Trying saying No to someone in India...
It is very well known that when you are having a dinner with an Indian family, you should say your first 'No' mid-way into your meal. In India, a 'No' means 'Please Try Once More'.
Indians just do not know how to handle a 'No'.
These are a few meanings of the word 'No' from the Indian dictionary:
I am arrogant!
I do not like you!
I do not have the time!
You are last on my list of friends!
You are first in my list of enemies!
At a cultural festival in the US, I was part of an impromptu band belting out a mix of Hindi-English numbers for the crowd. After our act, the band was clearing the stage when the anchor approached me and asked me to stay on the stage. Again, she asked me to stay on the stage (not request me to). When I asked her why, she very comfortably said that she wanted me to play drums for the Antakshri.
Now I have seen a TVS SaReGaMa and the likes, but I am not meant for an orchestra. Hell, I don't event like playing movie Hindi music! (now don't you go hate me for this)
So what did I do? I committed the heinous crime of saying 'No! I am sorry, but I do not play Hindi music. I am not at all good at it.' Boy, her reaction was plain for the 350 odd people to see. My fellow band members froze and looked at me in a weird sort of way. I became the guy who said No. I should have given a plain-in-your-face-stupid excuse to save my ass! Like I just sprained my left eyelid or something.
I suddenly became anti-social. My popularity ratings dropped like Indian Wickets.
Why do we have to explain ourselves? Indian's are so very helpful, that we give you directions even if we are on the wrong side of the planet and suffering from amnesia. I have to say Yes coz I don't wanna look bad. hmmm... maybe that can explain my spare tire.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Capture the moment
Learnt something today...
Global Issues in IT Management is by far the most interesting IT class I have ever attended, by two professors who are as opposite as they are similar.
One a soft spoken Norwegian, calm, with a lethargic body language; The other highly energric, animated Guatemalan
Both from Harvard, witty and very, very smart.
Today I heard the best slogan ever. During a routine binge trip to a bar, the professors and their friends were discussing the logic behind one company owning two very distinct businesses: One in developing camera films - like the Walgreens, and the second in, hold your breadth, Condoms. See the connection?
Now what should the slogan of the company be? Cheers, Drink, Drink, Drink, oh Think...
Capturing the Best Moments...
Beer, here I come...
P.S: Slogan Copyright Professor Espen Andersen
Global Issues in IT Management is by far the most interesting IT class I have ever attended, by two professors who are as opposite as they are similar.
One a soft spoken Norwegian, calm, with a lethargic body language; The other highly energric, animated Guatemalan
Both from Harvard, witty and very, very smart.
Today I heard the best slogan ever. During a routine binge trip to a bar, the professors and their friends were discussing the logic behind one company owning two very distinct businesses: One in developing camera films - like the Walgreens, and the second in, hold your breadth, Condoms. See the connection?
Now what should the slogan of the company be? Cheers, Drink, Drink, Drink, oh Think...
Capturing the Best Moments...
Beer, here I come...
P.S: Slogan Copyright Professor Espen Andersen
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Customer Relationship (Mis)Management
Air Deccan was hailed as the airline that changed the way people fly in India. Even at B-schools, Air Deccan is often sighted as a role-model for other Indian low cost carriers. It is the first example that comes to many minds when one of looking for low cost tickets. My experience with Air Deccan has consistently been otherwise.
I have never found their tickets priced lower than even Indian Airlines, unless I select a ticket 2-3 months ahead of time - which rarely happens of course. The service, experience, management is so below par, its shocking - which also had to do with the kind of people I have come across flying with the airline.
Then come the cheap tricks. This completely blew my whatever-little trust to smithereens. Hunting for tickets in October 2006, I came to realize that their website raises the price of tickets if you stay with the site for more than a few minutes. After that point in time, the same ticket will be priced higher than the first search result. This is widely accepted as various factors can push the price up over time. But when I checked it using another laptop, I was surprised to find the same ticket priced lower. So my laptop was now showing a higher price but another laptop was showing a lower price on the same ticket.
