Free'a udu

Where will the data sit?Learning moments can happen anytime. One can learn as much from peers and juniors as one can from seniors. Let me end with a learning I got from my peer. In case you have wondered, why I have given examples from my sales days in computers, it was because I did not want to say that 'any resemblance is pure coincidence' because the incidents are real. At the same time, they happened so far back that I am sure that even if the resemblance is known, the characters would laugh indulgently. I am of course preparing the ground for the last incident, which honestly I cannot say if it is true or false. But it was something to do with a peer and pure "hear-say". I am only repeating it here because it shows individual, innovative, objection handling at its creative best.

When the computer industry in India began, we had the Hardware engineer who was different from the Software engineer. When something went wrong with the computer, the Hardware engineer blamed the Software installed and it was the reverse with the Software engineer. The Customer would end up feeling frustrated. As one of the first Service innovations, Wipro had a Customer Support Executive who had to solve both Hardware and Software problems. There was really no escape, because to the Customer he was "one throat to choke." Our Engineers would feel totally helpless till one of them found a way out. He started blaming the air conditioner. One day the Customer decided to confront him. In a deceptively mild voice, choking with cold anger, he asked, "Can you please explain to me how the AC not working can corrupt the data on my floppy?" Our Engineer was nonplussed. "Sir, when the AC is off, it gets hot, so you open the window, right?" "Yes," said the Customer testily. "Then the dust comes in from the window and sits everywhere". "Yes?" "Some of the dust may also sit on the floppy Sir." "Possible," said the Customer. Our Engineer said triumphantly, "Sir, if the dust sits on the floppy, where will the data sit?"

-- In an article from Ranjan, Wipro Corporate SVP