Month: March 2013

Are you a Ordinary? Or Remarkable

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
It’s easy to spot remarkable men and women. Ordinary, no spark-people like me just melt into the background. Sometimes, it makes we wonder, how can I become more significant for my family, society, in my workplace…

Is it that difficult to become indispensable? Why can’t I?

  • Create something new – a new process, a shortcut, or eliminate a route
  • Start a tribe – become a initiator, focus group, etc
  • Bring the change – in my neighborhood, break the rules, be more awesome
  • Radiate with love, happiness
  • Become the magnet
  • Money  – create wealth and distribute it 
  • Cut a new course 
  • Bring an end to something
  • Become controversial 

Are You Living in an Inland?

~ bjcharles ~ 1 Comment
Why should learning take all the time? Cut it down…an idea from Tim Ferriss, the author of The Four Hour Chef has to say.

On a different scale, you can expand your social life, increase human connection, get more dates. But how? Here’re few ideas in this direction:

1) Join any of the meetups in Bangalore ( passion, interest or hobby). Interact with people, become friendly with people in the group. Once they are comfy with you, start FISHING. For instance, join for Salsa, Yoga, or join a photography club if you have passion for photography, or join Enfield club, if you’re a Enfield, etc.

2) Post genuine profiles in online personal or dating sites. Locanto, Plentyofffish, Quikr and many more. Upload a realistic pic, with simple, clear cut profile. Here’s it’s important to use a catchy headline.

3) Are you a regular visitor of a pub, coffee house or a park? There’re zillions of places in Bangalore, like Hard Rock, Coffee house Bangalore, Tavern, Jimi’s, Purple Haze, Pecos, etc. As a regular, you will be a known face. Next, engage in casual chat with regulars. One may lead to another, hopefully.

4) Start a hobby and use it as platform to meet and share the skills with others in the group.

Hopefully, one of this help you make more friends in Bangalore, or lead an interesting life.

 Jive!

100 Ft Away from Obscurity

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
I live close to 100ft road, Indira Nagar, one of the most happening place in Bangalore. It’s a place nested on both sides by pubs, restaurants, branded showrooms, chic spas, fitness centers, dental clinics, Ayurveda parlours, and so on.

Usually on weekend’s I peddle around this locality or end up in any of the water holes. Each time I go around, I see a new restaurant or a shop.

Demolition Drive at 100 ft Road, India Nagar – Raising old houses
A friend of mine was telling of how 100ft road looked like a decade back. It was more of a residential layout, with houses. He remember the scene of kids playing cricket on this road. Well, how times has changed for many lives around here. Now, all those homely residential area is gone under the hammer. In it’s place are the glass and multi-storyed buildings. Corporations and big brands has taken up with flamboyant presence.

What has all these restaurants given to you?
Well a choice of facilities to dine, drink, relax and shop. Probably, modern people like you need it. But, as forty plus guy, I’m belong to the old school. I’m still the old fart who cherishes old cane chairs, friendly smiles and warm hug. It’s not that I don’t like these transformation, it’s just that it’s so quick that I can’t figure where I should stand.

Also, a grim reality of my shrinking pool of friends. In fact my social life in Bangalore is nonexistent. So, the choice is for me to build a new connection in this town. So, here, I go to meetup with people in Bangalore.

From Obscurity to Limelight!

Bangalore Night Life – After pub closes

~ bjcharles ~ 1 Comment
It gives a awful feeling to leave a bar/pub in Bangalore by 11:30. When it’s just the time to chat, catch up with old mates, or you got a rapport with a beautiful stranger, etc. But it’s Cinderella time in Bangalore. Most pub goers are pushed out of the pub..yes, you got no options by to oblige to the law of the land.

The last order for any day would be around 10:45, and then on bar staff will pressurize you to leave the premises. Can’t blame the bar or pub owners for their highhandedness. For, they have bigger trouble at their door. Cops with raw power, can do more havoc to your business.

Thanks to our pseudo democracy, short sighted law makers or king makers, we’re still slaves to these depressing rules.

More reasons why this law is ridiculous? 

1) City is dead by 11:30 and streets wears a eerily deserted look.
2) All restaurant’s down their shutters. It means, they’re no good restaurants open to have food after 11.PM. Pathetic!.
3) Streets are unsafe and a booming city is dead, except for for cab and vehicles. Life is sucked out of the system

So, the good news is that no Government can control a social behavior, esp of young people. They will find, more wilder, merrier and a back door entry to vent out. No wonder private home parties, or rave parties or close door parties are growing in Bangalore.

Next, where’s are the after parties in Bangalore?

Do You Matter to Them!

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Ask Yourself…did you matter

Another art from Gapinvoid. And this one brought me to question my life, my affair with other and how much I matter to others. Sadly, I’m not happy with the impression I make … Now the question is what can be done? How to go from here ….

Why Customer Service Sucks in Kerala?

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
  • Have you felt or let down by bad customer service in Kerala? 
  • Why is this lethargic approach shown by shop owners, staff?

I’m a big advocate of customer service. Whenever I see exemplary customer service, I feel joy, I share it with my friends and peers. And when I come across stinking attitude from businesses, I become more vocal and talk to more people.

In today’s digital marketing era, there’s no choice for biz owners but to raise their customer service levels. Despite all buzz on customer service, I feel most small traders and biz owners are still primitive in showing a bit of concern to customers. Most sellers fail to show a good smile or show recognition?

During the time when I lived in Trivandrum, I was not bothered about customer service. Till that time, I have only seen one city. But after I moved to Bangalore and other cities, I see life in a different perspective. Now, I start comparing, sometimes I whine the service melted to me. Often, I get pissed off and I start thinking why the hell should I spend my dime on these sucker. Well, Trivandrum seems to the worst of the lot. Probably, due to our popular sakari culture ( govt office attitude).

Coming back to this topic, why are mallus bad with customer service?
Why do shop keepers talk very arrogantly? As one relative puts it, even the undeserving fellas are arrogant.
Well, this kind of attitude is not just in small  murukan kada (pan shop/deli), or margin free shops or in big electronic shops like (QRS).

  • Why is the attitude very bad in Kerala?
  • Why the show owners not bothered to train employees to smile, provide right answers, or every feel apologetic when things are wrong?

    Age of Digital – Change or Die

    With the arrival of ecommerce platform, like Kada.in, Amazon, Flipcart or Jabong, an average consumer is inundated with options and choices to buy goods and services. I feel soon the heat of the business going to ecommerce will make these fellas realize the importance of customer service. Hopefully!

Opportunity for You To Stand Out – Just Give Exemplary Service
Here’s your chance to make a great impression by treating customers as real kings. Make them special, treat your best customers with extra care, and make them come back to your business. Or at least, giving good service makes them talk good about your business.

If you’re running a shop or a small business, then here’s your chance to build a unique mark in this area. It’s so easy, as most shops suck at customer service.