BMTC monthly pass system-some tips and tricks

Having purchased a monthly Volvo bus pass for Rs 1500(it was Rs 50 extra because I did not take the Rs 100 ID card issued by BMTC), I learned quite a few interesting things which I deemed worthy of sharing

1. Decentralized sale of passes:-Unlike Mumbai and elsewhere where passes are sold only at depots, the monthly passes here are sold on the buses too(in fact the Rs 1500 pass w/o BMTC ID is sold ONLY on the buses!). So that ensures that people can get access to these passes early in the day without having to go to the depots to get them
2. Just a paper coupon-easy to lose! Unlike the laminated passes prevalent elsewhere, the BMTC monthly pass is just a paper clipping which can be easily lost/mutilated. So the passenger must take extra care with this.
3. Easy to forge...I'm no expert on paper but the hologram did seem easy to forge, given that they do not scan/barcode it for machine readability as done in Mumbai. But then, i suppose BMTC must have done a cost benefit analysis on this issue before allowing it. In fact, the reason I did not purchase the pass from the conductor outside the bus was that I feared forgery. 
4. Only calendar month passes:-The drawback of this is that if you do not purchase the pass and use it from the 1st, you incur some losses! Of course, the relative inexpensiveness of the pass compensates for it I suppose. 

Overall, given that I paid Rs 1500 for using the pass on 9weekends, and many more weekdays, I break even by using it on just 17days in-toto, achievable considering my present living conditions. To best use the system, consider whether you will be using the bus daily(if so, the monthly volvo pass is just Rs 50/day on average, comparable to the cost of an ordinary daily pass @ Rs 45)

BMTC bus services in Bangalore-a review

While googling Bangalore's public transport system before coming here(that sounds weird but I like to stay prepared and informed before arriving in any city), I noticed that they have two bus passes(Rs 45 valid on non-AC routes, and Rs 90 valid on all AC/non AC buses except the BIAL operated airport buses). The pricing is quite generous given the otherwise high price levels in this city. So having used these bus services extensively in the two weeks I'm here, my observations are below-hopefully they may help somebody else new to the city who wants to save money, carbon emissions(at the cost of time however!)

1. Use Google Transit to find the best bus routes(AC only) between places in Bangalore. The transit times indicated in these are usually quite accurate(god knows how!)
2. Be careful of the bus numbers/routes, as some routes have different numbers/routes while going and returning. For instance, 201R does not pass via Jeevan Bhima Nagar while its counterpart 201RC passes through that same bus stop
3. As the driver/conductor are remunerated partly basis their collections, they try every trick in the book and then some to fill the bus. While that results in the bus sometimes departing late from its starting point, it ensures that the buses do make unscheduled stops to pick up the lone passenger on the desolate road who could really use the bus service then!
4. Hindi is spoken almost universally by the bus conductors/drivers, and many speak English as well. In any case, if you state the place, they will atleast tell you the roads or so. 
5. A slight drawback is the music played in the bus-local Kannada songs-which may turn off those not able to sleep/concentrate on other work in midst of noise. Not applicable for those with headphones.
6. The digital indicator on the bus nameplate also states the route in brief in English AND Kannada. Very helpful to slowly master the routes. 
7. The Volvo AC buses are worth every rupee you spend on them, and quite economical-much more than auto and WAY more comfortable. Only thing, frequency is poor when it gets late, so do call the toll free BMTC helpline to find out details of first and last bus at the odd hours. 
8. Even from the airport, there are the special BIAL buses which take you to many corners of the city. For the individual travellor, that makes tremendous sense than paying 800odd bucks to ferry you to the city centre and so on. 

In short, quite good bus services I must say, both 'bus' and 'service'

ICICI's incredible customer analytics even on single non ICICI ATM usage!

Yesterday evening, I used a non ICICI ATM near IIM Ahmedabad. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from ICICI(mass mailer) with the attention grabbing header 'We have missed you'! I thought this related to my demat account but on probing further, realized that related to my use of the ATM card! Below is an extract from that mailer.I must say that this is remarkable customer analytics and does show why ICICI is still the technology leader among Indian banks. I have routinely used non ICICI ATMs and never received such emails till yesterday, so maybe this is a new feature on their part.Whatever the reason, such prompt response deserves credit. If it was toll free SMS,  then maybe I would use it but otherwise given that I do not exhaust the 5 free transactions/month, this is perhaps a failed effort on me.
Dear Customer,

We’ve missed you! We understand that you felt the need to use a Non-ICICI Bank ATM recently.

