Singles Advertisements at its best

After a very long time I am seeing some funny advertisement which provoked me to go and look at what the site is all about.

Three simple advertisements as follows



really cool ads from neu.de
This site never said a word about dating or singles, just the intension of an idea person.

Technorati Tags: singles, advertisement, ads, funny, humor, dating, women, inspirational, copy writing

Banks in India do operate through 3rd party.

In India privacy doesn’t matter much, at least for the common man. And We Indians don’t make much use of all the facilities that the Banks offer.

Things I learned:
I did have a bank account with ABN Amro for 2 years till 2004 and the minimum balance was 10,000 INR, which of course I didn’t have, so the interest started to eat in to the balance money which I had in my ABN account.

Lesson 1: If you can’t maintain a minimum balance please close your account. Then don’t blame the bank.

The interesting part comes here check this image below, click on the image for a  larger view

I had closed the account in 2004 and still been getting the updates in my email account from the bank. So that means they don’t have a system which notifies that this account is closed.

Lesson 2: If you don’t want to receive spam mails kindly update your details with the bank

When talking about updating  here is one more interesting image down below, click for a larger version

The login didn’t happen at ICICI and the check the regret message dated Aug 14th 2002. Abandon pages still exist on the server. check this link http://www.icicibank.com/Regret.html
you should still be seeing this link.

BTW Citibank is no exception. They keep sending SMS and calling me up to let me know that they would be interested in increasing the credit limit increase to higher amount, Which I am not interested and had told over the phone to update their system that I am not interested in that offer.
Click on the image below for a larger view

Lesson 3: Never submit online forms with your personal details unless you are quiet sure that your private data remains private

I do remember the advertisements on banks offering loans use to exist on some 3rd party sites. When clicked on the link it would take to a banner landing page. How many of you checked for the privacy of your data, i.e on which server does that page exist. Assuming if you clicked on X bank banner did you land on X bank website.

And we continue to scream at our Mobile service provider that the DND system is not put in to use.

How many of us use Bank by Phone for the following?

1. Deposit money
2. Withdraw money
3. Demand Draft / Pay Order
4. checkbook request

And we continue to say that we had a long wait at the bank.

Lesson 4: Use Phone by Bank or Internet access to finish your work. For 50 RS + taxes will be much lesser than your precious productive time at work and less on your fuel expenses.

OK, I accept that there are quiet a few banks which don’t offer the above, but will have to change in due course of time.

Technorati Tags: bank, India, 3rd party

What it takes to win in Marketing?

You must have had this aptitude test questions asked by some marketing guys or hot sexy ladies during interviews or during a casual talks.

“Suppose you are the conductor, and there are 2 tracks, on one track 5 kids are playing which is the usual path for the train the track 1 and on the track 2 has one kid playing, Now which track will you allow the train to pass through“

What would be your choice?
I choose the track 2 with the one kid, because I didn’t want all of them to die.

Here comes the Smart marketing guy’s answer. Hey, the 5 kids on the track 1 know that it is the usual path for the train. They expect the train to cross on this track, so they will move away. So don’t kill the single kid who doesn’t expect the train to pass on track 2.

Wow, a smart answer isn’t it.

Is there any one in the crowd wants to fight with this Smart Marketing ass.

Well I do, Did you ever notice the missing pieces of text from the above question.

Suppose you are the conductor, and there are 2 tracks, on one track 5 kids are playing which is the usual path for the train the track 1 and on the track 2 has one kid playing, Now which track will you allow the train to pass through. Well the 5 kids do know that the train passes through this track 1 apart from that, the kid on the track 2 also know that the train passes through track 1.

So ask the above question to a close friend to find the answer?, You will get the answers.

The trick comes by concealing vital information, Like saying it is obvious or known fact or even by jumbling words to make it look like it conveys the meaning.

So be careful, when you have conversation with a marketing guys and sexy marketing women too . Mostly they win by their words, it’s Ok to loose, but gain the experience.

That is marketing – all marketers are lairs. I didn’t say that, “Seth Godin ” said that.

Well I  just pulling my close marketing friends in to debate.

