Recently the travel app Make My Trip gave me INR 4000 in my
MMT wallet as a reward of my loyalty as a customer. As the notification popped
up on my smartphone, I was thrilled at the prospect of a weekend getaway with
my family. Being at office, I immediately called up my wife and told her of the
unexpected bounty. We were excited and decided to visit the princely city
Mysore for a night. It was a good way to escape the madness of the metropolis
for a day. However it was only at the time of hotel booking that I realized
that I had not read the fine print well.
The terms and conditions of the use of
wallet amount was complicated and loaded against the customer. It simply looked
like a ploy to make you spend more, nothing more than a sales gimmick. To just
give you an idea, I needed to spend close to INR 25000 to make use of the
entire INR 4000 in my wallet. Worse this wallet money was valid only for about
a week. This meant that I had to spend 25K in one shot immediately to ensure
that I do not lose out on my wallet money. This was such a cheap sales stunt.
Was this a reward for my loyalty and the fact that I had helped MMT become
richer or a trick to ensure that I make them even richer? The answer is a
no-brainer, I suppose. An enquiry with the MMT resulted in a call from customer
care who repeated the same terms and conditions and further expressed his
helplessness to do anything more, but promised that he will escalate my concern
to his seniors. Much time has passed and I have received no further
clarification or response from MMT which
pretty much means ‘take it or leave it’.
We on our part have decided to give a pass to this wallet bounty generously
showered on us by MMT. Our Mysore plan shelved for another time, but more than
that I think that MMT experience was better without this sales trick in the
garb of a reward. This ‘reward’ spoiled my MMT experience and left me feeling a
bit short-changed.
Something is better than nothing, but isn’t nothing is better
than Nonsense.
How many times have you we received gifts on our birthdays
or anniversaries that we have no idea why it was chosen for us or what to
really do with that gift? I am sure it has happened with all of us and keeps
happening every now. Such gifts are better not given.
I recall the stainless steel water pitcher, or an antique
candle stand or at times even some cash being given to me on my birthdays by
guests at the party when I would be a 9 or 10 year old boy. I did not know what
to do with the steel water pitcher or with the candle stand or for that matter
with the cash, although it was slightly better option that the other two. On
the other hand a simple tennis ball or a small pack of chocolate was much more
meaningful and joyous for a school going boy.
Gifts are after all reflection of the presenter’s feelings
and intended to bring a smile on the face of the recipient to make him/her feel
special. The material worth of the gift hardly matters. The intention of the
presenter does. A meaningful gift is also a reflection of the amount of thought
and time spared by the person for the one for whom the gift is intended. And
that is what makes it even more special. On the other hand, meaningless gifts reflect
the ignorance of the person buying the gift and total disregard for the person for
whom it is meant.
The same thing happens with rewards and recognitions
(R&R) plans in companies. A well-intended and well-thought reward and
recognition program can always make employees and customers happy and engaged.
Such R&R are honest and provide a sense of worth, joy and motivation to the
recipient. However a poorly designed R&R falls flat on the face of purpose
and worse, they can be de-motivators and disengagers, proving to be counter-productive.
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