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- Cycling India (19)
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Archive for September 2009
A Moment of Truth – Applying For My India Visa
11/09/2009 by admin.
I have applied for my India visa on-line and even got an appointment time for dropping off my passport and application. This seemed very different from my last visa application a few years ago.
When I arrived at the office, I was given a number like at the cheese counter in the local supermarket, though because I had an appointment, my number was the next one out. Within 5 minutes of parking the car, I was getting back in, because the process is so efficient. I was given a receipt for my passport and a reference so I could check on the internet when my passport was ready for collection. Again, brilliant. Two days later, my passport was ready. I had time the next morning to pop in and pick it up. Knowing how efficient they are I knew I’d be in and out in minutes.
I arrived at 10am and was then told the collection time was from 1pm! What? Why wasn’t I told? I had to get a general ticket to get a better explanation and now waited. Finally I was seen and the lady said it says on the internet under the procedure guide. I explained that I would have come for 1pm if I had been told when I dropped the passport off, or when I checked the screen. I didn’t look at the ‘procedures guide’.
I was referred to the manager. Again, another wait. Finally he agreed to give me my passport, though he said it in such a way he was doing me a favor, which he repeated a number of times. I’m thinking this is not my problem.
I came away disappointed by the experience and yet I said how impressed I was. Customer service and the whole customer experience is so important to get right. I drove to my next meeting thinking what experiences, however small, could be disappointing my customers and potential prospects. What do I need to fix them? It could be the smallest thing and yet it has a huge impact. If I was told to collect my passport after 1pm, then I would have arrived at the right time and I would now be saying, the whole experience was very impressive. As it turned out, I’m not!
Posted in Customer Experience, Cycling India | No Comments »
Bad Workmen Blame Their Tools.
11/09/2009 by admin.
I’m speaking to a friend about purchasing a new bike and I have a budget of about £2,000. My friend turns to me and says: “Why do you want to spend so much on a bike, it’s not as if you’re going to cycle up Helvellyn?” , to which I reply: “I already have!”
My father always said to me as a child, “A bad workman always blames his tools.” I took my meaning of what this meant, and now realise, that whilst there is some logic in it, it is a belief that limits my performance. I have an ‘adequate’ bike. It does the job and has helped me get bike fit for India. However, I test rode a demo bike from the local bike shop (by the way, if you need some real proper advice on mountain bikes, do speak to these guys . . . www.mountain-trax.com). The bike made a phenomenal difference to my performance. I cycled up hills where before I had struggled, I went down a ‘half pipe’ and actually did a jump . . . there was at least a 1mm gap so it classes as a jump!
Having the right tools for the job makes a massive difference. It takes an ‘OK’ performance to good. More importantly it makes you feel great.
Posted in Cycling India | No Comments »
What Goes Up Must Come Down - Helvellyn
11/09/2009 by admin.
On getting to the top of Helvellyn in the Lake District, which was extremely hard, at least I had the knowledge that I could roll, I mean cycle, down the other side.
Well, getting down was as much effort as getting up. The main path down was extreme. The guide we had from the internet said it is possible to ride 90% of it. We rode 10% of it. There were rock steps which were uneven, jagged and each one stepped down significantly. You had to be an extreme rider so Ian and I pushed and carried our bikes again. Where we could ride, we of course did.
Frustration for me took over at one point which was not a resourceful experience. I wanted to ride so I took my own route. It was too steep. I ended up coming off over the handlebars and because it was so steep neither I nor the bike stopped bouncing down the hill. At one point the bike flew over my head. I wear a helmet, but a bike crashing down on you would certainly hurt. I lost confidence after this fall, which was probably a good thing. It turns out, my forte is going down hills. I put it down to being a ski instructor when I was in my early 20’s. Ian on the other hand is great at going up them!
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Posted in Cycling India | No Comments »