Mahindra Renault Logan free service – unveiled

My First Mahindra Renault Logan 1.4 GLX service explained and here is the userexperience. Comparison with Maruti Service explained

First things first: I had a loyal Maruti 800 for 4 long years 2003-2007 untill I replaced it with a Mahindra Renault Logan 1.4 GLX 2007.

My first experience with GMS motors | Sahil motors in terms of service.
I had been to the service station personally to drop my Mahindra Renault Logan last Friday the 21st of December 2007, so a gentleman supervisor assisted me, early morning at 9:10 A.M, took careful notes.

My requests were:

1. Front left door rattling noise
2. Remove the plastic covers for the back seats
3. Replace new headlamps black dot stickers
4. Remove the reverse horn and not the reverse horn which comes with my remote lock.
5. Scratch on the left side doors (check and give me the quote)

Apart from the above list, His suggestions were:

1. Anti corrosion coating under the car body ( I stopped him. When he suggested that, as I know that the rubber coating is not gonna do anything good for the car)
2. Fully powder coating of the body of car with a scratch resistant formula (comes with a 3 year warranty) cost a mere 3700 and odd Rupees. Item 5 of the above wish list is covered.
3. Labour charge of 150 Rupees + tax for just removing the reverse horn. That would be Item no 4 of my wish list.

As far I know there is no oil change in this service and I was not charged for that.
What things got fixed and what not?

1. Front door rattling noise not fixed, and the safety latch of the left door got buried. Any ways that safety latch was not of any use, you could still open the door with the safety latch down.
2. Our supervisor was holistic, he felt that it was better if I not remove the back seat covers for quiet some time as it is still a new car, his explanations went more like “have it for some more months, kids would tear for you”. What a shame? tell me either you forgot it or your technicians were lazy enough to unlock the rear seats to remove the plastic cover.
3. One thing rightly done was to replace the black dots on my headlamps
4. The second thing, reverse horn removed and placed in the boot.
5. Before doing the scratch painting fix. It was supposed to be tested, after the testing was done, the call said the scratch can fixed. Meanwhile a friend suggested with sticker which would work out cheaper. So I asked them not to fix the scratch.

There happened one evil incident on my Mahindra Renault Logan, While We returned home from shopping the same after service. My wife and son at the back seats. My right side back door could not be opened from inside. So what did happen? know it right here.

Now let us look in to the comparison of Mahindra Renault Logan and Maruti Service centers

My experience at Maruti service center
A profile or service history of my Maruti 800 was already available with the service advisor
A job sheet, which will note the requirements for the service to be done for my car

This job sheet comprises of

1. history of previously done KMS
2. history of parts changed previously
3. Things to do list
4. Dents and body parts marked when I leave my car for service ( a diagram of car top view and side view detailed diagram to mark the scratches and dents)
5. Accessories contained in my car, which include how many floor mats, Air refresher, dolls, body cover (the plastic one) and what ever minute details which belong to the owner.
6. Apart from that the costing proposal, date and time of delivery
7. after delivery a customer feedback form to be posted after driving the car (postage will be paid by the addressee)

Now on the Mahindra Renault Logan service center
Job sheet contains

1. to do list of service
2. date and time of delivery
3. ofcourse the customer feedback form before even you pay the service bills and before even you touch the car.
4. once nice badge which is attached to the mirror which talks about the names service adviser, technician and the quality inspector. Apart from that I have the mobile number.

At the time of delivery, My experience with the Maruti’s was best when compared with the Mahindra’s.

The first free service was charged 75 Rupees for replacement of odd stuffs + labour charges + tax. Did I say free service.

