "Minimum Government and Maximum Governence" was the perfect panacea to the ills of the society. Showing direction to the society so that children are brought up with right values is the job of the Government and so far the Report Card (for sixty seven long years) is a cause of serious concern.

What irks me is that why couldn't any Indian filmmaker or Indian news channel come up with this documentary. Well, I am not endorsing the creative brilliance here but as an Indian, I am saddened to see a foreigner coming to India and mustering the courage to do what her Indian counterparts perceived as unthinkable. Now a few journalists are damning the work of the filmmaker almost as if she is more evil than the Rapist himself. Is it a case of sour grapes?? The Nation wants to know. I really loved the social experiment that NDTV had carried out through a wonderful series by the name "WHAT'S YOUR CHOICE?". And they did air a special show on the documentary which kicked up a storm indeed. The media got caught up with the content of the film while ignoring the two real questions that have to be answered by the nation-What could we do to change the mindset of people like Mukesh Singh?? If learned lawyers talk like the uncivilized then what way our Education System needs to be reformed?? Indian News Media lost an opportunity to do mature journalism.

The filmmaker lost an opportunity as well and cannot escape as a victim of the political censorship. The case is sub-judice and so local sentiments had to be respected as a responsible filmmaker. Right to Expression should not be taken for a license to fly into a country and recklessly turn a sad event into a story to win applauses. In the west, law is so intrusive that a mother cannot even slap a child to discipline him or her. Ms.Leslee Udwin, thank your lucky stars that you are in a wonderful country like India where you are sitting pretty while the entire nation is quibbling over the mess that is your creation. I said we are a nation of Idiots and that includes a moron like me who is typing away at this hour as if you are waiting for this piece of brilliant writing....hmmm. What I find wrong with your action is that you were indifferent to the plight of the girl and the sentiments in this country while filming. You could have easily approached the Government and Civil Society to make this a piece of social project much beyond the mere statement of facts. What Mukesh Singh thinks is not important to us for every criminal finds some reason to justify the crime. What he thinks would have come out in the trial as well and but you have given him a stage to shamelessly showcase his dangerous thoughts. India is none of your business and that you have proved it by being so cold and reckless in your approach. As for the legal wrangle that you find yourself in along with BBC, that could have been easily avoided had you taken the stakeholders on board.

To sum up, as much as we have reacted to INDIA'S DAUGHTER, the movie; I hope we start caring for INDIA'S DAUGHTER, the girl child and all the women. We owe it to Nirbhaya. On that note, Happy Women's Day(belated I guess) to all the SANIAs and SAINAs. 

THANK YOU FOR NOT KILLING US.............!!!

We all know about MIDAS TOUCH. Now, India is witnessing something that can be termed as MODI'S TOUCH. He is a very good orator if you discount the occasional factual errors in his speeches. This man's verbal exploits(ofcourse complemented by Manmohan Singh's Samadhi mode) captured the imagination of our countrymen and catapulted him to the much coveted address in the Raisina Hill. Off late though, Modi's touch has rubbed off on many of his colleagues but not everybody has the right character or conviction to speak what is good. As a result, lot many people associated with the ruling party are doling out utter nonsense for sound byte.

DEAR MILITANTS, THANK YOU FOR NOT KILLING THE FOOLS WHILE THEY WERE VOTING FOR CHANGE.

That is the message given out by the man who came in contact with Mr.Modi most recently; today to be specific. WOW...such an inclusive mindset of the new Government to begin the MUFTIDOM. Of course, he was misquoted like all the silly politicians usually are....hehe. They can't resist the temptation and speak their mind with such nonchalance that it stumps a common man like me. Mr.Modi, your name is getting dragged here because you are a beacon of hope for us and so while we would appreciate "DEEDS NOT WORDS" from you; we would also appreciate "NO WORDS, IF NO DEEDS" from the people who are remotely associated with you.

Today morning, as I was going through the ordeal of watching Pakistan fumble and stumble its way to a win; for half an hour or so, I managed to catch the press conference of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the new Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. And I was stunned to hear the new CM not thanking the electorate but choosing to thank the separatists and the militants for letting the elections happen. "Ooooof...yippee....I managed to cross the finish line or else I would have gone extinct in this political jungle". This unfortunate vote of thanks surely points to the desperation of this old patriarch of the PDP to get back into the game. Forget the personal ambition of a politician but as a so-called statesman and a Kashmiri at least, such statement could have been avoided. The media was quick to colour it as a controversy and air it to every Kashmiri house and the rest of the country. 

