As I said earlier, I dont stay in the real Singapore. We were duped to stay here - thats what I can say. We decided to venture out and go to Raffles Place - Nariman Point in Mumbai terms. The MRT station was underground and the minute we came out on road, it was like WOW!! This is the Singapore we see in the brochures and papers and videos. The entire skyline was mesmerising... And what a view it would be for the office goers... Look down and you see the river and the boat quay.. The boat quay (pronounced as qi) is like a chain of resto pubs on the river... One of the most happening place in Singapore after Clarke Quay... Clarke Quay seems to be party peoples paradise.. Divided is 5 sections, it has at least 50 different restaurants, pubs, clubs etc... We did not venture in any of them thinking it would be quite expensive... The conversion factor is still quite high and we will take some time to stop converting and start enjoying... Later on, when I had a chat wid a new found friend, i think it would be just lil higher than mumbai prices.. But it would be just that we are enjoying better quality here...
Btw, I am so dying to go and visit Ministry of Sound and another place called ZOUK (often mentioned by Nick Leeson in Rogue Trader)
Also visited the university today - did not look much but my raction was that it was 100 times better than this stupid yoha hostel... My initial reaction was like is this a five star holiday resort or a university... so well maintained buildings.. greenery around... great architecture.. lounges... canteens and eating places... too too good!!!!! Very very happy that i can stay there for half a day :)
Saw more of real singapore near the City Hall, Suntec City and Esplanade which again have great stuff like malls, offices, residential buildings, operas etc etc....
The whole point is that this Boon Lay was really depressing thing to hit on first day... how even great city like Singapore can have areas which are not so like real Singapore... like Bhayender and Mira Road in Mumbai - which although part of Mumbai, have nothing in common like Nariman Point and Worli and Bandra! Just getting to accept the fact that I need to stay here for atleast first semester... like my friend and batchmate Suveer said the other day "120 days to civilisation"
Monday, July 28, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Remembering BMS - Service Sector Marketing
In my last year of under graduation, there was this prof called Nitin Mukadam who used to teach us service sector. I was totally in awe of this man who used to cite real life examples and not refer to books at all. I loved the way he taught the subject - and I had taken pains to study this from a foreign author book rather than relying on "reliable" series of Vipul Prakashan. (BMS students will know what I am talking about). This guy taught us "Moments of Truth" - which till date - I use to benchmark the service quality of a company.
So yes, coming back to what happened on the day I was scheduled to leave for Singapore. Jet Airways has much better brand name in India as compared to Air India and yes - the reason is service! So Jet charges you more due to perception and which is why they have to deliver. Although, I paid about Rs.3-4k extra as compared to Air India, I would still be willing to pay that if I could. My experience
1) Luggage allowance -
Officially Allowed - 20kg + 10kg for students + 7kg in hand baggage
Actually Taken by me - 46 kgs + 10 kg in hand baggage
Charges for extra luggage - Rs. 570 per kg
Paid by me - NIL
Out and out my heart went out saying Jet, you are the best!
2) Checking in - Lets say this guy as friendly Jet guy
Me: Hello Sir (Tensed about the extra kilos and constantly calculating how much should I bargain)
FJG: Hello. So you are student?
Me: Yes sir. (Chalo bhaiyya, abhi bolege nikalo paach hazaar)
FJG: Australia?
Me: No singapore. (I hope he allows me, I show him the IPA letter)
FJG: Oh, NUS. This is at Kent ridge.
Me: Yes. You know it. Have you been there. (See 46 kilos on weight, baap re, I thought I was only 10 kgs over weight)
FJG: Couple of times.
Me: How is it? ( Feeling much relaxed that he is not asking about extra weight)
FJG: Its good. You travelling abroad first time?
Me: Yes.
FJG: So how does it feel?
Me: Nervous and excited.
FJG: No need to be nervous. Take it as challenge. All the best!
Me: Thank you sir.
FJG: Here take your boarding pass. I have given you taisle seat so that you can go off the sleep. Just pull the arm rest.
Me: Thanks a lot!!! (Quickly walk away to get some water so that he does not follow me to ask about weight)
Another guy (FJG's assitant) came running behind me coz I had forgotten my book!!! Yes so that was it - no questions asked and for me that was biggest relief!!! But more than that, the friendliness of that guy struck me! So polite and helpful! I regret of not knowing his name otherwise I would have mentioned it in the blog as well as in the flight suggestion sheet. But ya, you stand out as this guy whom I will remember for right reasons.
3) Inflight Service
Had not been thursday, I would have just drank a couple of scotch pegs and fell off the sleep. What a choice of alcoholic drinks!!! Black label and JD - which scotch drinker would not have relished!!!! The food was also looking decent too! The only hitch was that they did not have fruit platter to suit my needs but had I told them earlier, they could have arranged for the same.
And ya, the entertainment options were also quite good. I saw "21" themovie and could have watched another had I not tried going off to sleep. Good selection of music and movies and games as well!
In all, I would rate the service as 8 on 10 - much higher that I would have got by travelling in Air India!
P.S. I heard my colleagues had awful time travelling in Air India and some of the problems included late flight, asking to pay for extra luggage and not so good in flight entertainment options.
