Rest In Peace Ratan Tata. Late last night I saw a post that announced his sad demise. What a man, what a beautiful soul!

Dignified Personality

Apart from his persona and charm, he was a man with so many achievements to his credit. Unlike so many business barons, his achievements and philanthropy are so muted, so understated. Nothing he did was for personal glory, yet he was a glorified personality. A demigod, no less.

Print and digital alike are abuzz with the passing of this noble soul. Pictures, videos and posts are all over the place. There has never been an industrialist that has gained this degree of respect and admiration in India. The best part? None of the respect and admiration has been bought and paid for. Every bit has been earned through his great deeds and achievements.

My Personal Interactions

I have been contemplating writing about him. I thought about one particular interaction. For some reason or another, I never got around to it. I guess this sad event is the trigger for me to talk about this.

I consider myself to be really fortunate to interact with him on two occasions, personal and professional. Both left lasting impressions on me. Then there are his several achievements.The one that I resonated with me the most was the acquisition of JLR – Jaguar – Land Rover. Perhaps all his achievements are noteworthy.

Simple, Humble & Friendly

I will speak more about the professional interaction later. First, I’d like to mention my interaction and observation of him in a social setting.

We were both at a friend’s beach wedding. He was my friend’s boss at the time. He came to the wedding dressed in a simple and well-worn pair of blue jeans and a light blue shirt. True to his nature, he stayed with us for several hours. He participated in the event fun and games. He even spent time interacting with us all. No attitude, no fuss, just Ratan Tata being Ratan Tata. Disarming.

There was this time we both got off a flight from London. As I’m waiting for my transport, I see this navy blue Mercedes drive in to pick him up. What does he do? He takes off his coat and gets into the driver’s seat. He wants to drive after the tiring journey!

Tata Motors

He became the Chairperson of Tata Motors several years later. Tata Motors was previously known as TELCO – Tata Electric & Locomotive Company. They had just launched their first SUV, the Tata Sierra in 1991. I’ve always been one for big cars. The last one I owned was the Mercedes GL 450. It is a sleek, high-performance beast. I bought it in the US and shipped it to the UK when I was transferred there for work. Prior to that it was the Maruti (Suzuki) Gypsy in which I had many adventures and escapades.

Then came the Tata Sierras. The first one I owned was Silver Grey and the one that followed was White.

The moment it was launched, I wanted to own it. However, there was a long waiting period. I don’t like to be kept waiting. I don’t like waiting in any way, shape or form, be it responses to messages, emails, texts or calls. Neither do I like to wait in long lines or be kept on hold when dealing with customer support.

So what do I do? I speak to a close friend and he connects me to a dreaded, feared and respected trade union leader. This person, he writes a letter on my behalf, addressed to Ratan Tata. He states openly in that letter that I am a friend. It mentions that a Tata Sierra is allotted to me, circumventing the long waiting list. I was like, yes!

I normally don’t do such things, but so compelling was my desire, that I succumbed. However, I am disappointed. I receive a written response stating TELCO’s policy. They will NOT entertain requests for out of turn allotments.

Now that letter was copied to a leading authorized dealer. If I’m not mistaken, at that time, it was the sole dealer and authorized service center. I guess the dealer blinked, given that the request was coming from a force not to be toyed with. I get a call saying that there have been some cancellations. If I’m still interested, I can get the vehicle sooner rather than later. I’m super excited and I’m at the dealership the very same day, pay up and settle for the Silver Grey. The white isn’t available.

Now I have the SUV that I want. What happens next? I get rid of the original wheels and tyres. They are replaced with mag alloy wheels and extra wide radials for better road grip and potentially some off-roading. Next I head to a chappie that installs high-end audio for cars. I shell out quite a packet for superlative sound, including pre-amp, equalizer, several speakers and a base box. The sound quality is excellent, the thick gauge metal body of the Sierra enables that extra bass punch and reverb. Friends literally begged me to take them on drives in this club on wheels.

Exemplary Customer Service

A few hundred kilometers on the odometer and there are niggling issues that crop up. Excess oil consumption, overheating, air conditioning failing, all minor irritants. I really push my cars to their limits, which may have something to do with the failures. Road grip is amazing. The power steering is a feather touch. The pickup is super, despite the diesel engine. The suspension is fantastic. However, these niggling issues are irritating to say the least. Around that time, I was setting up a consulting practice in Goa. I drive to and fro in the Sierra almost every week. My personal best is eight and a half hours to traverse the old Bombay-Goa Highway. It is all of 600 kms. I experienced no highway breakdowns but faced many irritants.

Perhaps I should disclose why I choose the Tata Sierra.