Today was supposed to be the watershed moment in Kashmir's political landscape. Years of cross border blood spill, militancy and misrule had pushed the state into the darkest depths of despair. So when the opportunity came, all the children of the magnificent valley came out in droves to make it a better place(sorry this MJ tune is playing in my head) . This led to the ouster of the incumbent party and Congress had anyways lost its edge. After a lot of deliberations, PDP and BJP joined hands to form a Government even though these two parties are like the two rails of railway track which never meet. However, just as two rails form an efficient railway track joined by common slabs, these two parties also seemed to have found an adhesive to form a partnership for the greater good of the state and its people. We applauded this rare show of political maturity and hoped that this alliance was all for governance and less for power.  

Today was the swearing in ceremony of this new Government.....today was the day of hope....today was the day to send all the right signals....today was the day to celebrate....today was the day to give out a tough message to all the negative forces in the region. Alas, what does Mr.Sayeed do??? He makes us cynical again. More importantly and most unfortunately, he walks out of the Oath taking venue and straight into the hands of the Separatists and the militants from across the border. P in PDP stands for PEOPLES and not PAKISTAN Mr.Sayeed. You have insulted the people of this country who braved bullets to vote for a better future. The resounding success of the election process is our victory and you needed to show(if not believe) your gratefulness to the people of Kashmir, to the Army and to the Democratic machinery at work in this country. Instead, you did the unthinkable.

I am sure this alliance will not be anything more than a fling and at the end of it, each will come out saying in true Bollywood style--"Naah..woh mere type ka nahi tha!!". Nothing productive will result out of this exercise for the man at the helm of affairs is addressing the other side of the Line of Control. Kashmir, according to me, can only prosper if BJP can get a full majority there while they are at the Center as well. Of course, Mr.Modi would need to rein in few of his loose cannons before all of that. God willing, MODI'S TOUCH will then transform into MIDAS TOUCH and Kashmir will be a Golden Valley again!!!

Death of a Great Man...a Mystery or pure Politics???

In my school days, there was a particular theme which was very popular with teachers whenever they had to consider putting an essay in the question paper. That theme was “Life of a Great Man”. Predictably though, Gandhi and Nehru dominated essay books like they do to our roads and stadiums. My choice was a bit different and this was not because of the Bong Connection but sheer admiration for the great life of the great man we fondly remember as Netaji. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose lived a great life but that greatness was achieved by way of his unmatched love for the motherland, total commitment to the cause of independence, incredible ability to chart out an untrodden path to freedom and of course, fearless attitude and tremendous resource mobilisation skills to do the unthinkable. “Ekla Cholo Re….” is a song perhaps that best epitomises the journey of the man to begin with but the fact that the man was able to raise an army of motivated Hindustanis underlines the strength of his character and conviction. The typical structure of school book essays allowed for a small conclusive paragraph and which seemed to be enough given the mystery surrounding the death of Netaji. It was always an “unsolved mystery” and unfortunately the print has not changed over the years.

This leads us to the question-“Why the mystery cannot be solved?” This is a wrong question to ask in the final week of 2014 for almost seventy years has passed by. We are not talking of Bermuda Triangle that science has struggled to unravel the mystery associated with it. In Netaji’s case, therefore, the appropriate question to ask is-“Why is there no intention to solve the mystery?” Sadly, apart from Netaji’s family, friends and a handful of activists, no one else in this country of billions gives a damn. The sense that I get after following the various articles, blogs and news items over the years is that no Government actually pursued the matter wholeheartedly. A few never bothered while the others set the ball rolling only to ensure that the ball never gathered momentum. It is sickening really when one hears that probe committee members often found their wings clipped in their pursuit of truth. There was not even sufficient elbow room given to follow the leads and on quite a few occasions it seems that the Government stopped the probe team from making important trips abroad. In a country where the politicians enjoy free trips to zoos abroad, a matter as trifle as a freedom fighter’s disappearance rightly gets zero importance.  SHAME INDIA!!!

Conspiracy theories are abound. Some are also convinced that the evil who stone-walled the homecoming of the hero was another national figure. These theorists apparently base their judgement on the basis of facts and have been crying at the top of their voice that concealing of facts is a great disservice to the nation and to the man who sacrificed a great deal for the freedom of this land. Whatever the truth is….we Indians must be aware of it. The BJP Government is saying that foreign relations would go sour if the truth is revealed. So that means that the mystery is not actually a mystery but it is a cover-up by successive Governments. This is where the matter lends itself to more controversy. If India proudly counts itself as an independent nation and is having the liberty to choose its partners globally then much of it is owing to the relentless struggles of sons like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. How can a simple truth ruin a country’s relation?? And if it does then how does it matter??? Revealing of facts will only impact public opinion because the excuse given by the Government implies that they already know the truth. Times have changed and a misdeed almost three quarters of century back would not possibly turn a foreign relation on its head. And that is why it smells fishy here. The evil has to be inside the home for the Government to be afraid of public opinion. I am not suggesting anything here and my assumption is based on what I have been reading. Nevertheless, the Nation deserves to know the fate of one of its greatest sons.

