Jun 20, 2013 07:44 PM
33359 Views
Here is a copy of my mail to DMart and my experience. Do the rest of you want to take this nonsense? Stand up for your right to be treated with respect. Afterall they want your money.
Dear Sir,
Congratulations on your store policies and store supervisor ( particularly Kiran Kulkarni). He is indecent, rude, hasn’t got the basics of good manners. He asks paying customers to leave the store, like we had gone visiting his house. Is this truly how you treat your customers? Is this truly how you have asked your store people to behave? Are you really seriously thinking that you will take our money, and also treat us as petty criminals, who need to have our purses locked up, so we can’t steal? Have you ever, once thought of this from the customer’s point of view? Or is it that you want only construction laborers to be your only customers?
If you are so concerned about shop lifting, use extensive CCTV cameras, and employ some of those rude people to trail customers. That would be a better idea. Of course, this suggestion is relevant only if you want to listen to your customers. If you already know everything, then of course it is completely irrelevant.
This is the story of our (my wife and I) very disappointing and insulting experience at your DMart store on Hosur road in Bangalore.
On one occasion a couple of months ago, my wife as not allowed to take her personal handbag in the store when we went shopping. She was very angry - rightfully so and thus left.
Today, I went to the store again (against her wishes based on her past experience) where she left her bag in the car but I had taken my small shoulder wallet to shop. I was stopped by the security guard who did not permit to take it to the store. I was shocked at this ridiculous order but continued into the store. Whereupon the security brought the store manager – Kiran Kulkarni to talk to us.
He told me I was not allowed to take the wallet into the store. We tried to reason with him that it was too small a bag and objected strongly to being treated as criminals. He was not only rude in his behavior but was dismissive and extremely insulting. Obviously we left the store forthwith, terribly agitated.
At a time when customer service is being talked about as the very basis for doing business, DMart comes across as an unfortunate exception. It is highly unacceptable for any business who not only wants customers to come to shop at their store, but indeed pay money to do so to be treated this way. Your store manager’s attitude to any customer and in this case much older people (I am 57 years old) is highly disrespectful in a country that mouths respect for elders. He is but just about old enough to be my son. Fortunately we have not brought up one as poorly as the one you have hired.
Let us also tell you that we have travelled extensively and have much experience including conducting corporate training programs in bringing excellence to work. We have seen the likes of the Spencer group (who had similar ridiculous ideas) floundering in the market. And Biyani’s Bangalore Central who also thought this was a good idea but had the good sense (obviously after many customer complaints) to revoke it.
We urge you to spend some time with the basic principles of customer service and take a leaf out of the leaders in business worldwide and learn from it. You can possibly never capture the commitment of a ‘Nordstrom’ or ‘Southwest’. But closer home, in your own domain, you would do good to learn from the very successful attitude and approach of the Malayalee supermarkets doing very well indeed in Bangalore. Visit an ‘Aishwarya’ store or ‘MK Retail’ or even ‘Nilgiris’. Learn from the Marwari businessmen who do not have an MBA degree but know to treat their customers right. Somewhere along the line, when FDI in retail gets rolling as it inevitably will, you will have met more than you can ever match. The tune then may just change. But then you may still continue to sing the same song for afterall your name signifies what you stand for at the moment ‘DMart’ for D class and Declasse. You may just get by serving the wide eyed construction class who dominate your footfall. If you wish to remain there, then do carry on.
Rajaram and Anumita
Bangalore
