Memorable Experiences

You don’t choose experiences, experiences choose you. When you come out of it unscathed, they become memorable. Here are a few from my life.

Filmy style negotiation:

My employer had taken a project order from a public private partnership organisation for a technology that was experimental, first time in India. There was a risk that it may not be suited for India and could fail. The project included a process plant with machinery, tanks, pipes, fittings – a complete factory.

The cost around 35 yrs back was about Rs. 2 Cr (about 1.2 million USD then). If it succeeded, could be a game changer, but if it failed, we would take back the equipment and refund the cost.

We agreed, implemented the project, but finally agreed it had performed sub optimally and hence a failure. We refunded Rs. 1.75 Cr (about 1 million USD) but the client had not allowed us to take back even one item. We had not even been permitted to dismantle the plant. That is when we doubted the intention of the client. As the newly appointed head of a branch, the responsibility of negotiating this tricky part was mine.

After discussions with the senior management, it was agreed that we take the client to court or find a solution. I went to negotiate this issue and being a new face, it helped, but that I was a local guy, speak the local language made a bigger difference.

Client was adamant we pay the balance Rs. 25 Lakhs. I pointed out we had not even been allowed to dismantle the plant, but the chappie dug in his heels and that is when I decided to take my gloves off.

Switching to the local language I told him politely but in crude words that I wasn’t an imbecile, and he needed to agree on a solution, or I walk away. The crude language disrupted his thinking – it was no longer a chap who could be browbeaten. He enquired about me, and I told him I belonged to the city, studied in a certain college (which had a reputation of being a rowdy college) and the locality I hailed from (which again had a reputation of being a rowdy infested area) and then threw in a few political names calling them “my own people”. I told him we could find a solution or act smart.

I was no rowdy, or capable of any strong-arm stuff, or pull political strings but I knew he didn’t know that. He was now unsure but blustered that he wasn’t scared. I told him I wasn’t scaring him, and we would go to court, but I would ensure that the problems he created reached the political circles. Long story short, the organisation capitulated but wanted a solution where they get 25 lakhs BEFORE we got back our equipment. I agreed and suggested a solution to which the client agreed.

I said the fundamental premise would be that BOTH of us are crooks out to cheat the other. My crew would dismantle the plant, trucks would come to his factory for loading, but none would leave the factory. Once everything had been loaded, I would fax him a copy of the demand draft for Rs. 25 lakhs and visit his factory – but refuse to enter it. All the trucks (6 of them) would be standing in a convoy nose to rear, engines revving, at the main gate which would remain closed. Once the locks of the gate had been opened, we would exchange the gate pass for the DD between us across the “boundary” and the trucks would move out. I told him in crude language, that if anybody tried to close the gates or block the trucks, we would simply run over them and the gates. If he thought I was kidding, I told him, I would inform the local police station of this intention in advance so that they could be there to witness it.

We exchanged the DD/ gate pass and the trucks left without incident, but the client told me - you are seeing too many Hindi films.

Customer Payment:

We had implemented an alcohol project that was now complete. The alcohol industry was like a mafia business in those days. A few “kings” of alcohol literally controlled the business, government etc. Our client was one of these powerful “kings”.

Just before the final payment, a rather large sum due, the state government fell afoul of the powers in Delhi and the result was that some local politicians and their friends were in big trouble. Many had their bank accounts frozen. Our client being one of them.

Approaching the client, he issued a cheque, and the cheque bounced. All hell broke loose in my head office, located in a different state. Needing to protect the company, they filed a court case in that state and as per law a non bailable arrest warrant was issued for our client. The warrant reached the local police station where our client lived, and the cops were furious. They called us and gave us hell as to how such a powerful VVIP could be arrested? I had no clue how to handle this nor did I think of possible implications. I understood the situation but was powerless. The cops did not follow the court order.

The ball having started rolling the court in that state was upset and sent a reminder that the arrest warrant be served. Cops went during the night and pasted it on the compound wall of our clients home and washed their hands off. “Your funeral” as they told me. Little did I understand the import of their comment.

Come the next day, the entire “system” of our client, was furious at this act which was an insult and a challenge to the honour of their “king” which had to be avenged. They called my office and the goons who spoke were of a different breed altogether. Just like in a gangster movie, I was given hell, dire threats and a chilling warning that their “boys” would soon come knocking at our office and none of us would be left alive. This was not in any classroom lecture or case study. I was petrified and knew calling the cops would be a waste of time. They would say – we told you so.

They say that when a person is in pain and anguish, they usually speak in their mother tongue. I was blabbering at this stage and unknown to myself spoke in the local language begging and pleading. The goon responded abusively in the local language which presumably the “king”, heard. The next I know, the goon tells me the “king” himself wants to speak to me.

