Finally
after a long long wait, I got all my household articles shifted to Mohali. I
had asked my brother in bangalore
to avail VRL’s service in transporting my dear pulsar and other articles to Mohali.
The guy there told it would take 10 days but it took more than 15 days to
arrive at Mohali. These guys have net tracking system like all other cargo guys
but the information presented is more useful to them than to us.
Had to
leave office early but reached the VRL office in chandigarh transport area late evening. Collected
a bottle of petrol in one liter water bottle on the way and arrived at VRL
office. I was charged another 50 rupees as miscellaneous charges. Haggling with
a goods carrier, I finally managed to load all cartons onto the carrier. I decided
to ride my bike back tot my place. Filled the petrol and turned the knob and
for some reason my dear bike never started. I looked down in the dim yellow
street light and to my horror saw petrol dripping onto the road. I then looked at
the petrol pipe and saw that some one had cut (not removed) the pipe to draw
petrol. My brother had removed all petrol (as asked by the office during
packing in bangalore)
but I guess he forgot that pulsar has another liter in “dead” that can be
accessed only by tilting the bike to the side. The greed for 50Rs cost me the
original petrol pipe and my ride back home. Loaded the bike also onto the
carrier and took it home. The packing was done by the VRL guys in bangalore itself for 250 rs.
In the
morning, I took a good look after pushing it to the local mechanic. More damages
were noticeable. The rear guard rail was badly damaged on the right side. The mechanic
explained that it was due to rubbing action. My bike must have fallen on its
side during transport. One of the rear turn indicators was bent and destroyed
beyond recognition. Tank on the same side had a nasty scratch. All this on a
bike that is hardly one year old. Cant do much when about it. I asked the
mechanic to polish the bike and hide the scratches as much as possible. Hopefully
with lesser two wheelers in Mohali, my bike’s dome/tank will be with a lot less
scratches.
VRL used to
take good care of goods they transport. Looks like complacency has set in like
all huge goods transport agencies. Few cartons were damp. I think they got soaked
somewhere. I had anticipated this and had asked my brother to wrap things
finally in plastic sheets.
It makes me
wonder whether it is useful only to transport rocks in any cargo carrier. Nothing
can happen to it. The bill clearly mentions that they are not responsible for
damages. If the carriers cannot take minimum care of the goods entrusted to
them, what is their responsibility ? All it needs is a small change in mindset.
All they need to do is handle goods as if it is their own that they are
transporting.
I remember
a friend of mine who was narrating a conversation he had with a mezzanine maintenance
guy of a reputed pharmaceutical company. The guy was incharge to ensure good
functioning of machineries that supply air the manufacturing area below. The
area is not usually visited by any of the auditors. But the guy had maintained
the area very very clean. When asked about it, all he had to say was: sir, who
know one day my family will be having the very same medicine that we produce
here. How very true!!
Commitment
to responsibility and commitment to job is two very different things. guess VRL guys and most others in service sector need to inculcate it.
