#CustomerIsAlwaysThere Archives

Neil Miller June 1, 2015 Filed Under: #CustomerIsAlwaysThere, #PowerPlays, Cultural Adaptation, Daily Living

How To Negotiate With Someone Who Earns Less In A Year Than You Do In A Month

Some of the most inspiring people you’ll ever meet come from the working class of India. They often work long hours with no days off. They house their family, educate their children, and put rice on the table, all with a budget that you probably couldn’t last a few weeks on.

The working class of India is inspiring, but is also daunting for many outsiders to deal with, especially when you are face-to-face, trying to negotiate the price of an auto rickshaw ride, or a monthly salary for washing your car.

Overall, I’ve had a tremendous experience with this group of people. At least in Chennai, we’ve found them to be hardworking, friendly, and welcoming to us as foreigners. We can almost always trust the person to do a good job and quote a reasonable rate.

But what is reasonable? How do you know if you are paying the right amount? And what if the right amount seems absurdly low to you? When should you negotiate a better price, and when should you accept your privilege in life as a means to help others?

These aren’t easy questions to deal with, but everyone here has to do it at some point. [Read more…]

Amar Vyas May 25, 2015 Filed Under: #ChaosBeatsLogic, #CustomerIsAlwaysThere, Daily Living, On the Job

The 80/20 Rule in India

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Amar Vyas, the author of NRI: Now, Returned to India

The Pareto Principle, commonly known as the 80:20 rule, says, “for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.” This principle applies to most parts of the world.

But not to India.

In my experience, 20% of the work takes up 80% of your time here. The Pareto principle in India should be referred to as the Oterap principle (that’s Pareto reversed). Not surprisingly, this 20% of work is dependent on others: plumbers, electricians, or maybe even your tax consultant.

Let me give you an example. [Read more…]

Neil Miller May 18, 2015 Filed Under: #CustomerIsAlwaysThere, Daily Living

Don’t Wait to Read This Until You Need to Read This

Where do we go?

My son was playing in front of someone’s house when he took a nasty fall and landed right on his forehead. New parents tend to panic and overreact, but it’s hard not to when a bump the size of a cricket ball is starting to come out of your child’s head.

We didn’t really know where to go or what to do. We had a pediatrician, but her office was far away and she wasn’t there. What do we do?

Getting hurt or sick is never fun. It is immeasurably less fun when you do it in a country where you don’t know how the healthcare system works. Look over these tips for taking care of yourself and your family should you find yourself in need of medical attention. [Read more…]

Neil Miller April 27, 2015 Filed Under: #CustomerIsAlwaysThere, Be Prepared

Opening an Indian Bank Account

Editor’s Note: This was one of the popular topics from the yearly survey of your top questions about India. The survey only goes out to subscribers, so make sure you are on the list to get your questions answered!

Opening a bank account in India may seem like an awesome thing. You can transfer money easily with other Indian bank accounts. You can keep the rupees you earn. You can use your Indian debit card in places that don’t accept international cards.

However, it’s can also be a pain. First, trying to open an account could legitimately take 6-12 months off your life when you add up the time wasted and the stress associated with it. Second, it’s very hard to transfer money out of an Indian account directly to an international one. And third, you will have to practice writing your signature exactly the same way forever for the rest of your time in India, or they may not accept any transactions you sign for.

Getting an Account

Officially, the only way to open a bank account in India as an expatriate is if you are on an employment visa. That said, I have come across people who have overcome this.

Two things will impact your ability to get a bank account. Neither one is foolproof on its own, but they are your only options.

The first is trying to please the Babu by having all the correct documentation. I visited several banks while researching this article and put together the most comprehensive list I could find (below). However, the Babu is hard to please and will often come up with a mystery form you were not prepared for.

The second is relying on a friend you have good relational capital with. Particularly a friend who is very high up in a bank, or who has considerable influence in a bank. While this is normally a surefire way to get things done in other parts of life in India, the banking industry is quite notorious for being inflexible, even for the culturally savviest of people.

Choosing a Bank – 4 Options

There are good reviews and horror stories for every bank, so it’s best to go with one of these options.

The bank your employer uses. They may have some processes streamlined with them, but it’s not guaranteed.
The bank closest to your home. It is painful to drive across town to drop off documents three days in a row because your signature was smudged on one of the forms. Having the bank nearby is a big benefit.
The big name bank. These will likely have a little more experience with expats and are probably a safer option, but are also likely to have more fees.
The bank of the person whom you will rely on to help you. If you have some existing first- or second-hand connections, that is a good bank to go with.

