I am in a mean mood as I am writing this.

I am frustrated with the pathetic services offered in different places in my city. Always pisses me off and leaves a really bad taste in mouth.

Anyway, what caused this to come up as a post is something I experienced umpteenth time and now deserves to face the wrath of my fingers.

I used to like Bank of Baroda a lot (partly because Rahul Dravid smiled through the hoardings telling us it’s really good and cares for its customers) until I visited it today to collect my ATM card. The time was eleven o clock. The place was so crowded that I could barely step in; the rush was due to the submission of the receipts of some examination. Never mind, the gentleman I first met affirmed my belief and gave me the PIN letter and he directed me towards the person who was supposed to give me my debit card. I knew I wouldn’t like this guy the moment I saw him. The usually super cordial guy that I am, I got a hideously curt (and low key as if he was almost uttering expletives), “Come after three o clock”. I thought I heard it wrong and confirmed twice (again yours truly was amazingly cordial perfectly understanding the great issues he might be dealing with at his workplace). Fine, three o clock it was. I returned home, told dad when he came for lunch. He also was surprised at this response. He told me go back again at around four. I did! And to that polite question, I got the very same guy telling me to come after one hour and he walked away into some other room. Now this got up my nose. I was wondering if this is some bloody govt organization where these people have no accountability of their behavior or the so called great customer service; called dad. He, sensing I lost my temper, set upon a discourse saying I will deal all sorts of people. True! I thought, but in lame govt places like RTO, the collectorate office, not in a private bank.
Whatever, dad called up, I got two more such cold responses and I finally got to know that the person who was actually supposed to give me the card wasn’t there at all. He had gone out for a tea break!! Bloody hell. I waited patiently; reading a book. Finally, he also not being the kind of person aiming at making the customer happy, behaved almost the same way; but later on I realized that suchwas his tone. Anyway, I ran out of that place as soon as I got the card. Came home and I’m writing it now.

Now, this thing has always got up my nose as well as that of my brother. Good customer service is quintessential in getting your business successful; the feel good factor needs to be there. Now this problem isn’t there in Jodhpur only; I’ve seen this happening in many places in Delhi, Mumbai too. Ventures once successful stop taking care of the customers, don’t behave cordially and will do all sorts of nonsense that will get you angry; and a person like me who insists on good response will make sure that I recommend everyone against it and cause it maximum damage in business.

Prominent places in Jodhpur that I have some serious allergy with are:
Ashok Vatika, a restaurant right near my home. The service used to be splendid once upon a time. Now, it’s crap.
National Handloom, an epitome of shitty services that will make you feel like murdering the person who is supposed to show you the products and make feel like purchasing it( that is defining selling products as an art)

The same applies to other places like grocery stores, dvd outlets and almost every venture that has tasted success.

What they forget though is- the moment they lose the magic connection with the customer; they are as good as dead. Something, the great entrepreneur Kishore Biyani has emphasized in his book, “It happened in India”.

On the other hand, some places which I love going to again and again are: Moti mahal, the tandoor trail; though on the wrong side of the expense graph, this actually defines customer service- the personalized attention that you get makes you want to go again and again despite it causing a deep hole in the pocket. Another place I would like to mention is the place I get my clothes dry cleaned from- Lovely Dry cleaners :-D He is prompt, amazingly cultured, make s you feel good and has got really good work ethics.

Anyway, the issue has always been a pain in my neck. I wonder when the service industry will wake up to the fact that the customer decides their future and they need to keep him happy!