DATELINE

NCR

JULY 4 2010 TIME 10.50 PM

A COOL PROFESSIONAL

Who is cool? I we take it as one who goes about their work with calm, delivers what is promised, doesn’t try to extrapolate seeking something else in lieu of the work done; someone who does the work and doesn’t let his/her ego become a bottleneck. In other words someone who does your work effortlessly and puts to bed all your worries, stress about the work to be done. Here I want to share story of an insurance professional I came across in connection with my car insurance job. I dealt with him for three years for insurance renewal and to me he came across as a cool professional who delivered as asked on time.

…I went to a national insurance company office in Delhi for the renewal of insurance on a second hand car I had bought recently. I met this guy let’s name him Avi who was working away at a computer. Being in a government office I worried about the usual hassle of being told like - it can’t be done today as Comps are down or told it can only be done in the morning or the person concerned is on leave etc etc.

As I approached him nervously, he very calmly took my papers, did some calculations, gave me a figure, and changed the address taking my government bank account book as evidence. I had all the papers but still worried about a missing paper. But his approach was very positive right from the start. Everything was in order. I paid, got the receipt and was told papers will be ready tomorrow. Looking at my address in Indirapuram, he himself offered to drop it to me next morning as he lived close by. I worried about him seeking some extra money etc or having to chase him. But no next morning he came early morning and gave me my papers and left. I was so relived as the renewal was done on time and just to collect the papers I didn’t have to waste another four hours to travel to the insurance office. Avi also offered his card and told me that the following year when the renewal is due all I had to just call him and he will do the rest.

Much to my surprise he did it. Next year I called him just a day before renewal. He made the papers and next morning gave it to me personally. While I was still sleeping, he was already there at my society reception. It so happened he was dropping her daughter to school and my house was on the way. Still it was some effort to come and wait for me to come down. Once I asked Avi to come up and offered tea but he refused. He never asked me any personal question, never took any interest in my matters. He never told me about himself and never tried to build a friendship saying things like do visit us etc. He came, he delivered, gave me my papers and left. I wondered what was in it for him. I realized there couldn’t be anything for him except that he was being helpful and didn’t think much of it to serve a client personally. He didn’t’ make it an issue for having to come to my society reception though he could have asked me to collect the papers from his home or could have asked me to come to some point to collect the same. One year, when he came up to my flat I was buy preparing for a cultural program with the society kids. I sort of told him the reason behind the messy state of my flat.

Much to my surprise, he was very appreciative of my efforts and wished me good luck and said if he could he too would join in with his family. The following year, I followed the same routine. He did the work, apologized for not been able to come to the function last year etc . I am not sure if insurance agents working directly in the office get a commission on every job done. But so far for three years he didn’t ask for a single extra rupee. In the fourth year, he did talk of something like facilitation fee. By now I started thinking how do I reward Avi for the hassle free service? I thought of buying a gift etc. I had no qualms about giving him extra Rs 200 in the fourth year. He had already saved me at least thousand rupees, time over last three renewals. Above all he saved me from all the unnecessary stress as just in the nick of time insurance used to be renewed and I was able to continue using my car. Because of his efforts, I didn’t have to a miss a single day on not being able to use my car.

Avi played a cool and graceful role in keeping me on the road. He never made any disparaging remarks on me using an old car. He did ask me once or twice to buy a better car as he said it would suit me better for somebody who worked and lived abroad. I told him it didn’t matter much to me as long as car took me to my destination. I also told him than generally in the West owning a car was not a status symbol but a convenience.

I forget to mention, Avi never tried to sell me any other insurance polices. Never cross-referred me. Occasionally I had some other insurance queries for him. Once I called him regarding some insurance related educational matter. He proved to be a great help. Now my second hand car is slated to go to scrap dealer as having run out of its fitness limit etc so I won’t need Avi’s services but he will always remain a reliable trustworthy source on issuance matters for me.