The “king” came online and in a calm polite tone, like an elder, asked – Are you a local boy? One of our city boys? I said yes and blabbered about how my whole life was spent locally. He asked how as a local boy I could allow an arrest warrant being served on him. Didn’t I know who he was, how he would be insulted in front of the whole industry and state? I said I had no role to play since the cheque went to our head office and after that things were no longer in my control. After some conversation, he asked if I could intervene now. I was getting my courage back and said that if I stayed alive, I could intervene. He laughed and said that “their” local city boys would never be harmed especially when my organisation had done such a good job on his project.

He invited me to go meet him and for the first and last time in my life I met him, spoke with our head office who were sympathetic and cooperative, and the issue resolved amicably. The good news was over the next few years, when we had our local office annual get together, he supplied alcohol free. We gladly accepted it.

Hijacked:

I was to visit Nigeria and before my visit folks had told me horror stories and suggested I must have armed security during my visit. Even the American embassy advised all sorts of caution. I decided to follow abundant caution by sticking with my local agent for all meetings.

One morning we left for a meeting in Victoria Island in Lagos with a driver, the agent in front and me at the back. As we approached the bridge there was also an exit and the driver was momentarily confused even as another vehicle came up behind us. The driver slowed down to let him pass before joining the road on to the bridge. In one instant two huge guys in military uniform were on the car and before any of us could understand what was happening, they got into the rear, sat on either side of me and forced the driver to take the exit.

They began talking to the other two chaps in a local language while I just sat scared stiff but mentally getting prepared for whatever may happen. I could make out my agent telling them I was someone important from India and being monitored by the American embassy etc but all to no avail. There was a demand for huge money to let us go even as we were being driven around randomly. They demanded we go to an ATM and draw cash. After about 45 mins of this merry go round and negotiations they demanded to see how much cash I had – all of 300 Dollars.

They called up their boss and were ordered to get back and soon we were back at the same fork near the bridge. They took my money and waved us off on to the bridge towards Victoria island while I heaved a sigh of relief. Reaching the clients office, who happened to be an Indian settled in Nigeria, told him my tale only to be told – I had no reason to be scared or worried since Indians are never hurt in Nigeria because they love Indians.

These next two experiences are not my own but my colleagues and so I just share the details as I heard.

Potential Kidnapping:

My boss and my junior colleague went to a certain northeastern state known for its militancy and extremist activity. They had a meeting with the local police bosses. After a quick meeting late in the afternoon, with a detailed meeting fixed for the next day, the two returned to the hotel. The top cop who met them gave them his personal mobile number before they left asking that he be contacted in any emergency.

The hotel served breakfast on the first floor, and one could overlook the lobby downstairs including the front entrance. As the two were eating they saw a Maruti van drive in, and as my boss said, the first thing he noticed was how all windows were pitch black and it somehow looked out of place. He ignored it but soon two of the occupants of the van came into the restaurant, directly approached them and said that the top cop had sent them. They were the escort to take them both to the office for the meeting.

My boss said that though they were expecting someone to pick them up, something didn’t seem right. He said that he was very sick in the stomach as an unknown fear gripped him and he knew they were in trouble. The duo was politely insistent they leave right away since the top cop had other work and needed to finish their meeting quickly.

My boss had no idea what to do but decided to gain time by saying he needed to go to the room to pick up his bag. The moment they went to the room, they locked themselves in and called up the top cop on his mobile. He said he had not sent anybody, not to open the door, and his men would be there soon.

Shortly a posse of commando cops came racing down the road and the two chaps quickly drove away in their van. Apparently with economic activity seriously affected by extremist activity, kidnapping senior management from private sector companies when they came visiting was a business. Staff in hotels and other business establishments had no choice but to inform these gangs when somebody senior came visiting. Read below.

Extortion 1

Extortion 2

Extortion 3

The commandos stayed with my colleagues till they ensured they were seated inside the flight that afternoon. Soon after my boss passed an order that nobody would travel to the Northeast unless they had prior security cover confirmed by the police or army.

Name Board:

The organisation had delivered a costly equipment to a client and 3 or 4 days after the warranty expired, the main motor failed. Contractually the client had to pay for the motor, but he refused, demanding that it be covered under warranty which my colleague refused. The client unfortunately had an unsavoury side which my colleague didn’t know.

Soon the client landed up at the office and after physically threatening the staff gave a grace period to my colleague to resolve the issue failing which anything might happen. To prove that he meant business, he took down the name board of the company in front of the office and burnt it on the road before leaving.

Colleague was flown out of the city for safety and after deliberation it was decided that discretion was the better part of valour and agreed to replace the motor. Colleague was back in office and at ease.

A few days passed and one afternoon the office folks suddenly heard loud music in the road and stepping out of the office could see a small procession of people coming along the road, a live band marching in front. They watched curiously as the procession came closer and were shocked at what they saw.

A brand-new name board of their company was being carried by a couple of people, it was decorated with flower garlands and along with a few others was being paraded along the road with a live band marching in the front playing music. The group came and fixed the name board in the front, congratulated all the employees before leaving. The feisty client was making amends for his anger and burning down the board.