A guest post from my dear blogger friend Adesh. Adesh writes an excellent blog and is a passionate advocate of customer service. Seeing my blog dry up because I'm traveling and not online, he very kindly offered this guest post - a gesture that has truly touched me. Adesh - I really owe you one. Here is his post.There was a statement few days’ back which I got my attention today. Prominent person...
Friday, 31 July 2009
Monday, 27 July 2009
Does anybody buy duty free anymore ?
Liquor, yes. Cigarettes, yes (those smokers still left). Perfumes, yes (to placate the lady). But who buys all the rest of the insanely priced goods that masquerade as duty free items in airports ?In the good old days, flying was the prerogative of the rich, Shops at airports were built to cater to that lot who can afford all those outrageous prices. Hence the shops that sold designer clothes. Designer...
Sunday, 26 July 2009
The Chinese magic in services ?
China, economically “conquered the world” by offering products at unbelievable prices. This led to the export boom that changed the face of the world over the last twenty years.Manufacturers from every other country have scratched their head in bewilderment as to how the Chinese could sell at such prices. Many predicted that this was dumping and would soon collapse. It hasn’t for two decades. The...
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
A moment in time for the grey haired generation
If you are a golfer, or a fan, or even a casual sports enthusiast, you could not, but have been riveted at the happenings in the British Open last weekend. Tom Watson, one of the all time greats in the game, and now 59, rolled back the years to force a playoff with Stuart Cink, and heartbreakingly lost. For a moving writeup on the most dramatic of British Opens, click here.This has great relevance...
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Killer Roads
There’s an interesting story doing the rounds in China. A 74 year old man got so frustrated with drivers violating traffic rules that he stationed himself at a junction and started throwing bricks at cars that jumped the red lights. This story has led to an outpouring of support on the Internet – huge numbers of Chinese have supported what the man did.I had posted before on road safety here. On this...
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Pets only airline
Did you say that the airline industry is in doldrums ? Well, here’s a start up in the airline industry. A pets only airline. Where else, but in the US of A.Pet Airways will only carry “pawsengers”. No humans please. Services include a boarding lounge, pre boarding walks, full service on board including meals, loo breaks and the full attention of a cabin crew.Flights are sold out for the next two...
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Open the Internet at the office, or shut it out ?
What should be the “internet policy” in companies ? Not so easy a question to answer. Companies have one of the following approaches- Complete ban (would be very unusual these days)- No internet on your desktop, but internet kiosks available- Internet access for limited hours at the desktop- Wide internet access, but personal stuff like e mail, blogging, youtube blocked)- Complete free for allWhat...
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Bye Bye Bengal, Hello France
The capital of militant and inflexible labour is France. The title that Bengal held in the 70s and 80s seems to have been taken over by France.These are bad times everywhere in the world. France is not immune to the ill winds. Factory closures and job losses, are alas, everywhere. French workers have reacted to it, by contributing to a new word in the English language – "bossnapping”. Holding bosses...
Monday, 13 July 2009
Can it be business as usual ?
Goldman Sachs, is reporting its quarterly results tomorrow (Tuesday). There is rampant speculation that they will report “blowout profits” – something in excess of $2 bn in the quarter. Remember, not so long ago, they received money from the government to stay afloat and they repaid it back recently. They were also a beneficiary of the bailout of AIG – they had significant dues from AIG which would...
Saturday, 11 July 2009
California is not the Golden State
Amazing things have been happening in California, economically speaking. You have to rub your eyes in disbelief at what is happening in supposedly the region with the most brilliant people in the world.I had posted about the mess that California as a state is in here. Usually after a lot of brinksmanship, California does pass a budget before the fiscal year begins and life somehow carries on. Unfortunately...
Friday, 10 July 2009
The future of flying
Ryan Air is contemplating introducing “standing” on flights. Wow. Apparently they now also charge you to go to the loo mid flight. So what is the future of flying ? Here are some suggestions - They should all do an indepth study of the Bombay trains as the best example of maximizing passengers per cu ft of available space. They can transform flying by replicating the Bombay train model.- They can...
Thursday, 9 July 2009
IT Industry - Stop begging for favours
One of the provisions of the Indian budget presented a couple of days back is to extend the income tax holiday to IT companies This is an annual ritual. The STPI scheme under which this tax holiday is enjoyed was supposed to expire sometime ago. Every year the industry clamours for its continuance. And the government accedes.The Indian IT industry does not pay the full income tax in India. This is...
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Borrow like there's no tomorrow
The Indian Union Budget was presented yesterday – normally this is presented on the last day of February, but this year because of the elections and the new government, it is being presented now.A zillion columns have been, and will be, written on the budget. The stock market reacted yesterday by tanking 6%. Many experts will dissect the budget and depending on where they come from, will either laud...
Sunday, 5 July 2009
Even more tag, tag, tag ......
Reflections has tagged me with a picture tag. Now I must say a few words about this famous blogger. Everybody seems to know her. Everybody likes her. Everybody reads her blog. She’s an active commenter – her comments are invariably nice and large hearted. And everybody tags her on everything, simply...
More tag, tag, tag ......
A “wicked” girl called The Thoughtful Train tagged me with the ‘Fours tag”. She did it with an “evil laugh of delight” – someday I’ll get even with her ! To his eternal credit, le embrouille blogueuer saved me from this tag – someday I’ll pay him back for it !!I took the poetic license to change the questions to something remotely connected to business. Here goes.Four places I have lived in because...
Saturday, 4 July 2009
Tag Tag Tag .......
Le Embrouille Blogueur has been kind enough to give me an award. The award, he gave me with the words “ the man, the machine (firewalled by the Great Wall) ...and the power blogging”. I am honoured. “THE blogueuer”, for he is deserving of this title, is a wonderful blogger friend. He has a unique...
Thursday, 2 July 2009
A Titan steps down
On a bright summer’s day in June of 1975, a young man walked into the portals of a great company. He had just finished his Masters and had come to take on his first job, as a Management Trainee. He was a simple young man, hadn’t seen the world, or even the country for that matter. But he had a brilliant...
Who should pay for Medical Insurance ?
It is human to forget about your health when you are healthy. You are young and fighting fit and who wants to think of sickness and hospitals ? May you be blessed to remain that way always. But just in case …..Its a feature of our times that, God willing, we’ll all live longer. But as we live longer, a variety of old age diseases and disabilities will become inevitable. Medical costs can be one of...
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Affirmative Action
Does affirmative action work ? Especially in an economic setting ? News on this theme, from two corners of the world caught my attention yesterday. In Malaysia, they have eased the minimum Bhumiputra limit on investment in listed companies from 30% to 12.5 %. Bhumiputras are ethnic Malays. They are by far the majority ethnic group in that country although the ethnic Chinese are economically more prosperous....
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