Known Turf: A sad and lengthy saga of communication people who aren't so good at listening

Known Turf: A sad and lengthy saga of communication people who aren't so good at listening

Godrej Hi Care

Last week I was asked at home to sigm up for a pest control service for our home. I searched at the net and filed an enquiry for this at Godrej Hi Care web site since the range of services offered sounded very attractive. Very promptly someone from their call centre called up and asked for all my requirements and quoted a price. I agreed immediately and asked them to send someone and start the service immediatley. I was promised within 24 hours a local rep will come and complete the loop.
It has been more than 5 days now and no one has turned up. I have now gone for another vendor at a higher price since i am not sure if Godrej is capable of delivering the promised service or not!
This is how some big corporate service businesses are run with loads of overheads and no accountability. They must be losing so much of business every day like this and wasting their own marketing resources.

BIG BAZAAR Fatima Nagar, Pune: 12th Aug.2009

Following my experience at this store few weeks back I thought of revisiting the store during it's Shopping Kumbh event. I was there at around 12.00PM and I think it was Swine Flu which kept the consumers away though I was expecting a larger crowd.

To my surprise the Kunbh has started but the merchandise was not on the shelves and the staff was not fully geared to handle the crowd. It seems the staff was sort of not expecting consumer rush in the store due to Swine Flu.

I could only pick up 70% of my shopping list and to my surprise once again all the check out till were functional. There was this guy trying to seel some insurance to all the consumers billing more than Rs.250 but I must say he didn't his pitch very weel or he was too scared to delivered his sales pitch to the consumer due to Swine Flu fear.

Overall it was not a bad experience courtesy Swine Flu I can say.

BIG BAZAAR, FATIMA NAGAR, PUNE; SATURDAY 1st AUG.2009

This is my usual place for home shopping and also observes the latest in hyper market trends in retail. To avoid rush and also to check the store first thing in the morning I normally visit just it opens at 11.00 AM. Most of the occasions I have found that the store is in complete mess, staff is still not at work, only 1 or two check out till are operational and most importantly most items are not stacked on shelves.
Today, as I entered the store it was a very pleasant surprise to see the store very neat & clean, clean aisles, well stocked, staff in place and smiling. Normally I take some time in filing my trolley but today it was very quick and 100% of my shopping list was available. I move to the check out and to my surprise all the tills were manned and operational. I picked the one waiting for the customers and I was through within 5 minutes. It was truly world class experience. I just asked the cashier, Sarita; do you have a new store manager? She was amused and said “no”, what happened. I shared my experience with her and she was very pleased and proud to hear that. But she gave me a secret that probably due to forthcoming Independence Day sale we are not getting enough customers and that is why we are in this shape. I enquired the store manager details, Vikas Kulkarni and decided to see him and complement him on this effort.
I met Mr. Kulkarni and congratulated him on this experience of mine and wished him to maintain the same when I visit next.
I sincerely feel if all retailers make some effort to give such an experience to their consumers it will make a huge impact on their consumer loyalty.

RELIANCE FRESH, SALUNKE VIHAR ROAD, PUNE: 19th July 2009

It is around 8.50 AM in the morning I thought of picking up few essentials quickly before it gets crowded from this store next door. Store was quite crowded I guess most thinks the same way! It took me only 5-7 minutes to fill my basket and headed toward check-out and only 2 tills were operating with long queues of the customers. I noticed another till being used by an operator and enquired her (Laxmi Pardesi) if she is working. Before I approach her quick came a shout “ TIME LAGEGA”. I quickly went back to my before I lose my turn. Waiting patiently I asked for the manager and someone came along and quickly obliged by asking Laxmi to give up whatever she was doing and open the till for other customers.
I think Laxmi didn’t like this she was muttering her dissent while scanning my basket. I thought this was very rude and tried to explain to her about the customer need on a Sunday morning and her response was “HAMARA BHI TO SUNDAY HAI”. I was only amazed to see the attitude of a CSA in our stores.
Store concerned shall address this attitude issue of the staff as well as ensure that customer shall not spend more than their shopping time for check out. I keep going back to this store again & again only because this next door and I guess many customers are in a similar situation. It seems modern Indian retail is still ruled by the retailer, customer is still not in a position to demand quality service, respect and dignity.

