The Unprincipled Me!!

In my first job with a corporate entity (a large IT company) I learnt how to sell their products and services. But that was only one part of the customer relationship process. The other part is coming to an agreement in terms of the commercial arrangements and that’s where I learnt about speed money or loyalty money. Speed Money is of course typically paid to grease the hands of lowly officials or peons to get your work done. Loyalty money is involved when your client would need to show special preference to your products and services.

I was specifically trained on these because a) one needed to identify the takers b) you needed to develop along term relationship and c) sometimes you are playing catch 22 in terms of the “taker’s” relationship with your competitor. Most Public sector companies that were my clients had the “loyalty money” concept as a given. In the pure Government departments it used to be a mixture of Speed and Loyalty money. This syndrome did not even spare the Defence(pure) and Defence allied departments and concerns.

Now this is like complaining about our clients but I am sure we were to blame too for the malaise .i.e. us and our competitors.

There were happenings inside the company too. Over invoicing, under production in the factory, empty product boxes addressed to customer names (who never placed orders in the first place) being carted out during sales target period ends, were all a matter of common accepted behavior rather than the exception.
Mind you, that these things were not restricted to my first establishment. I later was involved in Telecom and in Software too and they all did it and mind you still do.

So it is not about just Government and Public Sector being corrupt but the Private Sector is equally part of this hidden black system. In fact I would say that in terms of corruption the ways of the Private Sector is a bit more sophisticated and polished. That’s about it. They are equally corrupt. Now that does not mean 100% and I do not have the data to prove otherwise. But I know and you know too. In fact talking about Public vs Private one of the biggest Private sector establishments has one of the most corrupt Purchase Departments you could think of (no prizes for guessing). The money generated through Loyalty Money Process is used in reverse when you want work done from the Government or elsewhere. It’s a nice non-taxed black money generation system that helps run the hidden agenda and transactions.

These days the CWG is in the news and maybe other topics of corruption too. But please think twice even about the Press. In my telecom days I had to ensure that reporters come and write good things about us and the way to ensure that is Cash, Gifts and Spirits!! The PR firms I am sure do use a lot of creativity in whatever they do, but this is one other aspect that they have to learn and actively practice.

The first passport I made in Mumbai years back was without any documents, no address proof, etc. It was all about loyalty and speed money. The 50 bucks I paid to the Inspector when I crossed the red signal in Jaipur is the same thing.

It is obvious that I have been a contributor to the dark sin. Have you been? If the answer is no…I salute you…but heart to heart..between you and me..perhaps I will win the bet. Make me lose from now on!!! Sphere: Related Content

Customer Service - Should it be a part of sales (Question in Linked In)

My Answer:


1. My first contention is that there should not be a stereotype Customer Service Department in an organisation let alone it be under Sales.
2. All organisations have customer touch points for give and take of contractual promises, delivery, problem solving, help, information, relationship building. Even cold calling sometimes in very esoteric thinking could come under the perview of customer services.
3. Now all these different touch points typically would be a start or culminating point of different internal processes managed by different departments/functions/individuals based on the org structure and process structure.
4. The question is to manage these processes efficiently (led by customer expectations) and ensuring that the orchestra team is playing each instrument at the right time.

Customer Service is all about managing expectations and is an ART that should be managed using Science. Is therefore not a question of whether a Customer Service Department should be under Sales. Most often than not the answer would be negative. But that is not the issue. The point is to ensure that your touch points are well defined and they are delivering right, again and again, in same and different circumstances. That brings in the subject of how to understand customer expectations and that's perhaps a separate discussion, Lastly I feel that anything to do with the customer needs to be strategic!!! Sphere: Related Content

Unique way of protesting against Bad Customer Service

Musician Dave Carroll watched in horror as United Airlines baggage workers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport manhandled his $3,500 guitar last year. When he and his band arrived in Nebraska, the guitar was broken.

Thus began Carroll’s sad song.

Filing a claim for reimbursement for the guitar proved futile; airlines often exempt “valuables” including musical instruments from damage coverage in their contract of carriage. So Carroll and his band, Sons of Maxwell, decided to seek revenge instead of reimbursement. He told the last person to deny his claim, Ms. Irlweg, that he “would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world.”

He put together a catchy song and cute video describing his nine-month hassle and posted it. Although United saved $3,500 by denying his broken guitar claim, the music video likely will generate far more than that in negative publicity for the airline.

The Video:

Courtesy: WSJ BLOGS

Sphere: Related Content

How do you listen to a client ramble on the phone and not talk? (My answer to Linked in Question)

Actions to take If you really think your client is rambling on the phone:

1. Put him/her on speakerphone, lower the volume and do something else. During regular intervals respond with am yeah or that's right.
2. Speakerphone, mute, and then disconnect in that sequence.
3. Mute and visit the washroom or get a coffee.

The above will not apply if he/she is an important person in your scheme of things. If the person is one who you have to tolerate or perhaps use then:

1. Look for a break and take the call in control.
2. Divert the topic to a relevant area of mutual interest.
3. Decently interject and put across your point and then ask a relevant question so that the response ceases to be a ramble.

And as fellow linked in members have suggested - Listen carefully, since you never know how information of use might just emanate, Sphere: Related Content