for the matter
any other boss does not like asking questions .he will yell at us by saying,
“you people are giving lame excuses!” who says ‘A boss is a boss?” I would say
‘A boss can be an ass hole. He can talk either side of his mouth, where as you
cannot. That is the advantage of being a BOSS. We get enough shouting from
customers some time for manufacturing
defect of products; any given time there are more than 4000 customer case
pending in consumer court. Shouting back at customer will cost our job and our boss
shouts at us for not bring enough revenue for him. Our Boss was under
tremendous pressure to show ten lakhs worth of business per month. I was a good
technician, when it comes to meeting target I was always above average .it is
impossible to meet target every time. If you remember 80 % of the work is done
by 20% of the work force then you will understand what I mean. When our boss
humiliated me in front of others for not archiving target I felt that I could
forgive my enemy, if ever I wanted to kill someone it must be our boss! So much
pressure at work place, no housewife or a mother will never know what is
present day work pressure or how much we technician get abused by manufactures,
by our boss and also by customer. When it is a question of family survival and
keeping the job, we take everything in our stride.
After the
globalization manufactures localized their work. Manufacture goods, spare
parts, put cash in their bank and attend consumer case at the court. Period.
They now run their office with skeleton staff.
Franchise
technician’s work includes not only servicing their equipment but also to
generate as much as money for the manufactures. A Technician becomes all in
all. He must be a sales person, capable of selling products or spare parts,
collection agent, PRO for the manufactures. His duty also includes. Read
warning to make sure that the customer are not going to consumer court at any
cost .we were asked to settle the dispute then and there. How you do it is none
of the manufactures business! Their argument is that if it is not a
manufacturing defect then the fault lies with the technician! How convenient it
is for them to blame on technician. Company executives come to franchise only
to preach. It comes naturally to them .how many examples read cock and bull
stories they tell us for motivation. Ask any of the company or franchise boss
to be in our shoes, they get pissed off. That too for peanuts for per calls.
(Rs20 per calls) Rest is assured when you return home... God blesses those poor
souls!
After “liberalization”
(globalization) franchise, system was introduced in India. Is it a bane or
boon? Having worked for more than five years for India’s leading white goods
manufacture’s franchise, let me explain how franchise system and technician
work for you. It will open up your eyes! Only super brand products and high-end
model appliances get top priorities for immediate attention. Other models are
made with cheap materials. You will find white goods are programmed to run till
the guarantee period only. If you do not take annual maintenance contract, then
your equipment will refuse to cooperate with you. Imagine if you have computer,
air conditioner, fridge, washing machine and other appliances. Yearly you need
to set aside money to run the show.
Unless and until customer complaint goes to consumer
court manufacture representative or company service engineer will not take-up
your issues. If you are one among the VVIP then the company general manager
could be at your disposal. In some case I found that there are manufacturing or
design fault in some models. Any given item there are more than four thousand
consumer court case pending against the manufactures. One of the customer after
ruining form pillar to post (to manufacture and consumer court and back) he
found a novel way to vent his frustration. To get a replacement or to get it
repaired thorough the consumer court, at times it takes years to get it done.
That many consumer cases on different manufactures are pending in given time of
the day. This frustrated customer had a sense of humor because he believes in
gandhiayan philosophy, Non-violent way of getting things done. He covered his
fridge in a black bed sheet and carried his fridge with the help of four people
(like you carry coffin) he took the possession through his colony main road.
Chanting slogan against manufacture and the consumer court, photograph of the
possession was put on the local newspaper. I liked his innovation idea to
protest nonviolent ways.
With more than four thousand consumer court case
pending; have you wonder how these manufactures still manage to keep their
position in white goods sector? First, only we technician knows how many case
is in pending at the consumer court. These very same companies are spending
cores of Indian rupees just for advertisement with Bollywood stars. Here is how
our franchise System in India. Check whether they are boon or bane for the
customer.
No white goods manufacturing companies are employing
new service technician for their service department. They appointed franchise.
Franchise technician always carries out repair work. Some of the franchise
offer work on sub contract biases to get their service done. With no other
option left I had joined in one of the India’s leading white goods
manufacturing company’s franchise as service technician. It was not bad in the
beginning. Only five technicians to attend service calls .at times we end up
attending four-pin code area per technician instead of three pin codes. Even at
9.30 PM, we were on site, forty or fifty kilometer away from our home. Life was
tough but we were able to make some extra money.
In franchise, system rules changes over night,
according g to the manufactures whims and fancies and regardless of workers
benefits. Appointment procedures were made simple by franchise .no more
appointments letter. Appointment was made verbally. It goes something like
this.” Do you have your own vehicle “? And a mobile? A mobile is a must you
know it”? Without bike and cell phone, you are not considered as a service
technician. They call it survival kit or minimum requirements! “Ok, good. “Now
you have to pay for uniform dress”. (Only God knows how long he is going to
keep you in work.)”From tomorrow onwards you can join for work”. After you join
for work, only he will tell you how to make more money by-achieving target,
regardless of working hours. Sooner or later you yourself will find how much
money, time and energy you have to use to extra money.
We never had PF, Gratuity, medical, (ESI) or life
insurance, no vehicle maintains allowance, petrol or food allowances. Only
consolidate pay per call they paid .RS .15 or RS 20 depend on the distance from
work place. They paid RS 40 per call if it is in Timbuktu or Tora bora. There
are some company’s franchise and service subcontracts offering Rs10 for
attending service calls. Those technicians survive by making “extra” money .how
they make extra money and how much they make depends upon their individual
“skill”.