I’ve been a huge fan not only of Ratan Tata but also of JRD Tata. I interacted with JRD Tata at an event where he was invited as the Chief Guest. I was floored by his humility and simplicity. A few years later, Ratan Tata takes over as chairperson at TELCO. Fifteen days into the job, an unscrupulous trade union leader and known gangster calls for a strike. He holds Ratan Tata to ransom. Ratan Tata declares a lockout. He publishes full page advertisements in leading national newspapers citing facts. He refuses to be held to ransom. The intention behind the agitation is thwarted firmly and TELCO goes from strength to strength.

As JRD Tata was nearing his retirement, speculation was rife about his succession plans. There were rumors all around. Would the reigns of the Tata Group be handed over to the great Russi Modi, or the great Nani Palkhiwalla? Would the baton pass to someone from the Shapurji Pallonji family, who had a large stake the the Tata Group?

A lot of people were so surprised when JRD declared that it would be Ratan Tata. JRD knew exactly what he was doing and was sure that with Ratan Tata the baton was being passed into safe and capable hands.

Apart from being a fan, I am an Indian at heart. Despite having lived overseas as an exchange at a very impressionable age, I am a nationalist. So it was an easy decision to buy the Sierra. The car is 100% indigenously designed and built and is from the Tata stable.

The fandom on one side, I still want a car that functions perfectly. I’m at the service center almost every other week, but there are no permanent fixes to the complaints. I’m now a really dissatisfied customer. The dealership isn’t really able to help and the explanations provided for the issues sound like mere excuses. I refuse to believe that the great TELCO can’t fix my problems or for that matter, have serious design defects.

Irate Customer

So at my wits end, what do I do? One day, I completely lose it. I hand deliver a frustrated, handwritten letter addressed to Ratan Tata – TELCO Chairperson, at his offices at Bombay House. It was more a case of venting frustration as opposed to believing that this would solve my problem. In parallel, I’m looking to sell the damn Sierra, that car I’ve grown to love and hate in equal measure.

I’m in amazement and elated when I receive a personally signed letter from Ratan Tata. He apologizes for any inconvenience. He assures me that they will use all efforts to conclusively resolve my issues. He also thanks me for the faith in the Tata name.

What did I say in my letter that evoked such a beautiful response from Ratan Tata?

Of course I vented my spleen, albeit, politely, firmly and with words that cut to the deep. I’ve also stated why I chose the Tata Sierra as opposed to another Maruti Gypsy. I have faith in the Tata name. The 100% indigenous design and build swayed my decision. I gave Ratan Tata a few options, but leave the selection to him.

1. A full refund and reimburse the money I’ve spent on the repairs.
2. A brand new Sierra.
3. Fix the problem.

What happens in addition to the personally signed response from Ratan Tata?

Customer Retention

The day after the letter is hand delivered to my office, I get several calls. The first is from his Executive Assistant reiterating the commitment contained in the letter. I also get calls from the Head of Customer Service of TELCO. The Head meets me and assures me that the issues are being taken seriously. I then get calls from the dealer and from the office of the then MD of TELCO. Each is asking for an opportunity to fix the problem. My decision is simple. I decide to deal directly with the TELCO folks. After all that’s where this baby was born and I respond as such.

TELCO not only comes to my office and picks up the Sierra. They also ask me to pack an overnight bag. I accept their invitation to be their guest at the company’s five-star guesthouse within the TELCO factory in Pune. So a Mercedes arrives at my office on the appointed date. I’m bunged into the Mercedes. Another driver takes over my Sierra. We head to TELCO – Pune, the birthplace of the Sierra.

The drivers drive in formation. We’re now at the main gate. Here, I’m met by several senior executives from TELCO. This includes the executive assistant to the MD. I get an audience with these senior folks and am told that all issues will be fixed within a day. They give me the grand tour of the assembly unit, the forge and then dropped off at the guesthouse. Later, someone arrives to pick me up. They show me the various tests that are conducted on the Sierra and its components.

In the midst of all this, some of the senior folks take me aside. They ask how Mr. Tata is known to me personally. They show me a fax that has been sent from his office to the MD of TELCO. That communication is merely a copy of my letter to Ratan Tata. It contains a one-line comment that reads, I have never received a letter that has caused me such embarrassment. See to it that I never receive such a letter again.

Whereas that letter, I’m guessing sent shivers up their spines, as a customer I felt like I was king. The car was fixed. I faced no issues after that. I decided to buy another one after I was done with the first.

What really touched me is this. The great Ratan Tata took the trouble to send a personal response. He also ensured that my issues were resolved. Now that’s customer service and retention!

Several years later, I was compelled to write to Steve Jobs of Apple while in Singapore and once again came away delighted with the outcome. Well, that episode can be found here, this one is about Ratan Tata.

These and other incidents lead me to believe something profound. Some leaders work tirelessly to set up, manage, and grow their businesses. They really care about their customers. They truly believe that the customer is kind.

We have so much to learn from how Ratan Tata conducted himself. He exemplified qualities as a human being. We also learn from his great vision and commitment.