Techie as a cabbie
How often do you come across a well groomed cab driver who will;
Smile, greet and open the door for you – Help you with your luggage when you get in and get out – Remind you to put on your seat belt for safety – Play music after checking with you (limited choice though) – Pick up a nice conversation in fluent English explaining en route attractions during a 4 hour drive – Stop for a snack at a great place recognizing need (Growling stomach) – Thank you for choosing him and hand over a business card at drop off
Perhaps you can expect the first four basic courtesies from a well trained cab driver of a 5 star hotel but certainly not in the remote parts of Maharashtra. I should say we were lucky to find SILVERA (our driver’s name) on our return trip from Shirdi to Pune.
Though initially I was overawed by Silvera’s customer service skills and professionalism, it did not take me too long to find out that he owned not just this Chevrolet Tavera but 17 more similar ones. He was replacing one of his drivers that day who had applied for a day’s leave. I have read about a General Manager of a hotel wearing the bell boys’ uniform for a day but I had never heard of a travel company owner (18 vehicles) acting as a driver. So, naturally I took advantage of our driving time to get an interview done and have published the summary;
me: It’s just a day’s leave requested by your driver and yet you to choose make this 8 hour trip (to & fro) – Is it about money?
Silvera (SIL): It’s not just about money, yes I certainly lose about 4000 Rs/- in case I happen to park the vehicle in the garage but driving is my passion. When there is an opportunity like this I seize it to:
- Lead by example – It shows my drivers how much I value their job and the business itself.
- Interact with my customers and get direct feedback
- Experience what my drivers go through and I could relate with challenges they face while driving.
- Meet my business partners across the state (Tie-up’s with travel agencies – talks about his lunch with the one at Shirdi that afternoon).
me: do you have any business rules or philosophy?
SIL: Customers are really everything to the business” and hence I believe in providing them “Safety, Comfort and Service”. His business cards reads that!
me: how do you recruit your drivers?
SIL: Mostly references from my team or known contacts, but the basic must haves are a Valid license, min 5 years experience on road (for knowledge of routes within the state) – I verify this. Basic english is an advantage but it’s hard to find.
me: How do you ensure your drivers provide the same experience to Customers as you have given us?
SIL: I train, talk to them and convince them that customers will be happy to pay for Safety, comfort and Service. They are getting better everyday and I can see that. Though I may not be able to guarantee the same level of service at this stage, I am striving to achieve that.
me: How do you handle customer complaints?
SIL: I take them very seriously. Infact my drivers know that if I get any speeding complaints from the customers, that will be their last day at work. Safety stands at “Position 1″ amongst our beliefs and I cannot compromise on that (he jokes about Anthony, one of his drivers who has got a couple of driving too slow complaints on the highway).
me: How long have you been in this business and what is your long term plan?
SIL: 6 months since I started off and I wish to own a few VOLVO buses and may be even challenge NEETA Volvo (which has the biggest market in Maharashtra) in the future.
me: Only 6 months, so what have you been doing all this while?
SIL: I am a SAP Consultant and continue to work for a SEI-CMM Level 4 IT Company. I have been an IT professional for 13 years and decided to start my own business. I have always been fond of vehicles and even as early as school/college days I would drive heavy trucks. Right now, I am on notice period and ready to take on rental car full time. I have managed it over the last 6 months simply from home with mobile phones and with the hep of a director-partner who is a retired military professional.
For that surprise news – “Techie as a Cabbie”, we had to stop for refreshments and take a breath of fresh air. The journey after that was equally impressive and touching in a way when I got to learn about situations and challenges he has had to deal with in his personal life and keep his dream going.
I recently read about how visionary companies have become successful from the book “built to last” by Jim collins where he writes about leaders of these companies having BHAG”s - Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Let me cite an example from the same book to quickly tell you about BHAG’s. In 1890′s, City Bank (as Citicorp was then named) was an unspectacular regionanl bank with only a president, a cashier and a handful of employees. Yet president James Stillman set the almost ludicrous (but certainly stimulating) aim “to become a great national bank” and IT DID BECOME ONE.
I could see Stillman’s confidence and commitment in Silvera when he spoke about owning Volvo’s and perhaps challenge NEETA travels.
To know more about Silvera’s business or to utilize his services if you are in Pune, log on to: www.virgotransline.com