Possible Documentation

Here are some of the documents they might require of you. You will not need all of them, but the safe bet is to have as many as possible in place before you go. I’ve starred the ones that are nearly essential.

*Passport – The real thing, and a self-attested (signed) copy
*Indian Visa – Same as above
*FRRO Documentation – Particularly your Residence Permit, and the Police Verification Report that confirmed your address; only people who have registered at the FRRO can open a bank account.
*2 Passport sized Photos
*Letter from your HR department on company letterhead – It should confirm your employment and mention your current address in India; make sure it also has the contact details of the HR head
*ID Proof – A signed copy of your home driver’s license that shows your home address
Copy of your employment contract from your employer
Indian Residency Proof – A telephone bill or rental agreement copy
3 Months of Salary slips
PAN Card – No one specifically mentioned this, but if you happen to have one, a bank account should be pretty easy to get.
One mystery document

As a final note, make sure that no one tries to sign you up for a NRE/NRO account. These are for NRIs who still hold Indian citizenship.

If anyone else has insights or stories to share about opening a bank account in India, please leave them in the comments!

Image Credit: Peter Gibbons on Flickr

Arjun Buxi February 23, 2015 Filed Under: #ChaosBeatsLogic, #CustomerIsAlwaysThere, #GreyIsWhite, #PowerPlays, Daily Living

The Art of ‘Jugaad’: Everyday Life

Editor’s Note: Today is the first guest post on LearningIndia.in. I’ve asked Arjun ‘John’ Buxi to give us a few articles to understand what Jugaad is and how to use it.

Problem. Obvious solution. Better life.

Simple, right? But everyone in India knows it’s not always like that.

Take Rhesus monkeys for example. For years now, these monkeys have been entering neighborhoods, stealing food, and even harming people. Simple response, right? Get rid of the monkeys. Not so easy!

The monkey in India is associated with the Hindu god, Hanuman, who is depicted as a monkey king and devotee of Rama, protagonist of the Ramayana epic. Because many folks see the monkey as holy, the Municipal Government is a bit loath to ‘take care’ of the problem, and people continue to feed the monkeys. Sure, you could buy an ultrasonic monkey repellant, but they are too expensive for most folks. So what can ‘Average Joe’ do? [Read more…]

Neil Miller April 9, 2014 Filed Under: #CustomerIsAlwaysThere, Transportation

Airport Fun

Fancy new airports seem to spring up about every month in India. While a lot of the new amenities are really nice, there are still a few things to iron out.

Here are two of my favorite shots from some recent travels.

This first one is for a water fountain. I’m glad they gave plenty of options for where to press the button, but I’m doubtful how effective each of them are.

[Read more…]

Neil Miller January 29, 2014 Filed Under: #CustomerIsAlwaysThere, #ThinSkinned, Communication

Are All Indians Indirect?

It is standard practice in the world of cross-cultural knowledge to say Indians are indirect in their communication. And it is true. Sometimes.

You have likely interacted enough with India to know that such a simple and generalized statement will break down eventually.

Indians can be very direct and very indirect, all depending on the context.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s hear from one of the great modern writers on India.

Craig Storti’s Model

In 2007, Craig Storti gave the world an extremely helpful framework for understanding the differences between communication in India and the West. His book, Speaking of India
described a communication spectrum with indirect communication on the left, direct communication in the middle, and rude or blunt communication on the right side. [Read more…]

Neil Miller November 11, 2013 Filed Under: #CustomerIsAlwaysThere, #TimeIsEternal, Daily Living

What India Wants from You

What India wants dgrobinson

Just 5 minutes Madam

Kindly be on line

Can you adjust a little?

You should lower your expectations

It will be just 5 more minutes

Would you like some tea coffee?

It’s better if you do it this way

We are all the same, no?

Forget about yesterday

Can you move a bit more?

Only 5 more minutes

The first quote was not inclusive of these additional charges

Forget about the future

I think you are liking it here, no?

It will be a few more days

Please have a seat

Can you adjust a little more?

Sir, please wait 2 minutes

Let me check on that and get back to you

See, India is a very nice place, yes?

You should lower your standards a little bit

Please give up

It will be just 2 minutes

Anything else I can assist you with?

Oh, and then there is the deposit which you must pay

You are liking Indian food, yes?

More tea coffee?

Just 1 minute…

Photo Credit: dgrobinson on Flickr