MISSING TAPE
CLIENT: You never sent those tapes – a tape is missing
I: We sent all of them- I checked with my team
CLIENT : Who would you believe- me- your client or your team?
I: MY TEAM
CLIENT: You are lying
I: Don’t say that
CLIENT: NO YOU ARE LYING
I: Say sorry- even my dad does not say that- I never Lie
CLIENT: NO
I: Then call me when you can say sorry
BANG, I kept the Phone down. And I was fuming.
The above conversation was between my client Mr J Narain of Hero Honda on whom in that conversation and the only time I had banged phone. Let me share the story behind it.
RAMAN KANT MUNJAL
This was post the untimely and shocking death of dynamic leader Shri Raman Kant Munjal. The company was attempting to make a AV with ROTARY CLUB on him. Mr J Narayan of Hero Honda had shared 17 VHS and Umatic tapes featuring various occasions where Raman Kant Munjal featured. We had screened the tapes. Having dumped the selected clips we had compiled it in a single Umatic. Simultaneously we had worked out an AV and that too had been delivered to the client.
In those days, these were delivered with a covering letter and by the office boy. The due acknowledgement was available with the agency. But the client after many weeks needed the tapes and when they checked in their office- they could only find 16 tapes. There was a tape missing. So the client the expected blamed it on the agency.
The repeated calls happened. I think for 2 weeks we kept on getting request to once again check for the tape. At that time HTA had an AV department. The AV team was asked. Zubair Bhai – whose studio work was done, was asked. All area in office was checked, even though we had the acknowledgement of having delivered the tapes.
Finally I had enough and I said in no certain terms that the Tapes been handed over and the episode is closed. And the above conversation happened. It was a long-long call of not less than 15-20 minutes.
The episode did have few after affects.
J NARAIN
I refused to work on the account till J Narain said sorry. Which he did not. So I was taken off the account- a perfect agency step. After few months the tape was found at the Vasant Lok office of Hero Honda. J Narain called to say sorry. I accepted his apology but refused to be back on the account.
My logic was simple. We had crossed the line. I knew- if I did work on the account- he would watch for my mistakes and I would watch for his. On a not so important subjects (and important subjects) He being the client will have an upper hand. Every case will not be like the missing tape.
Finally on a few projects I did work on hero Honda- but that was my brand I loved to work at. Having worked on the sexciest bike of its time SLEEK, the main bike HERO HONDA, the rugged unmetro bike CD-100, Hero Honda Millionth Bike and many more interesting projects. It was always fun with J Narain and Vivek Sayal.
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In between this happened a side story- sharing that too
NIKHIL NEHRU
What I had shared as a conversation was is a small part of the whole call. The call was taken by me just outside MUKUL KANSAL cabin. This was bang outside the GM office where NIKHIL NEHRU was busy working. Slowly the polite conversation was being affected by the PUNJABI touch of choicest spiced coma and exclamation marks. I think my voice level had long time back crossed the permissible decibel level at HTA. Client servicing department was party to my side of the conversation.
Finally NIKHIL came out and asked me ‘Who are you speaking with’
My client I answered
Continue
Nikhil just said continued and carried on. I admire him for his confidence and people managing skills. He trusted his team and was willing to indulge them.
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Other episodes
● Thank You ● Rain Clause – I ● Lethal Combination ● APPETITE ● Puncture ● Adultery- the moment ● ASSET ● I am Sankar ● The Count ● Introduction ● Time Bomb ● Small Tile ● Shoot Report ● Sardar Khush Hoga ● Shoot At Mud Island ● Kaali Peeli Picture ● Upgrade ● Juhi Effect ● Power Of Punjab ● Out ● Two More ● Eleven Minutes ● The Cherry Win ● The Presentation ● Black Gold ● Buffered ● ● Not Fired ● One Less Decision ● The Ghost Of 35 Rani Jhansi Road Jhandewalaon ● The Problem ● Imported Art Card ● Banyan Tree Agency