RELIANCE FRESH, SALUNKE VIHAR ROAD, PUNE: 30th June 2009

This morning (8.35AM) I had to visit the store for some fresh shopping and the store was buzzing with customer but no staff anywhere. It was a complete mess and for 5 minute shopping one had to spend extra 10 minutes since aisles were blocked, dirty & inaccessible. To top it all only one check out was working and I was 9th in the queue to leave. I felt like leaving and go somewhere else but this feeling of getting done with it and get on with the rest of the day kept me there. I noticed the guy on the till (Vikas Mantake) was not familiar with either the items or the pricing. There was another guy assisting him and someone else from far was also giving some tips from time to time. That means three people were actually working on one till. Customer were screaming for another check out counter to be opened. When my turn came Vikas wanted to know about the variety of some particular mango in my basket and I tried to tell him but he insisted that he will only follow the instructions of the tele guide he has been getting help from. This guy standing far away was giving him wrong instructions whereas when I am telling him the right name of the mango he shouted back at me saying he knows batter. That is what forced me to know his name and NO wonder the queue was moving slow.
When jobs are under pressure why are we not able to get best people on the job and get rid of such low quality front end staff and give better service to the customers?
I hope you will ask your manager in-charge for the store to take some appropriate actions to make things better in this store, at least in the morning when everyone is in a hurry to do last minute shopping and get on with the rest of the day. A good experience in the morning can help your customers to have a very good & pleasant day and this will enhance your brand power in their mind.

RELAINCE MART, FATIMA NAGAR, PUNE: 12th September 2008

Today I went to shop at Reliance Mart Fatima Nagar at around 12.00PM and I have something to share with you as a feedback:
I filled my trolley from various sections and moved towards the check out area and found that only 2 tills were operational and between both these tills at least 14-15 customers were waiting in queue. Once again there was no one to listen to the grumbling customers and most of them were waiting helplessly. I asked for store manager and I was told this is weekly off today. I also requested for opening more cash tills since so many of us waiting but I guess no one was in a position to take any action.
The most interesting this was that suddenly one of your CSA came around with a friend carrying a biscuit packet behind the cashier and trying to get the bill made for his friend, since he wanted to oblize him with some quick check out or jumping the queue. I immediately went around and asked him if he works in the same store and he confirmed. I asked for his ID and his name was Abhijit Shinde. He suddenly became very defensive and left the biscuit packet and money behind the cashier and ran away. This really infuriated some of the waiting customers and some of them dropped the garment hangers in their hands and went away.
I think someone should call up Mr.Shinde and explain to him on basic antiquates of a service professional and give him some training. He not only disgraced himself but his brand as well lost some customers for his employer. I my opinion during this difficult time of economy all these guys facing the consumers shall know the sensitivity of their job and if they are still not serious they don’t deserve to be there. You should make some examples out of such staff members to send right signals to others.
I hope you will forward this as a feedback to someone responsible and initiate a corrective action.

RELIANCE FRESH, SALUNKE VIHAR ROAD, PUNE: 26th April 2008

It was during my visit at the above store on Saturday 26th April, I noticed that not only the store was in a complete mess on the housekeeping front but the credit card system was not working and many customers, including me had to leave the filled trolleys. Store Manager Malcom was also not available for help.
I visited the store once again today at the same time and I must say that today the store was in a very good shape, completely done up, all shelves stacked up neatly, floors looking very clean, trolleys were neat and clean, baskets were shining and every thing was operating like a machine. I am sure you must have taken corrective steps thereafter. I sincerely appreciate this effort and I can assure you this goes well with every regular consumer of your business. Well done, keep it up!

