Mumbai — A city waiting for a services revolution
People of Mumbai — fast paced, on the move, no-nonsense (almost to the extent of being rude), always on the lookout for the value-deal, disciplined, resilient, have no clue what it means to be served well.
Yesterday, while traveling from home to office, I took an Air Conditioned BEST bus. The bus was full at the point where I got in, so I had to make do with a standing slot towards the rear of the bus. Soon, it became apparent that the air conditioning wasn’t working at the rear 50% of the bus. Passengers, having paid for air conditioned comfort (the fare is 3 times the regular fare), were sweating it out. In fact, since the AC buses have no windows, it was worse than a regular bus. Some of us in the rear complained to the conductor. He had a simple answer — “Air conditioning is not working in the rear of the bus. If you want, you can come and stand up front.” Practical advice, except for a small glitch — the bus was already full, so there was no space in the front of the bus, even to stand. We asked him to stand with us at the rear and at least give us some moral company. Or refund 2/3 of the ticket price that is charged for the AC. He ignored us. Most of the passengers were office goers — and the non-aggressive type. We just chose to grin and bear it. Just put up with it for a day. Who has the time and energy to demand basic levels of service. Who has the time to complain and follow-up, formally with the establishment.
It would have been easier to rough up the conductor, and give vent to frustration that way. But, we were all so civil and domesticated, and immune to bad service due to years of grinning and bearing it, we don’t get sufficiently angry even to exhort our muscles to action. Proverbial frogs in boiling water.
Ideally, the conductor should have apologized for deficiency in service. He should have himself offered a prompt refund. I cant imagine, for example, a hotel, where the customer is asked to go and stand in the corner where the air conditioning works, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
While traveling back home from office, I got into a BEST bus at Thane station. It was late evening around 9.30 PM and not too many people at the “starting point”, so there was a seat available for everyone. The weather was good, it was drizzling persistently, and when the bus started to move, there was a pleasant, light spray of rain to freshen the tired faces looking out of the windows.
And then the little fight started. The passenger behind me had given the conductor a 100 rupee note to purchase a ticket (worth Rs. 20). The conductor had given Rs. 80 as change including a Rs. 50 note in fairly bad condition. The passenger returned the Rs. 50 note, asking for a replacement.
Something snapped inside the conductor’s head. He started yelling at the passenger. “What do you mean by this note is not good. I am saying that this note is good, so you have to take it!”. The passenger refused. The conductor pulled the chain to stop the bus (in Mumbai BEST buses, you have this overhead rope attached to a bell, which the conductor pulls to signal to the driver to stop or start the bus — one of those wonderful things about Mumbai that you wish would never become extinct). He asked the passenger to get out of the bus if he was unhappy with the Rs. 50 note. The passenger refused to budge. 2 minutes of ugly chit chat.
Meanwhile, other passengers were getting impatient — some of them tried to convince the passenger to let go and end the stalemate. I was guilty too, of another offense — just keeping quiet and not supporting my co-passenger and taking a stand against the bullying tactics of the conductor. The morning incident probably played a role — it was just futile to try to change the system or expect the system to change.
Finally, the passenger had to relent. He pulled out Rs. 20 from his wallet and asked the conductor to give back the 100 rupee note. The conductor asked him to give the 20 rupee note first. The passenger asked him to give the 100 rupee note first. Another 2 minute “Chicken’s Dilemma” exchange of words. Eventually, again, it was the passenger who had to relent. He gave the 20 rupee note. The conductor made him wait for his 100 rupee note, before handing it over. And then, to rub it in, for the next 10 minutes (till the bus filled up), as he walked up and down the aisle, he showed the Rs. 50 note to each person, asking for his opinion on whether it was good or not. People nodded their heads — anything to keep the man in good humor and keep the bus running. At every nod, the conductor loudly proclaimed his victory — “See, I was right all along!”. He was the top dog in the bus. How dare anybody question him?
It was an innocuous issue. One would expect the conductor to politely inform the customer that if the Rs. 50 note was not to his liking, he would have to be kind enough to provide exact change for his ticket. Or he would have to wait for some time. I just cant imagine a restaurant where a waiter can ask a customer to leave the restaurant if the table is not to his liking (if the customer has asked for a different table). Nor can I imagine the waiter walking across to each table, bitching about “the customer at that table” who asked for a different table because a corner of the table was cracked. And customers, nodding their heads, so that he can get on with his job and get them their food.
For a services company, to offer this kind of customer service and to get away with it, can mean only one thing. It has to be a monopoly.
And if so, there is a great opportunity for a private bus service in Mumbai. Come to think of it, there is a great opportunity for all kinds of services in Mumbai, for the same reason. A smile, some manners, some empathy towards customers, a little attention to customer experience — anybody who offers these, will get a lot of blessings and loyal customers in Mumbai!