So yes, coming back to what happened on the day I was scheduled to leave for Singapore. Jet Airways has much better brand name in India as compared to Air India and yes - the reason is service! So Jet charges you more due to perception and which is why they have to deliver. Although, I paid about Rs.3-4k extra as compared to Air India, I would still be willing to pay that if I could. My experience
1) Luggage allowance -
Officially Allowed - 20kg + 10kg for students + 7kg in hand baggage
Actually Taken by me - 46 kgs + 10 kg in hand baggage
Charges for extra luggage - Rs. 570 per kg
Paid by me - NIL
Out and out my heart went out saying Jet, you are the best!
2) Checking in - Lets say this guy as friendly Jet guy
Me: Hello Sir (Tensed about the extra kilos and constantly calculating how much should I bargain)
FJG: Hello. So you are student?
Me: Yes sir. (Chalo bhaiyya, abhi bolege nikalo paach hazaar)
FJG: Australia?
Me: No singapore. (I hope he allows me, I show him the IPA letter)
FJG: Oh, NUS. This is at Kent ridge.
Me: Yes. You know it. Have you been there. (See 46 kilos on weight, baap re, I thought I was only 10 kgs over weight)
FJG: Couple of times.
Me: How is it? ( Feeling much relaxed that he is not asking about extra weight)
FJG: Its good. You travelling abroad first time?
Me: Yes.
FJG: So how does it feel?
Me: Nervous and excited.
FJG: No need to be nervous. Take it as challenge. All the best!
Me: Thank you sir.
FJG: Here take your boarding pass. I have given you taisle seat so that you can go off the sleep. Just pull the arm rest.
Me: Thanks a lot!!! (Quickly walk away to get some water so that he does not follow me to ask about weight)
Another guy (FJG's assitant) came running behind me coz I had forgotten my book!!! Yes so that was it - no questions asked and for me that was biggest relief!!! But more than that, the friendliness of that guy struck me! So polite and helpful! I regret of not knowing his name otherwise I would have mentioned it in the blog as well as in the flight suggestion sheet. But ya, you stand out as this guy whom I will remember for right reasons.
3) Inflight Service
Had not been thursday, I would have just drank a couple of scotch pegs and fell off the sleep. What a choice of alcoholic drinks!!! Black label and JD - which scotch drinker would not have relished!!!! The food was also looking decent too! The only hitch was that they did not have fruit platter to suit my needs but had I told them earlier, they could have arranged for the same.
And ya, the entertainment options were also quite good. I saw "21" themovie and could have watched another had I not tried going off to sleep. Good selection of music and movies and games as well!
In all, I would rate the service as 8 on 10 - much higher that I would have got by travelling in Air India!
P.S. I heard my colleagues had awful time travelling in Air India and some of the problems included late flight, asking to pay for extra luggage and not so good in flight entertainment options.
Yo:HA - Bringing down the EQ (Excitedness Quotient)
Seniors - will you please give a good reason why would you say this place is "good"?
A) The place is really really far away from city and from the university as well - so thats no locational advantage. We knew it was far but not this far! It took me a lil more than hour to reach hostel from Farret Park (Little India). To compare with Mumbai terms, this is something like a Dahisar or Bhayender. Last Station in East West MRT.
B) The rooms are not even clean and there is life missing in these walls. To put it simple words, "room mein koi jaan nahi hai". Lighting and color is actually very depressing. Maintainence is big issue but atleast my room was not stinking. Some of my friends got rooms where it was really stinking.
C) Allocation is really funny. Its okay if you have to share room with unknown person but the bad part is that guy would not be with you in your course. So on what basis should we bond together under the same roof. Add to my woes of being pure vegetarian - I hope that I dont have to stay with a person who cooks non veg in the same kitchen as I have to.
As of now, all my batchmates think that yo:ha was a mistake and we could share much better rooms with guys we were familiar and near to campus in almost the same rent.
But I guess later on, we shall be only using place to sleep and complete the projects. I am expecting to spend not more than 10 hours a day.... So then it wont matter if you stay in a condo or in dorm....
A) The place is really really far away from city and from the university as well - so thats no locational advantage. We knew it was far but not this far! It took me a lil more than hour to reach hostel from Farret Park (Little India). To compare with Mumbai terms, this is something like a Dahisar or Bhayender. Last Station in East West MRT.
B) The rooms are not even clean and there is life missing in these walls. To put it simple words, "room mein koi jaan nahi hai". Lighting and color is actually very depressing. Maintainence is big issue but atleast my room was not stinking. Some of my friends got rooms where it was really stinking.
C) Allocation is really funny. Its okay if you have to share room with unknown person but the bad part is that guy would not be with you in your course. So on what basis should we bond together under the same roof. Add to my woes of being pure vegetarian - I hope that I dont have to stay with a person who cooks non veg in the same kitchen as I have to.
As of now, all my batchmates think that yo:ha was a mistake and we could share much better rooms with guys we were familiar and near to campus in almost the same rent.
But I guess later on, we shall be only using place to sleep and complete the projects. I am expecting to spend not more than 10 hours a day.... So then it wont matter if you stay in a condo or in dorm....
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