futurechat

‘No, its not as easy as popping a pill!’ Thats what I was told when I hurt my shoulder last year. It took long for the painful realization to sink in that I had months of painful physiotherapy ahead, if I wanted back complete use of my arm. A friend referred me to Navtej Johar, a famous dancer and yoga guru. A full year and several yoga therapy sessions later, while my arm is back to normal, this painful journey has taught me a lot.

While I can start making a long list of all that I learnt, what lies at the core is the realization that one needs to lead a balanced lifestyle. I often remember Navtej saying ‘ Be aware of what you are doing’. That statement has many layers – it could mean, ‘Think about the consequences’ or it could mean ‘ Dont be selfish ‘ or ‘Be considerate’.

I cant help but link it back to the debate on climate change. Awareness in the corporate world about the consequences of our actions is woefully lacking. Being aware of the long term impact towards environment and people is almost an alien concept as we try to maximize impact to achieve our quarterly goals. Don’t we already know right from wrong? After all the media coverage on climate change do we really need laws drafted in Copenhagen to enforce consideration towards environment and people? or Are we waiting for a crisis to happen that will force change upon us?

Global warming is a real issue and it concerns all of us. According to the UN report on climate change :Climate change is likely to bring more extreme weather events from droughts and floods to rising sea levels.Other likely impacts include increased pressure on water and food supplies in many parts of the world, changes in the patterns of disease and faster extinction rates for plants and animals.Should we consider this ? Yes .For starters, we have an opportunity to plan for green buildings and structures at the early stage itself. The retail revolution in India is just starting. We can provide for better buildings . In addition , existing buildings etc can also take proactive steps in ensuring better compliance of green standards. What is required is an industry initiative for environmentally friendly design and construction, better management of carbon and waste to reduce environmental impact.While researching on this topic , I came across an initiative, in the UK, called the EnviroMall . This will

• Develop the accreditation toolkit and support all shopping centres to achieve the endorsed accreditation

• Be developed by a partnership of environmental leaders to ensure the latest knowledge, technology and techniques are fully utilised

• Build on existing procedures and the excellent work done to drive towards Self Sustainable Specification – S3

This initiative is supported by the Carbon Trust, Envirowise, Upstream and the Mall.In addition , the US Green Building Council has standards for the Green Building Rating System. It “promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.”The tools exist , we must take the green initiative forward. Corporate social responsibility must consider being environment wise in core businesses.

Kathi Kababs and more in a Delhi marketKathi Kababs ! sure bring a good thought in my mind. Recently I was in a shopping district of Delhi and I noticed a kathi kabab outlet . Feeling tempted and also the fact that I had seen the signage in other parts of Delhi , I decided to walk into the outlet. As I walked in I noticed dirty glass and floors which put me off a bit. I ordered my fav kathi and waited patiently while I saw it being made. I was horrified to see one of the helpers pick up a dirty rag and try cleaning the area where they prepare and place kathis. It even touched the kathi that was being prepared for me. !!! I protested and they then made a new one. As I was eating I noticed that the cook had decided to check on his warts with a hand mirror while facing the customers. I felt so disgusted. I stopped eating and highlighted what was being done and left . I didn’t hear any apologies and im not going to go there again. I would also like to point out that they don’t have a separate clearly demarcated area for vegetarian food.My month of bad experiences in food and beverage situations just didn’t end there . (more…)

So what makes you feel good when you walk into a store , hospital , travel company , office or even a website ? Many things im sure !Over the course of our work in experience consulting we have consolidated the key aspects of customer experience to the following seven areasEnvironmentAccessibilityTechnologyPeopleKnowledgeServiceOffers (more…)

The Indian retailing scenario is growing rapidly.However the one area which it lacks is to make the retailing environment more accessible to senior citizens , people who have special needs and also make it a safe place to be in. None of the so called modern style malls that are coming up take accessibility seriously and neither do the major brands that seem to be opening stores all over the country.Recently I spoke to senior citizens who would love to go these malls and entertainment centers but cant because proper provisioning for their needs have not been done. I recently came across an advertisement seeking out senior citizens for a scheme. This bank had developed a very nice ad and put it across on the outside of their building but overlooked the fact that a senior citizen couldn’t possibly climb the stairs to the bank due to some obstructions that had been put up.Simple thinking through can improve experiences sometimes.