What process still fails to recognize?

Few months back, I had gone one a weekend outing to Wayanad. An amazing ride, with greenery all around and with sights of elephants and deer in the midst of forest, without a forest safari (I just saved 2500).

While coming back, my car’s horn suddenly stopped working. I could have well-managed without it, but its Indian highways, flooded with idiots (like in one of the ad). I didn’t want to take risk, and hence hunted for a Maruti Service Station in Mysore. It was past 6:45 pm and the service station was about to close. I later went inside to request if anyone was there to assist in solving the horn issue. I was sure that it was some sort of disconnection problem, which wouldn’t take time for a person who knows the system reasonably well. The receptionist bluntly told me that there aren’t any mechanics as it’s past their working hours. I told him that I need to travel to Bangalore that night, and it would be of great help if anyone could solve the issue. There was one service coordinator who was washing his hands and was getting ready to go back home. He came voluntarily to have a look at the problem. He found that the wire was disconnected (as I had guessed), and just fixed it by tying around the prongs (though soldering is the right fix, but the electrician wasn’t there).  The problem was solved in just 15 min. I wanted to recognize the effort of the service coordinator who actually went ahead of what the duty demanded.  I enquired with the receptionist, if there is any way I could provide feedback to the gentleman who helped me, so that he could use it for his increment/promotion, but in vain.

4 days earlier, I had actually given my car for a full service. There wasn’t any issue then. The person who was my service manager, here in Bangalore had called me 2 days back to enquire if there was any issue, and I had told him it’s fine. Later I got a call from the central service team to rate the service and the experience, for which I gave 9/10. I am sure this would add to the service manager’s rating. But how can one rate the efforts put by the Mysore’s service person who went the extra-mile to help me, and that too when it was most needed? As an owner, I would any day want a person like this than a rudimentary service manager who does things because the process demands.

Clearly the process doesn’t capture humanity and real care. I many times wonder, bringing in processes would have enhanced transparency and accountability, but not sure if it has actually increased moral responsibility, that human touch which probably is the vital reason why a customer would be loyal to a particular vendor.

On one hand, the service manager got good rating for actually not doing a good work in Bangalore, but the there was no recognition for the service manager in Mysore who did solved the issue and probably was most timely!!!