Operator: "Thank you for calling Pizza Hut. May I have your..."
Customer: "Heloo, can I order.."
Operator: "Can I have your multi purpose card number first, Sir?"
Customer: "It's eh... hold..........on...889861356102049998-45-54610"
Operator: "OK... you're... Mr Singh and you're calling from 17 M G Road.
Your home number is 4094! 2366, your office 76452302 and your mobile is 142662566. Which number are you calling from now Sir?"
Customer: "Home! How did you get all my phone numbers?
Operator: "We are connected to the system Sir"
Customer: "May I order your Seafood Pizza..."
Operator: "That's not a good idea Sir"
Customer: "How come?"
Operator: "According to your medical records, you have high blood
pressure and even higher cholesterol level Sir"
Customer: "What? What do you recommend then?"
Operator: "Try our Low Fat Hokkien Mee Pizza. You'll like it"
Customer: "How do you know for sure?"
Operator: "You borrowed a book entitled "Popular Hokkien Dishes" from the National Library last week Sir"
Customer: "OK I give up... Give me three family size ones then, how much will that cost?"
Operator: "That should be enough for your family of 10, Sir. The total is $49.99"
Customer: "Can I pay by! credit card?"
Operator: "I'm afraid you have to pay us cash, Sir. Your credit card is
over the limit and you owe your bank $3,720.55 since October last year.
That's not including the late payment charges on your housing loan, Sir."
Customer: "I guess I have to run to the neighborhood ATM and withdraw
some cash before your guy arrives"
Operator: "You can't Sir. Based on the records, you've reached your daily
limit on machine withdrawal today"
Customer: "Never mind just send the pizzas, I'll have the cash ready. How
long is it gonna take anyway?"
Operator: "About 45 minutes Sir, but if you can't wait you can always
come and collect it on your motorcycle..."
Customer: " What!"
Operator: "According to the details in system, you own a
Scooter...registration number 1123..."
Customer: " ????"
Operator: "Is there anything else Sir?"
Customer: "Nothing... by the way... aren't you giving me that 3 free
bottles of cola as advertised?"
Operator: "We normally would Sir, but based on your records you're also
diabetic... "
Customer: #$$^%&$@$% ^
Operator: "Better watch your language Sir. Remember on 15th July 1987 you
were convicted of using abusive language on a policeman...?"
Customer: (faints.................)
(Sent by Rajesh Poddar, Director, Calicut Engg Works Ltd, Kolkata)
Offline (The Material World Online Management Journal) Volume-4, No- 5, April 2006
Material World Group is Eastern India's emerging knowledge group. Material World through its knowledge aims at resolving man (human) and materials resource issues of those availing its services.
Friday, April 21, 2006
A Simple People Address System
In any group of people there are bound to be people problems- whether- at the heart of it all – our family, the apartment we live in, or in the neighborhood or (last but not the least) our workplace. At the workplace a manager can ignore problems only at his peril.
As an example, someone may be outright lazy while someone may be short fuse by nature. While at a mundane perspective such people can be “poison” to the working environment; on the other hand these descriptions may not be very helpful on the long run when it comes to addressing the problem.
Instead, one should concentrate upon specificities- tangible actions. “Sunil is lazy” should be transformed to “Sunil is normally late while submitting reports and ends up achieving less than his colleague Vineet.
Thus, we have got a starting point and most importantly, something, which can be quantified.
Stage 1
Monitor the problem and check out whether the problem exists at all. Sunil may be delayed on the past couple of occasions for being preoccupied with something, which may have added value to the organization.
Stage 2
Seek his own solutions. However, one needs to be careful not to make personal criticism. The idea shall be to focus on specific events. A good manager can use Stage 2 to motivate the person concerned. He may actually end up pointing out a loophole or two in the existing system (eg. the reporting system which is causing the delay) and/or what’s more… might even suggest a friendlier system.
Stage 3
Analysis of Problem
Good behavior may be “blocked” by negative payoffs. If at home Anil Mehta’s teenager son is frowned upon every time he suggests his father a new savings plan from his favorite mobile service provider Mehta Jr. shall be less inclined to share information/views in the future.
Once the problem has been analyzed the Stage 4 is to find a solution.
Stage 5 is necessary because such plans do not always work. One must continue to monitor the problem and review the progress.
(Credits: G M Blair, Senior Lecturer, and University of Edinburgh, UK; MW Resource Center)
Rajib Kumar, Offline (The Material World Online Management Journal) Volume-4, No- 5, April 2006
As an example, someone may be outright lazy while someone may be short fuse by nature. While at a mundane perspective such people can be “poison” to the working environment; on the other hand these descriptions may not be very helpful on the long run when it comes to addressing the problem.
Instead, one should concentrate upon specificities- tangible actions. “Sunil is lazy” should be transformed to “Sunil is normally late while submitting reports and ends up achieving less than his colleague Vineet.
Thus, we have got a starting point and most importantly, something, which can be quantified.
Stage 1
Monitor the problem and check out whether the problem exists at all. Sunil may be delayed on the past couple of occasions for being preoccupied with something, which may have added value to the organization.
Stage 2
Seek his own solutions. However, one needs to be careful not to make personal criticism. The idea shall be to focus on specific events. A good manager can use Stage 2 to motivate the person concerned. He may actually end up pointing out a loophole or two in the existing system (eg. the reporting system which is causing the delay) and/or what’s more… might even suggest a friendlier system.
Stage 3
Analysis of Problem
Good behavior may be “blocked” by negative payoffs. If at home Anil Mehta’s teenager son is frowned upon every time he suggests his father a new savings plan from his favorite mobile service provider Mehta Jr. shall be less inclined to share information/views in the future.
Once the problem has been analyzed the Stage 4 is to find a solution.
Stage 5 is necessary because such plans do not always work. One must continue to monitor the problem and review the progress.
(Credits: G M Blair, Senior Lecturer, and University of Edinburgh, UK; MW Resource Center)
Rajib Kumar, Offline (The Material World Online Management Journal) Volume-4, No- 5, April 2006
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