Somewhere I read a story which underlines the impact of Netaji’s efforts on British establishment and their subsequent exit from India. Mr.Clement Atlee, former British Prime Minister, when asked about the reason behind the sudden decision to pack bags and quit India in 1947, he said that Gandhi’s Quit India Movement was not the prime reason but it was because of Netaji’s incredible fight that the British Empire got jittery and hence India earned its freedom.  I sometimes wonder what Netaji could have done to Independent India. He could have been the first Prime Minister. As a man with vision, he could have given a sense of discipline and direction to the youth of the country. As a man who raised an Army from scratch, Indian Defence System would have been much stronger then and perhaps the war of 1962 would have ended differently. As a man who had excellent negotiating skills, India’s Foreign Policy would perhaps have been something marvellous. He could have been one of the earliest recipients of Bharat Ratna. Oh hang on, Bharat Ratna has become a joke and camp system is at play for sure. Only thing missing as of now is the sponsor’s name next to the award. So, Bharat Ratna with all it’s political luster would have been an insult to the spirit of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Not many in this country are aware of “Prabhat Pheri” nor many of us give a damn to the fate of this story but atleast we can wish for the truth to come out in the New Year so that we can stop talking about the DEATH OF A GREAT MAN and instead celebrate the LIFE OF A GREAT MAN. Atleast, this figures in my wishlist for 2015. Happy New Year!!!

CUSTOMER SERVICE....LETS CELEBRATE A NEW CULTURE!!!!

Till graduation, I barely knew that there existed a formal meaning of the term “Customer” and then came Kotler & Co. with jargons that basically form the staple diet for Management students. “Customer Service” is one such term that had been injected into our systems as a cure for all epidemics out there in the market. Back then, I was a fool like many of my classmates. We never realised the power of being THE CUSTOMER and instead walked into that trap of higher studies which turned our entire world upside down. We now find ourselves on the opposite side holding an invisible signboard “Ready to Serve”. Well I agree that the role reversal happens every time I walk out of my office but I just can’t seem to sustain my anger whenever I am at the receiving end of shoddy service. The inner voice somehow cajoles me down with these words…"Beta kal Tu bhi toh office jaayega…kisiki bad-dua kyun leta hain????" And the face of an angry old shrewd pensioner starts floating before my eyes. As the image vanishes, my heart beat comes back to normal in baby steps of Chi Chi….I AM OK…I AM FINE!!!

We professionals hear this phrase on a daily basis from either our superiors or we ourselves send this message down. In the academic world though, “Customer Service” is already passé and the classroom discussions now-a-days center around a more ruthless phrase called “Customer Delight”.  My personal opinion is that these guys have jumped the gun in their quest for new case studies. While the discussions within the classrooms and in corridors have been spiced up further, there is a world outside where we mortals labour day in and day out trying to sell a product or service while in pursuit of that elusive target. The reality is that the service providers are still struggling with consistently providing the basic service that their customers expect. Apart from the very intangibility and immeasurability intrinsic to service expectations, the other major reason is the narrow interpretation of the term itself at organisational levels. And that is the focus of this yet another epic post today.

If I were to break down the evolution of Customer service into ANCIENT, MEDIEVAL & MODERN eras like my history textbook back in the school days, the ancient view would be that Customer service is limited to the TRANSACTION that happens at the interface. The medieval view is that it is an ATTITUDE while the Modern view ought to be much broader keeping in mind the technological impact on the service industry. To me, Customer Service is CULTURE. Well some Management Guru might have already said so long time back and those of you who are aware, can actually avoid getting bored by moving to Candy Crush or Farm Heroes at this point. I do not prefer reading unless I am forced to and so what I am writing, according to me, is a piece of INSPIRED WRITING & DEEP THINKING (activities stated in actual order of occurrence)…hehehe!!