Some more post which are in continuation with Mahindra Renault Logan

1. Why Mahindra Logan, Renault Logan, Dacia Logan?
2. Mahindra Logan – Usability Explored
3. Is your Mahindra Logan in safe hands – After sales, What service
4. Mahindra Logan – Look out for the new version
5. Mahindra Renault Logan free service – unveiled
6. The Devil in my Mahindra Renault Logan
7. Tested on animals – Mahindra Renault Logan

Technorati Tags: Renault, Logan, Mahindra Renault Logan, Review, safety, kids, usability, car, chennai, dealer, howto, best, petrol, diesel, fear, marketing, sales, savings, automobiles

New way to make your users read the content of your website

1. Run a Contest on your website, say you will provide them with some fancy gadget for the chosen one among the correctly answered.
2. Send a mailer to your list of clients and ask them to refer more.
3. Ask them some related questions?
   Provide a hint button and link to your website content.
   The hint button leads to the content of your website (it could articles, white paper, or just plain news)

here is a link to one such contest.

Technorati Tags: marketing, mailers, contest, gadgets, website, ROI, clients, internet marketing

Good bye mGinger, Welcome SMS2India

mGinger finds a new competitor – sms2India.co.in I am seriously excited about the way their business proposal runs.

1. Referral signup – if you need a referral Signup id: xtremevin@yahoo.com
2. More earnings, because of referral signup
3. More specific categories of advertisement to choose – helps the advertiser as the customer chooses specified advertisement. (targeted customers)
4. Better payout options (paypal also)

This is what the site says

You receive 10 SMS per day.

Your 10 Friends receive the same SMS.

Each of their 10 friends receive the same SMS.

You earn Rs. 6882 per month.

You get 20p for each SMS you receive.

You get again 20 p for each SMS your friend receive.

And you get again 20 p for each SMS your friend’s friend receive.

After signing up with SMS2India.co.in I really feel bad about the way signup happens with sms2India.co.in because you are about to expose your email id for your referrals. I guess they need to find a way to have some number or alpha numerical characters as referral id. I am sure they will change in due course of time.

Currently there is no way to keep track of your network or your earnings, I guess we just entered the Kitchen (should be developing the software).

Anyway I am excited about SMS2India.co.in because they could launch the new product in a months time just after mGinger.
Wishing you all the best for the SMS2India team.

So why wait signup for SMS2India.co.in and incase you need the referral id: xtremevin@yahoo.com
Start earning money today. Let us hope atleast SMS2India.co.in will send us mobile advertisement as SMS.

Technorati Tags: mginger, sms2india, sms2india.co.in, mobile, sms, advertisement, mobile advertisement, sms advertisement, competitor, India, chennai, referrals, signup, money, earn, paypal

What could be the Ideal Business for mGinger?

Dudes strike this deal, Here is my business proposal or call it a new marketing concept, on Digital Advertisements

Call up a meeting with all mobile service providers. You already have the user’s preference of likes and dislikes. Now you don’t have to SMS any one. Instead put up Plasma displays every where in the city (malls, cinema halls, public toilets, if possible trains, buses and think where ever is possible of any public places which could house for these digital plasma screens).

Here is the Math?
What you need to provide is plasma screens with digital Advertisements and the service provider will let you know where you registered users are?

Your math comes here, you know the preference of each user available at a location. Check the highest choice preferred and let the advertisement roll out.

You give the highest digital impression on the advertisement, and you could have more potential customers as they going to getter discounts on the purchase from the shop, your subscriber needs to flash your membership card.

Your subscribers could even sms you to find out the best deals at a local store.

This is my idea, so be sure to take care of me
SMS is annoying, apart from that. The email boxes are getting mGinger signup mails.

What say?

Technorati Tags: mginger, mginger.com, mobile, spam, privacy, mobile service provider, business, proposal, concept, digital, advertisement, public, membership, discount, store

Proactive Castrol BikeZone MSF Manager

Mr. Baskaran
MSF Manager Castrol BikeZone

First Things First: I would like to appreciate the proactiveness of Castrol BikeZone MSF Manager, actually I was quiet surprised, I didn’t expect it to be so soon, He came down to my office at velachery on rainy afternoon, just to address the procedures what they follow at Castrol BikeZone and what actually went wrong in my case, This just reminded me  of SouthWest Airline, where the CEO or chairman would actually travel in the flight just to get the feel of the customers,  Mr. Baskaran, just did the same thing, I could feel the passion for his brain Child (Castrol BikeZone)
here is where I had blogged before BikeZone – Not your usual Service Center
I made my point very straight, just by penalizing the members of the AnnaNagar BikeZone team is not going to help him out and nor the customers. By the way if you had any complaints, when you receive your invoice you could check for an email id to report your queries.

