From the editor: When I was a child, my mother would read to me from a fairytale book. I believe

on the first page, the line was “Change is the only constant”. And to that, we

have adhered. We at EMERGE! would like to wish all our readers a very Happy

New Year on the first day of the year. The day also marks the release of

EMERGE! 8, the first issue to have four pages. We have a new section by

Puneet Batra called Puneet’s profiles, in which Puneet Batra will present a

new side to what we think we might know about our advisors. The profiles of

this month’s candidates are available to read on the last page of this edition.

In case it wasn’t noticed on the upper-right corner of this page, EMERGE! now

has it’s own official photographer, Purnendu Bagchi. Besides his ability to

make the cold food on my table look scrumptious on camera, Purnendu showcases his talents in

capturing real life on digital reels with all emotions intact. We wish him all the best for his endeavors and

a long relationship with EMERGE!

By the end of the first week of the New Year, everyone can expect to be a part of EMERGE!’s official

facebook page that we will be launching shortly. Besides having access to the digital copy of EMERGE!,

members will also have access to updates from our team about what’s being planned for subsequent

issues and also links to the picture gallery where Purnendu will showcase his pictures, some of which do

not make it to the print edition of EMERGE!

Before we go ahead, we received a last minute contribution from an advisor on the Spectrum floor who we are not at liberty to name. Not yet anyway. Here’s that person’s unique take on the DM-Advisor relationship. And with that, we leave you to EMERGE! 8. Please enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it.

-Rahul Sethi (darthsinistro@gmail.com)

The image is meant

to be seen from top

to bottom.

EMERGE! 1

st Jan, 2013 Volume 1, Issue 8

Editor: Rahul Sethi Creative Contributions: Puneet Batra, Ishpinder Singh

Managing Director: Siddharth Biswakarma Official Photographer: Purnendu Bagchi

The man with ‘The Plan’

Here’s the interview with the man who needs no introduction. A word of caution for the first time readers, forget what you know abou the industry. Now, for your reading pleasure, EMERGE! Presents Varun Sengar’s (VS) interview with Rahul Sethi (RS)

RS: Varun Sir, finally. This is one interview that I’ve wanted to conduct for a long time, and now I get the chance. I’d like to put forth the question as directly as I’m sure you’d want to answer it. Who is Mr. Sengar? Most Spectrum-ites know you as this rather proactive manager whose actions, I think sometimes border on obsession. Is that really who you are?

VS: <Chuckles> Well I really don’t know what you mean by that. I’m just an average person outside of work. I don’t go and play golf, tennis or squash on my week-offs. Besides the tag of Manager, I’m just your average neighbor and human being. I too enjoy sitting in front of my TV for long resting hours.

RS: I’ll take it at face value if you say so Sir, but I’m not convinced. I’ve always seen you as someone different. I mean unique. As I said, the proactive and aggressive approach you have towards things is something I rarely see in others. Does the industry have something to do with it? You have been here for more than eight years now…

VS: The mindset has changed over the last decade Rahul. The mindset of the people working in this industry has shifted from the time I and Chiru used to take calls on the same floor. Back in our day, the attitude was to become so capable that you are able to manage your target population. I guess we did that in five-six months. The idea was not to make money alone. If it was, we probably would have shifted companies five to ten times and still been advisors in our middle ages.

RS: This is a very interesting point we’ve stumbled upon. This job-hopping that we observe so rampant in this industry, I’d love to hear your take on the subject.

VS: See Rahul, it’s all very simple. This has to do with the events that took place between 1995 and 2002. In the starting years, around 1997, a few companies in this sector started off by offering very decent packages to people who could speak Good English. Back in the day when I was around nineteen-twenty, as a college student, having seven to ten thousand instantly at the end of the month was exhilarating. That’s when this entire clubbing trend started. Before that, only the cream could afford such a lifestyle and after that, everyone became part of the shopping frenzy. Since then, the gadget trend started and we never looked back. Many people started to focus on getting higher and higher packages, so they hopped jobs. They finally get into the highest salary brackets in the market for that position. Then there comes a time when the only possible way for them to get more money is to grow position-wise, they don’t have the answers to grab the promotion because all this while, they were busy getting only the money and not the skill set. That’s why I still know people who are thirty-five years of age and are still taking calls.

RS: That sounds like a rather harsh way of putting it. It almost scares me to look at the entire thing like that. Doesn’t education or a degree or even experience count for anything here? I mean I’m sure there are well-educated people in this industry too!