Now to somehow convince you or confuse you, I have got an example ready as well. See I have been a loyal customer of Airtel for almost a decade now. And they enjoy absolute monopoly in my house starting with phone network to DTH and now even Broadband. But am I DELIGHTED??? NO WAY. Have my expectations been met ??? NO WAY. Am I DISAPPOINTED with their service??? OF COURSE YES. Then WHY??? Am I a Fool??? NO NOT REALLY or well YES to some extent. I was fooled by an act that I interpreted as Customer Service. Now, it is simply the case of “Andho mein kaana Raja”. The first time I took an Airtel Connection…I knew the ancient interpretation and went gaga over the first impression. Then I bought their DTH service and faced issues with installation. My medieval interpretation took shape there as one of their executives took it upon himself to set things right. Now after taking a Broadband connection and wasting my time and energy with their utterly indifferent Customer Care team, I have been enlightened with the modern view of the phrase Customer Service.  The good work by customer acquisition team is undone by the Customer Care team put in place to actually take care of the customers’ needs. They have a fourth view on customer it seems…CUST-SE-MARR!!!

I say Customer Service is a culture because it has to be all pervasive. Today most of the organisations are structured in such a manner that information flow is seamless and so the spirit of customer service should match that. From the policy makers in the Board Room to the field executive; from the decision takers to the housekeeping staff, everyone should remain tuned in. Not only the Supply Chain but even the Service Chain should get backward integrated. Escalation is reactive, Culture is proactive. I have seen so many initiatives fall through because the front end soldiers were not backed up by the support functions. Management takes decisions keeping in view the organizational objectives and it is crucial for the front end team to be aware of those objectives. Similarly, the efforts at providing best customer service should be complemented by internal feedback mechanism and pro-active decision making. It is unfortunate when the very measures announced for better customer service turn into hurdles instead; for want of customer orientation back at the Head Office or strategy desks. They decide, they dictate and then they desert. THAT IS SUICIDAL FOR ANY ORGANISATION IN THIS COMPETITIVE MARKET.

As a Banker in the retail banking segment, I have seen so many times that the customer service initiatives, once launched, are not reviewed for necessary modifications. The Branch staff members have to be empathetic to the customers but more importantly the Back office has to look forward to the feedback from the front end staff for they are eyes and ears of the organisation. Whether the customer actually likes the initiatives??? Are these serving their purpose??? Is that man/woman at the front desk well equipped and well supported for executing those initiatives??? Are there any unattended service gaps??? All these questions have to be answered in time or else what would happen is the standard practice. The carrots are stashed away again; out comes the stick and the rears are exposed at every level as the pain gets delegated.

There is no need to specially make efforts towards Customer Delight for it is imminent once everyone in the organisation does his or her work in true spirit of Customer Service and in line with organizational goals. As a culture, it has to be embraced at every level for Moments of Truth now go far beyond the shopfloor/counters in this information age and the top executives should not begin to enjoy their glass of fine scotch till their decision is green flagged by both the ground staff and the customers.

Banking on Peanuts...no one to Bank upon!!!!!

“There was a time when Probationary Officers were at par with IAS Officers. Even O.P. Bhatt preferred being a Banker than a Babu”. When any officer joins the Banking Industry (especially the Public Sector ones), he or she usually gets to hear these words from the Chief Guest at the induction ceremony. We have not been able to get over the rhetoric and actually find out what has changed since those glorious days. And in that timespace, the fall of Bankers from that pedestal has coincided with the rise of the Indian Administrative Service and the rest of the service industry. Some customers would say its KARMA while the younger lot is ignorant about that supposed past thereby forming an opinion based on the experience. This post of mine is with respect to the Wage Revision Talks that have captured the imagination of the entire Banking Industry but has got very little footage beyond that. I am not getting into the specifics of the negotiations per se but my focus here is more on the erosion of perceived value of the Bankers, need for hard bargaining, out of tune service conditions and indifference towards the needs of the Banking Industry.

When I talked about the KARMA a few sentences earlier, I meant that there was a time when the Banker used to be the king. The customers often were at the mercy of the work ethics of the banker they were dealing with. The customer had nowhere to go and customer service was a jargon unheard of. This was not unique to the Banking Industry alone but almost the entire Public Sector and Government establishments. Moreover, there were no computers then to fast track the service delivery mechanism. Gradually though, the landscape started to change and the role of technology started to assume significance.  The mushrooming of private sector banks coincidentally also happened during that period. Retaining customers and acquiring new ones became much more arduous all of a sudden. That is when the roles got reversed. The Kings suddenly found themselves dethroned and the funda of CUSTOMER IS KING took a long time to find acceptance. This PARIVARTAN took time and by that time many customers got wooed by the private sector Evangelists. Private Sector had a young workforce while the average age in public sector banks were much higher. Naturally, adaptation to technology and customer orientation took time and in fact that process is still on. It is not to say that Bankers then did not serve their customers well rather it would be apt to say that the very definition of customer service changed. Expectations had risen many fold and continues to rise further. Customers can easily pit one Bank against the other on visibles. What is hidden goes unnoticed often.

