Friday, January 31, 2014

Customer is King !

Real stories are generating from real facts!

After graduation hangover, I nabbed a job at Cochin and my colleague Jithendra Kumar gifted me a Parker pen on some auspicious occasion in 1998. A pen with steel body and black tip on the top of the cover. I know it is a costlier pen than other pens which I am using and that ‘costlier’ fact given me an impetus to use properly and keep it in my shelf safely.

After 16 years, in the threshold of 2014 also on and off I am inserting the same pen in my pocket - safely and properly! I don’t know how many stories I scribbled with that pen. I don’t know how many poems I jot down and also  obscure how many refills I used in that steel case. I have been used hundreds of pens after 1998, but still I have some special affection or feeling on the same old stuff.

Due to my personal attachment to that pen, recently I have purchased one more Parker pen. From the very first week, I noticed some jerking on my  writing. There is some problem with refill of my favourite brand and after thinking few days I planned to send an email to Customer Care of Parker !

But I just peeped to my other email which I had sent to an online trading company few weeks back. After several emails and prolonged waiting, they responded very well; says "this mobile handset is not under warranty and you are already  agreed the same while tick on terms and condition of purchase" !!

But, finally I Googled the contact details and wrote to Parker. My email was simple, just want to give a feedback as a long user of their brand and advise to take necessary steps during the quality check because lot of people loves the brand.


Very next day I received a response from Customer Care and they apologized for the inconvenience caused.  They asked me the details of my complaint and picture of faulty refill. I replied same time and informed wrote clearly “my intention is not replace the refill or pen but as a well-wisher of my favourite brand just informed you the same”. I closed my laptop and closed the chapter as well.

*****                                ******
In the midst of busy working schedule of weekend, our Head Office driver brought an envelope carrying my address on it. I don’t have any clue because now a days I am getting draining factors of my salary from postal department - most hated credit card bills and astrology of dead child (bank statement of previous months salaries!).

I gazed to the bulge of envelop and surprised to perceive the ‘from’ address – Parker, France!. Somebody sent me this packet from France? Very interesting! I have opened the flap. There is one more packet and one A4 shipment details are inside. With the same mood, I removed the cover of small packet as well; it is a plastic container with four numbers of brand new Parker refills !   

I complained only for one refill, but how I got this four ??

For a while, I was overjoyed with the way of an after sales department of Parker responded to their Customer. No warranty card, no Invoice but mere an email!

I heard many times that ‘Customer is a King’ but today in this juncture, I really felt that I am a King ! I raved myself.

“Well done Parker…..”

So it is decided; my next story will be written with my favorite pen !! 

If my pen can move himself, I am sure; he will dance and do some acrobatics in front of me as well !

2 comments:

  1. Awesome….
    Now this is perhaps why some brands flourish and other popular names blemish after initial excitement…
    And it s a lesson for all, thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete