Life is full of questions. We prepare for some of them, while few others just take us by surprise. While one can prepare for an exam, an interview or even the much abused ‘let the boy and girl talk for some time’ kind of instances in one’s life, there are few questions which will just prop up suddenly and will leave you wanting for answers. I am gonna describe one of such situation that I faced during one of the many non consequential interactions that I have had with my customers/retailers in this sleepy town of Kottayam (yupp thats my base for the moment, and for the un-initiated, its located in kerala.. n for the out and out lucky ignorant bastards, it’s in south India)
I remember an old joke about IT professionals. Which goes like this: A frustrated on bench IT guy vents his frustration on a poor restaurant worker. He says that after just 3 years of job he has a bank balance, car ..etc. Tumhare paas kya hai?
n the worker replies ki “Sir, mere paas kaam hai”
When I was in Wipro, we used to laugh our heads off over this.
I got myself into a similar situation a week back. Now I was with the route Supervisor(oops.. Team lead), completing my usual beat, interacting with retailers (mostly with the help of my TL) wherever possible.
We had visited about 20-25 outlets by the time. I was reasonably happy with the way things had gone till then, I had noticed quite a few things which would have ultimately help me in compiling a good report. So when my TL (OK for the IT junta: A TL in this sales business has little resemblance to a TL in IT field, We are talking about TL of hawkers/salesmen) went away to park his bike, I decided to engage the retailer myself. So here is how it went.
Me: Hello Cheta(means elder bro in Malayalam), Where do you keep Cigs?(looking inside the counter to check the stocking)
Retailer: (Gave me a puzzled looks)
Me: Wo mein company se(showing my ITC logo on the T-shirt)
Retailer: Still confused. said something in Malayalam.. which I could not understand at all(perhaps was asking what do you need?)
Me: (I looked for my TL..but he was not in sight.. I again tried my best) : Cheta, Cigarette company.. Scissors..
Retailer: Hmm .. you.. new supervisor?
Me:(Feeling rather offended): Nahi, m Area Executive
(Had it been earlier days, I would have said tht m an AUT and perhaps even explained that I’ll become an ABM after 6 months .. but not now, I am comfortable with whatever stint m doing and living through it)
Retailer: (with a disinterested look) Gaon kya tumhara?
Me:(kya mein gaon kaa lagta hoon?): UP, … Cheta stock OK hai?
Retailer: Haan, Iss se pehle kahaan kaam karta thha?
Me: ( 🙁 what??): Iss se pehle IT mein thha.. Bangalore.
retailer: (Looked at me with renewed interest… came a bit forward): IT mein kya?
Me(looked back again to see the TL .. still no signs.. f*ck): Engineer
Retailer:(with a Smirk) Wahaan se yahaan 🙂 kaise?
Me: Uske baad MBA kiya.. phir yahaan first job.
Retailer:(He looked at my condition.. my hair was in a mess, It was almost 3 and I was yet to even think about lunch, and then It was really hot outside and I was sweating like anything) Iss job ke liye MBA ki kya jaroorat hai?
Me: hmm …. hmm.. (30 sec gap)…. Learning
Rretailer: what?
Me: Kuch nahi,..yahaan manager banne se pehle dekhna padta hai ki ground mein kya ho raha hai. Aapki problem aaj khud se dekhenge to kal office mein baith ke bhi samajh sakte hain.
Retailer: (whatever) Idhar no problem.. sab fantastic. He he he (with a ‘kat lo ab yahaan se’ look)
I gave him a smile and looked for our product availability and started filling the tracker. Though I might have answered the retailer.. but deep Inside I was myself searching for few answers.