We would like to inform you that transacting at your ICICI Bank ATM is not only safe and fast, but it also comes along with various benefits...To locate your nearest ICICI Bank ATM, simply SMS ATM to 5676766.

Why is your ICICI Bank ATM safe and fast?

	Dip Card facility: Most ICICI Bank ATMs are equipped with a Dip Card Reader - a feature that enables you to transact safely while the card stays in your hand.
	Ultra Fast Cash facility: This feature, available at all ICICI Bank ATMs helps you complete the transaction in less than half-a-minute.
	Feel at home : Any disputes for queries will be taken care of by ICICI Bank. No need to deal with other banks to resolve your disputes.

Not documented equals not done-leads to great quality or checkbox mentality?

While reading professional standards, it struck me that the basic premise of documenting a professional services engagement is that in case the professional is sued for malpractice, the working papers will prove the extent of, and diligence put in, the work done. Of course, it has positive uses also such as helping plan the assignment, building the knowledge bank for recurring assignments, and infusing a general discipline into the whole process. Also, there is always merit in having a checklist to avoid making mistakes during complex processes. Hence, I cannot reasonably argue the merits of following a checklist/process. The only issue is whether the person performing the assignment, will consider the checklist/standard as the end of his responsibility, given the protection from negligence lawsuits filed by disgruntled clients.

So now we are at a corundum. The protection from negligence lawsuits is the trigger to motivate professions to comply with service quality standards. But senior professionals themselves write the standards, so chances are they would incorporate recent memory, and rarely include future looking requirements identified from academic research. For example, India is going through several paradigm shifts in terms of introducing IFRS/XBRL/e-filing. But while ICAI has been quick to clamour for new professional work in these areas, it has been slower to issue fresh/modified guidance. And this is not a new phenomenon. New standards are often issued after the horse has bolted from the stable(viz scams/issues/controversies). For instance, while complex financial instruments valuation made the headlines in 2008, their formal auditing guidelines were published only in Oct-11. So for mistakes done before that, the auditor could claim protection. And some standards have been issued only when the ICAI has been dragged kicking and screaming. For example,the reporting standard on segment reporting/cash flow statement needed SEBI to step in, and cut the red tape.

So how do we motivate professionals to go beyond the minimal standards? There could be a best practices repository, and the professional submitting the most/top rated ones could be awarded. Or there could be awards for uncovering the highest amount of scam, mistakes, issues(subject to client confidentiality agreements) etc. Also, the data base could have a weightage while selecting auditors for key assignments and complex work. Lets see if this idea sees the light of day in my life!

Why Indian service businesses need tighter regulation

There was a time when a fool and his money were soon parted, but now it happens to everybody.
Adlai E. Stevenson

If you are a typical Indian, chances are that you have been hit by VAS charges for services you did not ask for, have called 'free entry' contest numbers @ Rs 10/minute, been levied bank charges for patently unfair situations, seen your general insurance(auto/mediclaim) claims contested to the last penny etc. And if you also an investor, then don't even get me started. The charlatans and cheats far outnumber the honest people(if there were any in the first place). While NSE did limit the extent to which the brokers could fleece the public, they found other mechanisms via power of attorney, unauthorized trades, PMS services etc.
  
Athithi Devo Bhava applies while serving expats from Indian BPOs. But when it comes to domestic service, then customer is the king-in the same way that a joker is the 'king' of the carnival-where everyone pokes fun at him explicitly or otherwise.

Thankfully, regulators(IRDA/SEBI/RBI/CCI/TRAI) are all waking up to this reality and are tightening their regulations to provide for SLA times, escalation procedures, penalties, opt out(do not call registry in telemarketing, explicit consent for levying VAS charges, banking fee prenotification etc).
But there is a lot more to be done in this space. And that is why I have no sympathies for Indian service providers when they bemoan the declining customer loyalty. They have dug their own graves.