BIG BAZAAR, FATIMA NAGAR, PUNE: 10th March 2008

Today I was visiting Big Bazaar, Shola Pur Road on my usual shopping cum education trip and I came across a very unwelcoming incident at the entrance. Though it is difficult to irritate me but this watchman, Mr.Pravin Saikia-38228, was not only rude but also physical with the customers entering the store. When I tried to question him on this behavior he was not only argumentative but he also feels that customers come to this store anyway irrespective to the way he treats them. He seems to think that if I am not happy other customers will come to shop and that will not make any difference to the store. When I asked him how you earn your salary then he questioned my authority to ask him that. Though I feel other watchmen were really apologetic on his behavior but he felt that he was OK! I strongly feel that either he is not suitable for the welcome role or he needs some counseling. I strongly recommend that he shall be rather given a back office role instead of first contact with the visiting shoppers.
Just a feedback, I hope you and the business team of Big Bazaar will find it useful.
Today I was visiting Big Bazaar, Shola Pur Road on my usual shopping cum education trip and I came across a very unwelcoming incident at the entrance. Though it is difficult to irritate me but this watchman, Mr.Pravin Saikia-38228, was not only rude but also physical with the customers entering the store. When I tried to question him on this behavior he was not only argumentative but he also feels that customers come to this store anyway irrespective to the way he treats them. He seems to think that if I am not happy other customers will come to shop and that will not make any difference to the store. When I asked him how you earn your salary then he questioned my authority to ask him that. Though I feel other watchmen were really apologetic on his behavior but he felt that he was OK! I strongly feel that either he is not suitable for the welcome role or he needs some counseling. I strongly recommend that he shall be rather given a back office role instead of first contact with the visiting shoppers.
Just a feedback, I hope you and the business team of Big Bazaar will find it useful.

COMMENTS:

Thanks for your feedback. This is important, I will pass this on to relevant people.
Regards.
AMIT GUPTA

BIG FLIX SALUNKE VIHAR ROAD, PUNE: 23rd February 2008

Being a Saturday afternoon we just decided to watch a movie and thought we will go to the store near our house, Salunke Vihar Road. We selected the movie asked the assistant at the desk, Rajni to issue against our no.18466248 and she promptly told us that we already have a movie issued in our name. Since we wanted the movie we requested them to upgrade our account for two titles and we will pay the difference now. She asked for help from one of her colleague, Praveen, and he came and told us that this can’t be done since you don’t have such a function in the system.
Now we were very keen to have this movie we asked them if we can take this one and send the other one from home but we were told this is not possible. When we asked them to deliver the same ot our house we were told this can only be done at 4.00PM.
It seems either the staff is not customer centric or they do not have the brief ot do so. My request is that they shall be authorized or advised ot be more customer centric and offer solutions rather than just giving the reasons for not helping them. Finally we had to come back and I am not sure if we will get the movie now or not.
Just a feedback for the people handling customers in your business, please pass it on with a request to be more customer centric.

COMMENTS:

Sure.Thanks for feedback. Will do the needful.

Thanks
Sanjiv Singhal

RELIANCE MART, FATIMA NAGAR PUNE, 1st Jan 2008

I just visited the above store and the store did not have any filling bags, however, we were able to shop using shopping bags in the fresh section. Though there were enough customers in the store but only ONE POS Till was manned and all other cashiers were standing in a group and talking to each other. On enquiring why only one cashier is operational, I was told since there are no bags in the store, we have only one cashier working. I sincerely did not understand the logic at all. Immediately after that the whole lot of these cashiers moved outside the store and continued with their discussion. I then asked for the store manager and I was told that he is on leave today. Please note that the customers waiting in the queue at the lone POS till were really wondering why do they deserve this treatment! It is really unfortunate that lack of maturity and responsibility by the staff manning the store is only leading to the damage of the brand in the minds of the consumers.

I sincerely request that the floor of the store shall always be manned by at least one of the responsible staff members who is ensuring that the service standards are not dropped at any cost. I can assure you that this will have long term impact on your customer relationship.

COMMENTS:
Dear Ajay- thanks for the feedback - I appreciate your taking the time to send it.

Happy New Year to you and your family.

Regards,

Bhavdeep


Dear Ajay,

At the outset pl accept my apologies for the experience that you had in the Salunkhe vihar store.

I have checked with stores with regards to the happenings on the 1st of january'08 , as you have rightly pointed out we did run out of carry bags for about an hour and a half in the afternoon due to some logistics issue , the staff as a damage control exercise did rush to our nearby store to borrow some carry bags , however we did have this gap of an hour and a half which has caused inconvenience to you and the other customers.The socialising by cashiers amongst themselves on the floor has been addressed appropriately.

Please rest assured that internal service benchmark is of a very high standard and this unfortunate incident is an aberration.I will ensure that the control checks at the store level are further intensified and we deliver the highest levels of service.

I'am also marking this mail to Mr. Shashikant Kadam (City Mgr) who will call on you at your earliest convenience.

Wishing you and your family a very happy new year and look forward to your continued patronage.

Warm Regards,


Prasad Dixit (PD)