Couriers.

Today was an example of the apathies possible by mankind. I had ordered for a DVD writer from baazee.com. It was supposed to have reached me a week back. I checked it out with the courier service, DTDC Ltd, and learned tht it was still with them in one of their branch offices.

After my computer class i went to collect it from theit Domlur office, which is pretty far away, my way helped positively by a very helpful and nice person in the my bank. I colected my package and on my way back home got stuck in traffic. My curiosity got better of me and I opened the package, and what do I find?, the carton is full of waste paper and ofcoarse my bill. This really had me floored -- no DVD drive. I called Mumbai and spoke to the dealer. He told me that I should have opened the package in front of the courier, but anyway take it back and show it to them. With my fingers crossed I went back and they kind of accepted their fault. It seems that on the package cover the weight says 375 gms wheresas the folio that comes along with the package from Mumbai says 1.2 Kgs. Somewhere someone opened it and flicked the contents. Well right now they are investigating the loss and they have asked me to come tommorrow and speak to their customer representative.

I sat in the courier service for quite some time, and what I saw really impressed me. The setup was just like a post-office, only more suffosticated. They were packages coming and there were packages leaving, and they were in thousands. Packages of various shapes and sizes, packages from various parts of the country and packages to various parts of the country. Or maybe elsewhere. Everything was so organised and everything was so quick. I couldnt help thinking that maybe one day I may too own a courier company. I was thinking what I should do to keep it successful.

I would have to have various offices to start with in two cities. Make it really cheap and let the buisness grow a bit. Then open offices in another city, then another, then another.... But what is so diferent about my courier service that people will come to me than go to others? Well mine will have to be cheaper, qicker and able to assure guaranteed delivery, or your money back. It will be tough and I will have to wait for a long time to see it succeed, and I may lose quite some money in the begining, but with a lot of interest and acute monitoring, I guess its a good shot with good returns.

But for now I just hope that i get my 6 grands back for the writer......

Today I also saw some heavy rain in Bangalore, I guess the heaviest till now. Driving had become really difficult with all the water on the windshield.