Tuesday 21 February 2017

Metro Dairy retailer, Rajesh ensuring Customer Delight for me

I (Deep Banerjee) got stuck up for work at College Street in Kolkata on 15/02/2017 and was craving for a mug of my favorite hot coffee after returning home.  Called up wifey at home and was told that there was no milk in stock in the fridge.

Rajesh Mahato, the friendly retailer of Metro Dairy in Jora Mandir, Beliaghata, Kolkata near my house normally closes shop at 7.45pm.

Nevertheless, I phoned Rajesh at 8.15pm and told him about my predicament. He insisted that he will hang on exclusively for me although he had just closed shop. My advice to him to proceed for any other work he might have at that hour fell on deaf ears.

The affable milk retailer handed over the bottle of milk to me flashing his ubiquitous warm smile the moment I parked outside his shop atleast a good 90 mins after his normal closing time.

I felt pampered. I was overjoyed.

That was Rajesh's way of ensuring Customer Delight for a friendly customer who is a regular at his shop since the past 3 years.

Friends, what's your message for Rajesh?
Atleast say a hello to him. That will make him feel happy.
I'd also request the top management of Metro Dairy to congratulate Rajesh for the good work he does every day.

Tuesday 7 February 2017

Visit to Kolkata Book Fair on 2017-02-03

After a gap of over 7 years visited the International Kolkata Book Fair at the sprawling Milan Mela grounds on 2017-02-03 evening to gauge the effect of online sales on the ubiquitous book fair.

It was evident that today's generation prefers to spend quality time at any of the numerous Cafe Coffee Days' or a multiplex or just window shopping at glitzy malls or under the sheets in a room next to their parent's bedroom!

Young gaudily dressed liberated women were the only ones who were seen smoking vociferously sitting on the tiled grounds.

The typical Bengali 'aatels' (read, intellectuals) were very few and their absence was tell-tale.

Engineering colleges and Universities trying to sell the American dreams to pathetically mediocre students were hard pressed for footfalls into their respective stalls.

The entire event has become more of a 'food fair'.

Most of the well-stocked book stalls wore a deserted look with just a handful of visitors seen loitering aimlessly inside!

I myself had no intention of buying any books whatsoever even on impulse and had purposely carried a meagre sum of Rs185 only in cash and left behind the plastic money at home.

If at all I would have found any books of interest, I would have come back home and ordered the same online at a hefty discount.

Bumping into #Pats76 school batchmate Bibhas Biswas and his wife Ajanta Biswas at the fair grounds made the evening even more enjoyable.

Kolkata's famous Book Fair, if treated as a product, is at the declining stage of a Product Life Cycle. It's high time that strategies are worked out for its revival before it meets the proverbial watery grave!