Never having been one to let go, I was after my father to get me a Job. Remember this is India and Vitamin C (Connection) work's very well. My father only said if 15 days from now you still feel the same way, i will talk to someone.
3 weeks later I was told to go and meet Mr. Gupta the Regional Manager of TCI. At 0930 I presented myself to him, and he asked me for my Resume. All i could say was, Huh, what is that?? He called his secretary and asked her to show me a file of Resumes and then asked me to make one. Not having ever worked in an organization before, not knowing the decorum at all, I said Sir If she knows how to make one, I would be happy to dictate the same.
He looked at me as if i had just committed a murder and then said, Mark my words, "One day you will be in the Top Management." Thank You Mr. Gupta for having set the Path for my career. Never forgot that one sentence.
I was hired on the Spot and offered a Salary which was roughly US$ 60 a month. So i asked when do I join and he said you have already joined, you start your work today.
I was assigned to Mr. Chawla, another person I can never thank enough, who took me around and introduced me as Mr. Mehra's Son to everyone. (I didn't know how powerful my Dad was till that day) every one was nice to me and that became my birth right.
I was put in the Transport department, to do Transfers. All rookies start that way in an Incoming DMC and so did I. The preferential treatment ended right there. You do the same work that everyone else does, said Mr. Ramnath (RAMU) the transport manager said, which meant that like the others I also had to do night arrivals from Airport to the Hotels and V/V. Oh how I hated the International Airlines for arriving at that ungodly hour, but work is work and now that I knew how revered my Dad was I had to live upto his name.
Day 01 I went for my first assisted transfer, 4 people coming 2 cars, one experienced rep my name sake, I was expecting to learn the ropes, all he said was watch me what I do and learn from it. En-route to the airport he asked me are you Hungry, I said yes, so he showed me where we got the parantha's at 2300 hours in the night, where 24 hour dining options were. At the Airport he just told me, we take them to the airport and explain the Itinerary then, what the Hell am I a Rookie, supposed to talk to the People I am picking up en-route?? I asked him and all he said was, Whatever they ask answer.
Luckily the American Guests i had picked were so tried after the 24 hours they had spent en-route that they were happy to chit chat.
Phew .. once we got to the Taj Mahal Hotel and saw the other Rep, i was so relieved and happy to play the second fiddle. On the way out I wished them all the best for the India trip and as I was walking out they gave me 2 Dollars as tip, I was flabbergasted as I was used to leaving tips in the restaurants, hadn't even imagined that one day someone would tip me, my senior colleague just said, Buddy you are lucky, I didn't get my first tip till the 3rd transfer and you got yours in the first one. Little did i know that the Tips are what would sustain me for the next 15 odd years.
Day 01 turned into day 02, from the second transfer onwards I was on my own, managed all right and by the time the shift ended I was 200Rs. (US$10) richer and beaming with Joy.
3 weeks later I was told to go and meet Mr. Gupta the Regional Manager of TCI. At 0930 I presented myself to him, and he asked me for my Resume. All i could say was, Huh, what is that?? He called his secretary and asked her to show me a file of Resumes and then asked me to make one. Not having ever worked in an organization before, not knowing the decorum at all, I said Sir If she knows how to make one, I would be happy to dictate the same.
He looked at me as if i had just committed a murder and then said, Mark my words, "One day you will be in the Top Management." Thank You Mr. Gupta for having set the Path for my career. Never forgot that one sentence.
I was hired on the Spot and offered a Salary which was roughly US$ 60 a month. So i asked when do I join and he said you have already joined, you start your work today.
I was assigned to Mr. Chawla, another person I can never thank enough, who took me around and introduced me as Mr. Mehra's Son to everyone. (I didn't know how powerful my Dad was till that day) every one was nice to me and that became my birth right.
I was put in the Transport department, to do Transfers. All rookies start that way in an Incoming DMC and so did I. The preferential treatment ended right there. You do the same work that everyone else does, said Mr. Ramnath (RAMU) the transport manager said, which meant that like the others I also had to do night arrivals from Airport to the Hotels and V/V. Oh how I hated the International Airlines for arriving at that ungodly hour, but work is work and now that I knew how revered my Dad was I had to live upto his name.
Day 01 I went for my first assisted transfer, 4 people coming 2 cars, one experienced rep my name sake, I was expecting to learn the ropes, all he said was watch me what I do and learn from it. En-route to the airport he asked me are you Hungry, I said yes, so he showed me where we got the parantha's at 2300 hours in the night, where 24 hour dining options were. At the Airport he just told me, we take them to the airport and explain the Itinerary then, what the Hell am I a Rookie, supposed to talk to the People I am picking up en-route?? I asked him and all he said was, Whatever they ask answer.
Luckily the American Guests i had picked were so tried after the 24 hours they had spent en-route that they were happy to chit chat.
Phew .. once we got to the Taj Mahal Hotel and saw the other Rep, i was so relieved and happy to play the second fiddle. On the way out I wished them all the best for the India trip and as I was walking out they gave me 2 Dollars as tip, I was flabbergasted as I was used to leaving tips in the restaurants, hadn't even imagined that one day someone would tip me, my senior colleague just said, Buddy you are lucky, I didn't get my first tip till the 3rd transfer and you got yours in the first one. Little did i know that the Tips are what would sustain me for the next 15 odd years.
Day 01 turned into day 02, from the second transfer onwards I was on my own, managed all right and by the time the shift ended I was 200Rs. (US$10) richer and beaming with Joy.
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