VS: See, there’s a difference between educating yourself and getting a degree. This entire MBA card has been played in a very misleading way. I’ve seen people get an MBA from a good enough college and join some company and sell high profile Credit-cards or expensive Insurance policies. I’m sorry. I don’t call that person a manager, just a high profile salesman. An MBA degree is not a magic pill. This is an industry where leaders are not made in classrooms. A street-smart guy with rich diversified exposure can easily take on a book-smart one. Educating yourself is very important on the other hand. That’s called self-up-gradation. That is almost necessary after a certain point if you are to grow any further. The people that are actually propelling the industry belong to that category. They know that a degree can only get them so far, it’s what you do with it that makes the difference between a winner and a loser. I would consider someone a real MBA if he could tell me why Coca-Cola gives away 100mL free with a 500mL bottle and not 150mL. Gone are the days when grey hair used to make an impact.

RS: <Laughing> I assure you sir, if nothing else; I’ll try and answer that question to a satisfactory level one day. What we’ve talked about gives me a very clear picture of your work style. Dare I say, it’s almost corporate Darwinism? Are your relationships outside work just like this? I mean with a definite object and lifespan?

VS: I’m still in touch with my first team leader from eleven years ago and we are best buddies today. It’s now a different phase in my life. There were times when I’d go to a pub by myself, get happy along with the crowd and come home. You’ll still find me hanging out with friends on my offs and I still look for things which we can laugh at together. Thirty is a magical number. When you hit it, you’re on the wrong side of it <Smiles>. After that, most of your life goes into planning and execution.

RS: I will say Sir. You can really change topics without the other person even knowing. We were talking about your honeymoon trip earlier and I actually wanted to ask you about your future plans. What do you have in mind in the personal and professional front?

VS: Well, what can I say? In early February, I’m getting married to a girl my parents have seen for me. Sooner or later, I’ll be having kids and would like to spend more time with my family than I do right now. It’s a law of the industry. The higher you go, the more you need to deliver in fewer hours. After a certain age, one has to be a walking talking laptop. I think over the last three or four years, I’m overdue a promotion. I’d like to make up for the time lost with two jumps in the next five years.

RS: Well Varun Sir, what can I say? I asked the appropriate question and you gave me a deserving answer. Thank you very much for that. There is one thing I’d like to ask. Will we get chicken when you get married?

VS: If the market price of chicken is lesser than paneer why not?!

RS: No further questions, your honor!!!

C-SAT Breakdown

Saying a ‘no’ on calls is just as important as being able to give the customer a resolution. Spectrum is a very vast process but there are some things we genuinely cannot do for the customers. It is especially in times like these when saying a firm and polite no can save us from a lot of trouble. Having a clear idea of what we can and cannot do is only half the battle won. The important part lies in politely saying no. One script which I recommend for this purpose is – “I’m afraid this is something that we do not handle in this line of business and I would not want to give you wrong information. That would be wasting your precious time” or “I’m sorry but this is something we do not deal with or is not available with us and I would not like to mislead you by giving you an answer with no information with us to support it”. When listening to a D-SAT call we got recently, we felt that the call could have been saved had the advisor simply said no. After politely refusing, if the customer still fails you, then there is a very good chance the call can be put up for dispute provided the advisor has been confident, assertive and polite throughout the call. This really saves the customer from having to call us back when he doesn’t get a resolution and saves the advisor as we do not have to discuss irrelevant information which could lead to an inaccuracy or frustration. One final thing which we can take care of is not to say a direct ‘no’! I’ve heard calls where the customers hung up after saying “That’s so rude!” If a no is delivered politely, it would result in a good outcome for both the advisor and the caller.

-Ishpinder Singh

Team Coach, Spectrum Delhi

A day to remember

The 25th

of December is the only day in the entire year when the Spectrum number is closed.

Of course, it’s Christmas! For Spectrum employees, the day holds a special place because the

Christmas party we had on the 25th

December 2012, was the fruit of 364 days of hard labor. It’s

the only day when our employer throws us a party and we don’t have to give anything. No extra

login hours, no maintaining top rankings or having complete login hours! We just had to show

up and enjoy the show. Many members of the Spectrum family showed up on that note. We

had everyone from the likes of our Operations Manager, Mr. Taranjit Singh to advisors who are

still in DC. Oh yes, and everyone had a ball of a time!

One of the highlights of the party was advisors freely mingling with their supervisors without

having to enact the workplace courtesy of offering their chairs. There were plenty of those for

everyone. Besides the music at Attitude Alive, the Spectrum family was treated to a projector

show of the India-Pakistan match – live! The match ended in disappointment for the Indian fans

but the attendees had no reason to worry for there was a live band performance which set the

tempo for the entire evening. The band, which was to perform for thirty minutes, ended up

performing for almost an hour. They played tracks like Yellow by Coldplay, Summer of ’69,

Zombie and Comfortably Numb. Now where there’s music, there must be dancing. Had it not

been for the sturdy floors of the venue, the enthusiasm and the energy in the room during the

dance sessions was enough to tear the pub apart.