I find this practise a reflection of their unethical business methods to earn easy money. Yesterday CNN-IBN presented a report, which exposed Air Deccan's practise of overbooking their flights out of Bangalore, and then slowing down their check-in process so that people fail to reach the gate on time. This allows them to refuse few people from flying. Mind you, the flight leaves with all seats occupied. As the airline does not refund tickets, they make extra profits from this move which shores up their bottom line. The management blamed a 'glitch' in the software that led to over booking, but it was clear from the report that Deccan could have done more than just refuse ticket holders from flying - if it were a software glitch. And how can this happen day in and day out without them knowing?
When will we have accountability systems in place? With the advent of so many choices, come that many clauses and opportunities for cheating. We, as consumers, also need to stand up against such practices. How many times do we let go thinking 'its not worth my time'?
And I am still waiting to be able to receive a cell phone call at home... After 4 months of complaints, will Airtel ever treat me as an important customer?
I have never found their tickets priced lower than even Indian Airlines, unless I select a ticket 2-3 months ahead of time - which rarely happens of course. The service, experience, management is so below par, its shocking - which also had to do with the kind of people I have come across flying with the airline.
Then come the cheap tricks. This completely blew my whatever-little trust to smithereens. Hunting for tickets in October 2006, I came to realize that their website raises the price of tickets if you stay with the site for more than a few minutes. After that point in time, the same ticket will be priced higher than the first search result. This is widely accepted as various factors can push the price up over time. But when I checked it using another laptop, I was surprised to find the same ticket priced lower. So my laptop was now showing a higher price but another laptop was showing a lower price on the same ticket.
I find this practise a reflection of their unethical business methods to earn easy money. Yesterday CNN-IBN presented a report, which exposed Air Deccan's practise of overbooking their flights out of Bangalore, and then slowing down their check-in process so that people fail to reach the gate on time. This allows them to refuse few people from flying. Mind you, the flight leaves with all seats occupied. As the airline does not refund tickets, they make extra profits from this move which shores up their bottom line. The management blamed a 'glitch' in the software that led to over booking, but it was clear from the report that Deccan could have done more than just refuse ticket holders from flying - if it were a software glitch. And how can this happen day in and day out without them knowing?
When will we have accountability systems in place? With the advent of so many choices, come that many clauses and opportunities for cheating. We, as consumers, also need to stand up against such practices. How many times do we let go thinking 'its not worth my time'?
And I am still waiting to be able to receive a cell phone call at home... After 4 months of complaints, will Airtel ever treat me as an important customer?
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Blindspot
I came across the concept of blind-spot while driving in the US, when I nearly crashed into a $70K Jaguar on a Chicago freeway. My friend, who owned the tiny Dodge that I was driving, would have been a wee-bit in trouble :)... but I never forgot the lesson
Exactly like the man in the latest tv ad by ClickJobs.com, some people just choose to ignore all signals hitting them like hailstorm. Am sitting in a session by an over-optimistic professor who cracks jokes with aplomb, and then laughs at them himself, with tireless enthusiasm - day after day. In a class of 50 students, 40 of whom never take their eyes off their laptop, 3 are barely able to keep their eyes open, 4 who have never blinked - I guess its only the 3 optimists, who keep smiling at all the jokes, competing to participate and think they make sense, keep the prof going.
But it leaves me surprised at the fact that the prof goes through each and every class with the same routine. Is classroom learning a one-way street?
Exactly like the man in the latest tv ad by ClickJobs.com, some people just choose to ignore all signals hitting them like hailstorm. Am sitting in a session by an over-optimistic professor who cracks jokes with aplomb, and then laughs at them himself, with tireless enthusiasm - day after day. In a class of 50 students, 40 of whom never take their eyes off their laptop, 3 are barely able to keep their eyes open, 4 who have never blinked - I guess its only the 3 optimists, who keep smiling at all the jokes, competing to participate and think they make sense, keep the prof going.
But it leaves me surprised at the fact that the prof goes through each and every class with the same routine. Is classroom learning a one-way street?
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