Mr. Baskaran
Castrol BikeZone MSF Manager
Mobile: 9884400621, email: p_baskaran@castrol.co.in

BikeZone seems to be equipped, not sure whether the assurance/promise will be kept. Will try one more time to service my bike.
Will even blog how was the service.

Castrol BikeZone seems to enjoy the publicity thru my blog (you guys woe me), one thing which I would like to highlight, If people are responding even for the bad service remember that you are actually cared and not ignored.

The above graph is ideal where you can actually talk to your customers, take feedback and fix the same.

Technorati Tags: customer service, customer, service, customer relationship, bad customer service, Bike Zone, Castrol, Castrol Bike Zone, Bikers, Bike, quality of service, bikezone, chennai, india

Have you heard the about the Word EE?

EE

1. Emulate ( Simulate the application from scratch or with the know source code )
2. Enhance ( Add new Features, Enhance the existing one, tweak the code to work faster )

This holds good for products or service which are available in the market and most of them follow it.

Why?
Users love the existing product, That means they expect most of the features already available in the existing software or service.
Let us say we build a new product like word processing software, you expect the least to have the cut, copy and paste. To my knowledge any new product will incorporate these with out even thinking that they are competing with the giants. what about spell check, WordPress didn’t have them initially, after users have asked this feature they implemented it. You know about any word processing software would expect a spellcheck, then don’t wait, provide them.

Innovation is the key, what if the competitor thinks and implements it faster than you, You provide it before your users ask about it in support or feature request or forums
A small example would be to export the text to different format or exporting them to blogs

I agree with Kathy sierra that running behind all the features of the competitors and implementing them is waste of time and would require a seperate team to enable them to the existing software because the core team will continue to innovate, but atleast trying to provide the best of features available from the competitor list should give you a better edge.

Technorati Tags: competition, feature list, market, management, manager, innovation, emulate, enhance

What can make application more successful?

After looking in to most of the online applications like delicious, flickr, wordpress, blogspot and much more, there is been something called control or what users want to have or show on their applications have shown to rule.

It doesn’t stop with the community application like flickr, wordpress and other. It could be applied to other applications or even domain specific. It could be a network monitoring software or a document editing software or photo editing software.

What I am actually trying to communicate is that the core application gives the desired functionality and the users are given an option to play around to express themselves different from each other by providing plugins or extensions which could relate with their personal interest.

For example
Assume that I use a network monitoring software being a system administrator when my core application is doing my job, well actually monitoring my network, what else would I like to show off or my interest would be

1. My own personal presence online, what are the ways it could be my blogs, my flickr, my orkut, yahoo groups, IM etc
2. or I might be even a contributor, who may not even blog but contribute in forums or make comments in blogs
3. or just read tech news from different aggregators

So how should my application should be
My core application does the job, allows notification/alerts on the current news (eg. virus alerts for network administrators, a new tech on spam blocking etc)

When he reads these articles, he should be able to blog (export) to his wordpress, blogspot of use flickr etc from with in this application or even send this article as a mail to his boss or friends.
For eg. if you have been to groceries store or medical shops in India (cities), if some medicine or a product is not available, he wouldn’t say that he doesn’t have the product, he would send one of his men to fetch the product and give it to the customer. (building repetitive customer ),
so you could ask me does the shopkeeper gets anything and every thing the customer wants?
The answers is simple, what would interest his shop he would, what would his shop gain he would..

the above is just my thought process, if you are a network administrator, just let me know what you have in mind
in short “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”

to summarise, people like to control things what they own, would be ready to explore make a change if some one has on the community is contributing things which could improve/change their productivity.

Take my previous post Crazy about cars, The company allows to configure the toys, how about they have a site which allows people to contribute their designs

that could be a kick ass is my feeling

Technorati Tags: network administrator,apps, application, contribute, community, success, customer relationship, retain customer, brand building