How much 1 paisa matters !!

This is a post under “Evening Walk” column, though this has not been extracted from the same source. After  the last two posts “Train :: Reflection of Society” and “DinnerBox” under this column, I have thought of adding up one of my own experience which forced me to think “How much 1 paisa matters really !!”

This is a story of joy, for the win in a small fight. But I feel “fight for right” is always important and doesn’t matter whether it is small or big but it should be a matter of concern to realize the value lie beneath it. So, I thought of presenting the experience in this public domain.

It was after 4 years of its selfless service towards its master, my loving laptop took its last breath and said “bye bye” just before 15 days of my Master Thesis Defense. Well, the result of this accident, I needed to borrow a similar machine from a very close friend (Please check the courtesy section at the end of the post). But then very soon, I realized that I should go for a new laptop for the next 5 years budget plan 😛 . Though I was drained out of fund, but the desperate desire to get a new laptop found out the way to finalize the deal. I could able to convince some of the sponsors by narrating them the lucrative advantages of new laptop 😆 and they got ready to take care about half of the budget (Please check the courtesy section at the end of the post for the financiers list).

With the full arrangement of required budget, with one of the financier, I reached the Lenovo store on a Saturday evening to buy an economy class product. Of-course me and my financier have put enough effort to stress the search engines in finding out the best reviews with the best suitable price for the laptop. So with the full of specifications we asked for the desired Lenovo model.

The first heart breaking event happened when the store keeper told us that the model has been decided not to be manufactured any more. But the smart guy observed the anxiety in our faces. So, he started proposing out with his long list of options and finally convinced us that the model which we were asking about, has been replaced with another model with same specifications and with a similar price tag. But he added up, this model is also not available in the store, and he can order the model for us if we would have an advanced booking for that. As soon as he could notice the raised eyebrows in our faces, he bowled a googly by saying us as he would give the laptop on Monday (here it is to be noted, I have been to the store on Saturday evening). I was actually in a hurry to buy the laptop. Still we thought a little and then asked once again to confirm the date of delivery. Then he called up someone and confirmed us to give it on Tuesday evening.

Then we got busy in discussing the different specifications of the laptop. He kept the advanced booking form very gently in front of me. I told him that I am leaving Delhi on Thursday, and asked him for the last time to give me the final words when he could deliver the laptop to me. Then after another phone call he told me that for sure I will get it on Tuesday evening and in worst case, he would deliver the laptop in my place in Wednesday, but anyhow he would see off me from Delhi with a new laptop. He told me that he would call me and inform me as soon as the product will reach.

Then I booked the laptop with 10% of the total amount as advance and returned back with my financier along with the smile of joy that, I am going to be the owner of a 8GB RAM and 1TB hard disk laptop within next couple of days.

The next two days left me with sleepless night because of my master thesis defense. I forgot regarding the new laptop. On the fine morning of Monday, I defended my master thesis successfully. After the release of tons of loads, my mind restarted with the pleasure of welcoming the new laptop.

I kept on waiting for the call from the Lenovo store keeper. On the Tuesday evening around 6:30 pm, I realized the guy is not going to call me, so let me call him. After a long ring, a dame-care “Hello” has thrown out from the other end. After reminding him about the order, the reply was something like below

“Items pahunche nehin hai abhitak. Jab pahunch jayega tab bata denge”.

After listening his words my temper level touched the sky. I replied him back in a rigid voice and warned him to give me the update regarding the delivery of the product within next one hour. The call seemed to be disconnected with a response “OK”.

I waited till 8:30. No response. Called him back and found he was busy speaking with someone else. I waited for another 15 minutes and called him back again. A full ring but he did not received. I called up once again, this time he received but towards the end of the full ring. I asked him whether he has confirmed with the issue or not. He told me he has not called up the concerned person till then. Then he replied me back with a very fantastic statement

“Abhi tak product pahunche nahin hai. Pahunch jayega kal tak to hum aapko call kar denge. Nehin aya to apna order cancel kar dena”.

What the hell! Thought that how can any service provider behave in such a way with a customer in this competitive world. All my controls exploded out with the severity of a volcano. I shouted out like anything with no control gear. Told him, first of all I am not going to cancel the order and I am no more interested dealing with him. I asked him for the area manager number. He repeated the same mentioned line once again and disconnected the call. My frustration reached at its extreme height.

Then I searched out the Lenovo Service-Executive Director’s mail id (for India region) and explained the summary of the whole story in the mail and provided the details of the advance booking. And at the end I have ended up the mail with following few lines

“Now this is the way Lenovo is maintaining its good name and paying back to its customers believe. This is the way you people are keeping your words. And again, you guys are thinking that the customer will go back to you once again. Please understand the value of each customer and please at least teach your store people how to deal with the customers.

Take care about the issue as soon as possible within the next 18 hours, otherwise I know how to reach the higher authority of your Lenovo service hierarchy.”

I allowed them 18 hours of time and my mobile rang up within 18 minutes with the display screen showing the store keeper’s name. I picked up the call. The conversation was some thing like below:

“Sidharth sir, ji Sidharth sir baat kar rahe hain. Mera sir se baat hua tha. Kal tak saaman pahunch jana chahiye. Main mere taraf se pura kosis kar raha hoon. Saaman pahunchte hi main aapke yahan delivery kar dunga. Par sir agar nehin pahunch paya kal tak to phir aap agar chaho to apna order cancel kar sakte ho. Par mere tarafse pura kosis rahega.”

I told him I am not going to cancel the booking in anyways and I want the laptop by Wednesday evening and that’s it.

I disconnected the call with a satisfaction not in a hope of getting the laptop in the next evening but in a joy of winning the game of “fight for right” during the last four hours. I would love to listen the similar experiences from you people who ever faced it, in the comment section.

Well the horror part of the story may begin from here if I would start the rest of the journey in getting the laptop. But that is not the objective of the post. That may be narrated in the sequel of this post. But I would love to raise a very important point which I realized during this experience.

The question arises here why don’t we raise our voice while something goes wrong. Why we keep quite and accept every thing as granted. Why we console ourselves in many situations by saying “eisa hi hota hai”. Why aren’t we so strong to accept the precisions in life. Why a store keeper promised me something and how could he ignore it in a very casual way. It’s not the matter of getting the laptop in one or two days late. Its the matter of attitude and mentality of ignorance. Its the matter of sick mentality of a large percentage of the population of the country which dragged the face of the nation to a much lower position in the world than the place where we actually deserve to be.

Why we become blind to the corruption and raise our voice with the high node only inside the closed room, in front of few friends, just to show out our knowledge about the wrong doings around us. What the **** Don’t we think we are also getting involved in the corruption while not raising the voice. Its not the matter of 1 rupee or 1 paisa. Its the matter of valuing anything. Its the matter of responsibility to carry the great culture of the nation and represent it in the world mirror.

I know all of you must have realized the issue at least once in your life. So, I want to listen from you “Do really 1 paisa matters !!”

Courtesy:

Hemanta Kr. Mondal for giving his laptop during the time of need.

Rahul Kumar Shah and Niru Chowdhury for being my financier.