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Service Snaps!


Service Touch!

In the bull run of consumerism and business proliferations, India has seen a huge leap forward in improving its outreach to every nook and corner of the country and the globe. Inter alia, the services industry has masqueraded to help consumers but never bothered to master the art of the industry. A small but, nonetheless insignificant, experience shared by a friend was an eye opener to the coolie class services that we are subscribed to.

Tour operators book in volume that helps them get heaps of discounts in bulk that are never passed on to the customers. But these operators never think about the comfort of the customers even after profiting hugely from the transactions committed.

It was one such trips that a friend too with his wife and kids to Singapore from Mumbai. After crossing the multiple check barriers installed on the Indian side, they were amazed by the seamless flow of checks on the Singaporean side. As they took a cab to their hotel, the wife realised that her passport wasn't with her anymore. Frantic searches yielded no results. My firend was angry at the loss. More so, it has occurred in a foreign land!

The cabbie could gauge the problem and asked what the problem was! On knowing the lady had lost her passport, he gauged that it must be at the airport. He tried the airport's helpdesk and the lady too down the name of my friend's wife and flight details. Saying that she'd inform within 25 minutes if at all the passport was at the airport.

As they were about to take a right turn to get back to the airport, it was barely 11 minutes or so that they'd alerted the airport's help-desk, the lady called up the driver to confirm that yes, the passport has been found. It was huge relief for the family.

My friend was endlessly bitterly bickering about the callousness of his wife while the child sat in utter freight as he knew how difficult it was without a passport in a foreign land after reading many a horror story that compounded it. Till the time they reached the help-desk, all were in a pensive mood as to what would happen next!
The trio rushed to the attendant at the help-desk where the distraught were greeted with a pleasant smile. Though relieved, nervousness never bade the guilty goodbye. After a few mandatory checks, the airport staff apologised to my friend for their slackness! I couldn't believe what he narrated. Had it been in India, the security and airport authorities would have blasted them for such dereliction ensuring humilatory out of the world phenomenon that'd leave a living impression till death.

They apologized over and over again for the inconvenience caused despite all the technological aids to detect such a slip and the inconvenience caused thus and returned the passport with a token flower wishing them exciting holidaying. I do not know how many would believe the narrated incident but, thankfully it happened in Singapore and not anywhere else!

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