Where the private Banks score over Public Sector Banks is the removal of entry barriers. Private Sector Banks lay the red carpet before a prospective customer and go all out to lure him in through the Entry Gate. Once the conversion is complete then even the customer doesn’t mind paying a premium if he sees that his work is happening in the normal course. We humans do tend to stick to status quo that provides a comfort zone and so only a handful actually walkout through that very gate later on. The ones who walk out usually are found sitting in a Public Sector Bank. A Public Sector Banker, on the other hand, is more conversant with the regulatory or the so called THE RIGHT WAY of doing things. This obsession scares away some customers from the gate itself. But, the customers who have enjoyed a long relationship with a State run Bank won’t sever their ties because TRUST is the most important factor for them. It is important for Banks to not discount the trust factor under the compulsion of competition. And I am afraid the reverse is happening instead. Even the Public Sector Bankers now appear to be salesmen trying to sell A,B,C….Z to them. Of course, being competitive and coming across as a one point solution provider is the crux to survival these days but the Private sector Banks have specialised cells to cater to each from sourcing to recovery. A Banker in a village is still the "Babu" but for rest of the world he is just another one in the crowd. Not that tags matter much but the stature in the society is important if we are to attract the best talent to the industry. The workforce can rebuild the image through quality service while the Government needs to recognize the contribution on real terms as well.

Now, coming to the negotiations and the very need for it in this age, let me start by saying that it feels like a slap in the face when one reads about the hard bargaining going on for a paltry hike of 9.5% after five years. Take any industry for that matter; the annual raise an employee can expect under normal circumstances is around 15-16%. And here the Bipartite Settlement for peanuts happens every five years and even then the negotiations go on and on. Such negotiations seem more like an attempt at keeping the tradition alive especially when the final settlement happens on unrealistic terms after so much of delay. The time factor and compensation package statistics from other industries for similar job descriptions should automatically get functioned into the formula by which the raise is decided. There should not be any need for negotiations of epic proportions at least to that extent. Bankers have become like beasts of burden and the associations or unions have lost their teeth as well. More than negotiations, a market based approach is needed to make up for the lost ground.

Taking it further, we also need to revisit the service conditions and salary and perks bit of it. A uniform annual increment for all is alright but taking into account the increasing workload, a variable pay component should be added as well. The one who works gets an increment of Rs.X and the one who doesn’t work gets Rs.X and lots of time at leisure in addition. The one who works, his work never ends and the one who doesn’t, well he retires SMART as well. The institution progresses because of the work horses and they should be incentivised for their contribution in order to motivate others as well. Just to point out a couple of other issues, firstly, LFC provisions allow one to avail the benefit twice in two blocks. Funnily, a couple who are also colleagues do not get their individual quotas. Now, how about the man saying “Boss…. today my wife has worked really hard…eh..so I would take it easy!!!!”. Secondly, Probationary Officers who were like IAS officers once are still not entitled to travel by air in this age when even the interviewees in lot many places get air tickets reimbursed. If the industry itself is not giving value to the Officers, how can we expect it from an outsider??? Now a days, it is all about packaging. The awe for a certain profession is mostly by the CTC or the lifestyle that it provides. It may not be the right way but is the popular way these days. MOVING WITH TIMES should be the central theme of Charter of Demands.

Lastly, let me come to the issue that is paining every heart that beats for the Banking Sector and that issue is of course the indifference of the powers that be to the voice of workforce.  There are number of forwards on social media which highlight the importance of the Banking Sector and the contribution of its workforce. Whenever any Government needs to earn brownie points through its pet schemes like Financial Inclusion or Aadhaar, they turn to this machinery for help. Financial inclusion, for instance, could have also been done through the Postal Department given the fact that that Department carries out Banking operations as well. Moreover, it also has presence in far flung areas and basic postal business it not the same any more. Just consider a Bank Employee and the kind of work he or she has to do. Banking, Cross selling of hundred other products, Government Business, Welfare schemes of the Government and on top that bear the risk burden of the transactions as well. If the Government can dole out handsome proposals via the Pay Commissions, the Consolidated Fund of India should also be shared with the employees of the Banking Sector who play a huge part in implementation of the manifesto. This is an extreme thought on my part but the sentiment is not. It is alarming to see the media preferring to ignore the agitations. They spent one month on the IAS officer’s suspension and do not shy away from organising studio discussions on kindergarten admissions or exam stress levels. But the voice of this important constituent of the service sector fails to evoke a reaction. Can’t expect a common man to have any clue regarding what is going on and so it is perfectly alright if they ask their Banker this Wednesday-“teen din ki chutti…kya mast naukri hain!!!!!”