Once upon a time, in the faraway land of India
Says Haldi “
Brother Ram, let us build a food joint
where we will have an excellent process for preparing and serving food. Our
process will be our USP”.
Says Ram: “ Process
will not help us in growth. We will need skilled and dedicated people who will
innovate and create delicacies leading to customer delight “
They hemmed and
they hawed.
They argued and they fought.
They argued and they fought.
They cribbed and
they screamed.
When the wise old man, their father, saw them sitting and sulking, he said “ Sons!
during my hey days, I toiled hard and saved from my meager income. Here is Rs 1000
for each of you. Go out in the world
and create wealth based on your ideas . But …. , one condition … , at the end of
a year, the one who is unsuccessful in making profit will have to do
whatever I tell him to do “
Haldi and Ram’s eyes shone with excitement ! Both of
them touched their father’s feet and set out with dreams in their eyes and hope
in their hearts.
The process oriented Haldi first chalked out a plan ,
budgeted the investments and in a month’s time , a cute little joint named “Haldis”
was built. Ram went to an expensive
designer and he too erected a sweet little joint and called it “Rams”.
Ram hired the best chefs who were specialists in
preparing delicious food. They were constantly doing research and tried and
tested different concoctions, herbs and ingredients. The chefs would challenge each other and try
to prove they were the best amongst equals. The chefs wanted Ram to get them the
best spices, the best material and the best cooking platforms. They would be
extremely upset if these things were unavailable and would threaten to leave Rams.
But the chefs were animated and excited about always working on new things and
ideas. Ram was happy to see the
progress. He was confident that his vision would help him achieve his goals.
Haldi , in the meantime, was busy chalking out the best processes. He
hired some chefs who he knew and negotiated with them on their salary. He asked
the senior chef to write the recipes which would be served at Haldi so
that there would be standardization. He meticulously planned the process flow. The
customers would come in a queue and
place the order and pay for it. Once the payment is received, the customer would take the copy of the
receipt to the counter. The receipts would have different color coding to differentiate between different food
groups. The counters would have labeling mentioned clearly on them to avoid
confusion. The counters would be divided such that as soon as the receipt is
handed to the chef, they would immediately prepare the food without wasting
time. This done, he was all set to win
his customer’s hearts.
One fine morning, Haldi called out “ Ahoy ! Come
one , come all to Haldis ! Eat and enjoy to your hearts content! You
will get the best food here in reasonable prices !”
Ram called out “Friends, Indians and Countrymen!
Come and taste India
And people came to Haldis
And people came to Rams.
Days weeks and
some months passed by …..
Rams
customers were delighted with range of offerings. But they were unhappy with
the high prices and the turnaround time of the orders placed. They were irritated
and sometimes stunned about the inconsistency and unpredictability of the food
served to them. The dishes were exotic and they loved the taste, but when they
came back for the second or third time and ordered for it, a very different
preparation would be served. When the customers complained, the chef was called
and he explained in detail about the intricate procedure why the serving had
not turned out to be as per the customer’s expectation! The dedicated and
talented chefs would argue with Ram for not providing enough information!
Haldis customers were ecstatic about the service. and they were very happy
with the price. Everything seemed to be like clockwork. They did not waste time
in placing orders and neither did they have to wait long for the food to be
served. But alas! The food was bland and tasteless. The toppings and
accessories were neither innovative nor interesting!
And days, weeks and eleven months passed by…..
Both Haldi and Ram were crest fallen! They had
incurred huge losses!
Both of them went to the wise old man, their father,
and stood before him with shame and despair on their faces. Their father listened and then placed Haldi
and Rams hands on each other and said “Sons! Go and establish Haldirams!
Take the last Rs 2000 which I had kept aside for this day, and I know that this
time you will succeed !”
Tears rolled down the brothers cheeks. They embraced
each other and with renewed vigor they set out with dreams in their eyes and
hope in their hearts.
Rams’ expert chefs documented their exotic, intricate and unique recipes and
trained Haldis chefs. Haldis‘ workers ensured that Rams’
personnel followed the process of food preparation so that there is
predictability. Some of the expert chefs were designated to do constant research
so that the menu may be revised periodically to make it innovative, in tune
with the changing needs of the customer and at the same time is profitable to Haldirams.
And lo and behold !
Customers started pouring in. they praised the taste
of the food and were extremely satisfied about the value for money. They were
excited about the different choices which were offered by Haldirams and
they wanted to come back again and again! The chefs and the staff were happy
and within a year the brothers inaugurated several other outlets of Haldirams.
And the wise old man smiled! And Haldi and Ram lived happily ever after….
Did they? Yes, they did but they were constantly
improving the quality of food and service. Even to this day, their
great-great-great-great –great- grandsons are on the path of continuous
improvement. They constantly seek feedback from their customers and act on it.
The last time I visited Haldirams I noticed
that the receipt had been perforated so that the customer is not inconvenienced
in having to tear them unevenly to be presented to different counters. And the
wooded counter dividers had been replaced with glass so that there is complete
transparency and the customers can verify the hygiene.
Author's comments: Though the story is fictitious,
Haldirams does exist. It is a very popular and profitable food joint . with
several outlets in India