Spectrum folks hit the bar! Merry X-mas Spectrum!

Towards the end of the evening, guests were treated to an open bar with unlimited drinks on

the house, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The cuisine was as much a delight as was the

excitement at the party. There were unlimited starters delivered to your table. Aperitifs were

consumed which made everyone light headed and the experience all the more enjoyable. The

main-course had a more mature culinary appeal to it with mutton rogan-josh and chicken along

with wholesome breads and pulses.

Yes, Spectrum-ites burnt the dance floor! Good old Rock ‘n’ Roll!

The party ended at around 1 am with a few bumps here and there. Cab services were provided

to employees, both male and female to bring them to the party and to drop them home.

Despite the very brief description here, the rejuvenated spirits of the NRE family was evident

with people showing up for work the next day, ready for another bout with the fast-paced life

that Spectrum has to offer. And just like that, life went back to its usual state in our ‘life and

times’ at Spectrum Delhi.

A majority of our readers have made

excuses for not wearing formals to work.

The best excuse- “coming from the

hospital”

Name: Dechen Dolma aka Cookie Cartman Zodiac: Pisces Born and Raised: Shillong Education: B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing On missing her hometown: Used to miss it. After going there recently for a cousin’s wedding, doesn’t miss it anymore looking at the urbanization. Delhi is the place for her now. On joining the BPO industry: Suffered from Tuberculosis for 6 months as a result of working as a nurse, in a ward which takes care of patients with communicable diseases. After being away from work for a while, her mom didn’t want her working in a hospital anymore. So, she joined the BPO industry for good and just loves the vibes, the atmosphere and the friends she has made.

Secret of the Smile and Positive Attitude: Mainly because of her parents and the upbringing. Has learnt to stay positive and knows whatever happens is for the best. Most memorable moment: Topped her College and won a gold medal. Hobbies and pursuits: Reading magazines like Cosmopolitan, watching TV series such as Friends, Two and a Half Men, How I met your mother. She loves playing the guitar, the flute and singing. Doesn’t want to be a professional guitarist though, just wants to play the songs she loves. Goals: Wants to complete her masters from USA and become a lecturer earning $42 an hour. Which celebrity would you want to be and why: Salman Khan, because of his kind-heartedness, his charity, his fearlessness and loyalty to his friends along with the fact that he’s single. Richard Gere, because he is one of the best and he’s a Buddhist. Would you increase my salary if you become the Operations Manager for a day?: Instead of that, I wouldn’t let the mentors login before the floorwalkers because they deserve to be on support first due to their hard work! This is to make sure they’re not de-motivated. Would also increase the salaries of tenured advisors to make sure everyone has an equal package.

Name: Sameer Solomon Nandy aka Sammy Njoyz Zodiac: Pisces Born and Raised: Delhi Education: Graduate from Delhi University On joining the BPO industry: Well, I’ve been around for 4 years in the industry now. I joined because I wanted to earn some bucks and the relationship has worked out very well. How can you manage all these things along with rotating shifts: Well, being a music freak helps. It keeps me going. I sing or hum even when I’m not on call at. Playing the guitar for just 10 minutes after shift puts me back on track. Most memorable moment: I didn’t believe in God earlier. But after a performance with my Gospel band in a Delhi stadium, things turned around for good. I cried on my knees literally while playing my guitar and singing and that experience made me believe in the almighty. Hobbies and pursuits: I am a guitarist and a vocalist. I enjoy the jam sessions with my band on week-offs. One of them is a secular band called Defuse indulging in Metal, Classical and Sufi with the other being a gospel band focusing on Biblical-rock. I love riding my modified Pulsar 220 a lot. I’ve been to Dehradun, Mussourie, Shimla and McCleodganj. Luckily, if I get a Sunday off, Church is my favorite destination. Goals: Wants to join The Delhi School of Music next year to pursue Post Graduation in Music. He wants to get his grades in Guitar along with a degree and become a musician. Which celebrity would you want to be and why: I’ll be Sameer Solomon Nandy. Why bother being someone else when you can be yourself? Would you increase my salary if you become the Operations Manager for a day?: I would much rather endorse activities to keep advisors chillaxed. During huge call-flows, keeping the PCA in mind, I’ll pull out advisors on feedback for relaxation

Puneet’s Profiles