Proficiency
>> Sunday, December 12, 2010
One of my ceiling fans would not start. I called the electrician of our society who, without bothering to ask for a ladder to inspect the fan declared that the wiring inside had burnt and it would have to be rewired. I called another electrician from a shop who, inspected the fan and announced that the motor would have to be replaced. Yet another came, opened the canopy of the fan and said that new wiring would have to be done. All three quoted exorbitant rates for the job, that is, almost half of what the fan actually cost. Now all the fans in my flat are from a top manufacturer and of the same brand, almost new.
Fortunately, the R&D manager of the manufacturer of these fans, on whose recommendation I had bought them, resides in the same building. I contacted him. He in turn, called his factory, asked to speak to a particular workman, explained the problem to that workman and ordered him to come to my place immediately. The fellow came, didn’t even bother to look up at the fan, went straight to the switch board, switched on the fan, juggled with the regulator a bit, and the fan started, as good as ever. The entire process took less then thirty seconds.
This incident reminded of a story I had read in my child hood, almost half a century ago A cargo ship, fully loaded with cargo was to sail the next morning. When the time came for the ship to set sail, the engine would not start. The in-ship engineers tried their best to start the engine till evening but failed. The next day more competent persons were called at a very high rate for consultations, but the engine would not respond. On the third day, worried about the cost of the grounded ship, decaying cargo and such other things, the owners of the ship, the captain and engineers had a serious meeting. It was suggested and almost decided that they should unload the cargo and replace the engine with a new one. The process would take at least ten days and expenditure and other losses would be huge.
Just then, a low cadre workman entered the room and suggested that there was an old seaman in that port, now retired, who had spent his life time on ships maintaining engines, be called and consulted. Irritated at this intrusion, one of the owners dismissed the workman saying: “Do what you like, just leave us alone.” The meeting continued.
An old battered man entered the room with an equally old and battered tool kit and asked to be taken to the engine room. The workman had already prompted the old man about actions taken earlier. The entire procession went to the engine room. The old man looked around a bit, familiarized himself with the set up and started to inspect the pipes. He put his ears wherever there was a bent in the pipe. On the fourth bent, he put his ears on the bent for a little longer, hesitated, went back to the third bent, listened, went back to the fourth bent, listened again, promptly opened his tool kit, took out a hammer and tapped the pipe several times. He put the hammer back and closed the kit in a gesture of the job accomplished. He asked to fire the engine and the engine roared to life. Relieved and happy, the owners asked him for his charges. Without hesitation, the old man said: “five thousand and five Dollars, sir.” The owners, quite amused at his audacity, decided to pay him, but one of them asked: “Five thousand for tapping the pipe?” The old man said: “No sir, actually five Dollars for tapping the pipe and five thousand to know where to tap.”
They paid him.
Fortunately, the R&D manager of the manufacturer of these fans, on whose recommendation I had bought them, resides in the same building. I contacted him. He in turn, called his factory, asked to speak to a particular workman, explained the problem to that workman and ordered him to come to my place immediately. The fellow came, didn’t even bother to look up at the fan, went straight to the switch board, switched on the fan, juggled with the regulator a bit, and the fan started, as good as ever. The entire process took less then thirty seconds.
This incident reminded of a story I had read in my child hood, almost half a century ago A cargo ship, fully loaded with cargo was to sail the next morning. When the time came for the ship to set sail, the engine would not start. The in-ship engineers tried their best to start the engine till evening but failed. The next day more competent persons were called at a very high rate for consultations, but the engine would not respond. On the third day, worried about the cost of the grounded ship, decaying cargo and such other things, the owners of the ship, the captain and engineers had a serious meeting. It was suggested and almost decided that they should unload the cargo and replace the engine with a new one. The process would take at least ten days and expenditure and other losses would be huge.
Just then, a low cadre workman entered the room and suggested that there was an old seaman in that port, now retired, who had spent his life time on ships maintaining engines, be called and consulted. Irritated at this intrusion, one of the owners dismissed the workman saying: “Do what you like, just leave us alone.” The meeting continued.
An old battered man entered the room with an equally old and battered tool kit and asked to be taken to the engine room. The workman had already prompted the old man about actions taken earlier. The entire procession went to the engine room. The old man looked around a bit, familiarized himself with the set up and started to inspect the pipes. He put his ears wherever there was a bent in the pipe. On the fourth bent, he put his ears on the bent for a little longer, hesitated, went back to the third bent, listened, went back to the fourth bent, listened again, promptly opened his tool kit, took out a hammer and tapped the pipe several times. He put the hammer back and closed the kit in a gesture of the job accomplished. He asked to fire the engine and the engine roared to life. Relieved and happy, the owners asked him for his charges. Without hesitation, the old man said: “five thousand and five Dollars, sir.” The owners, quite amused at his audacity, decided to pay him, but one of them asked: “Five thousand for tapping the pipe?” The old man said: “No sir, actually five Dollars for tapping the pipe and five thousand to know where to tap.”
They paid him.
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