WHERE IS MY KETCHUP | Brains Trust India Brains Trust India

WHERE IS MY KETCHUPSYNOPSIS

The protagonist is an individual who is in a senior Administrative Position in the corporate world. He is currently facing a problem at work, which is to identify an effective Service Provider for one of the office services required for smooth functioning of the office. Every time he selects a Service Provider who promises a lot, unfortunately the person fails to live up to expectation. He is at a loss and is about to select a high profile, glamorous Service Provider, when something not seeming quite right holds him back. That evening, he has a dinner function at home where a few close friends are invited. The talk moves around to work life, quality of service being provided, and how difficult it is to select a Service Provider in spite of various options available. One by one, the friends present start speaking in detail about their experiences with Service Providers in their own lives, be it a Hotel, an Airline, a Mall, a Bank, etc.

The incidents these friends have faced are narrated in a story form, not breaking the flow of the book, and are both bringing out Positive as well as Negative experiences with the various Service Providers. The narration and the stories and experiences form the bulk and the core part of the book, are highly entertaining and educative, put in humorous catchy language, are all examples never penned down before, and have very strong learnings attached to them in the form of DO’s and DONT’s which are applicable and transferable as learning from ALL service industries, whether INSURANCE, RETAIL, HOTEL, TRAVEL, SALONS, BOUTIQUES, etc. After the dinner party, our protagonist goes back to the work the next day, thinks over all the experiences his friends shared and from them formulates the lesson and points to be kept in mind for selecting a service provider.

A GLIMPSE

TESTIMONIALS

Slowing GDP growth rate signals an era where "customer retention" becomes more important than "customer acquisition".This book with its real life vignettes and simple lessons is a forerunner to this trend.
Aditya Gupta
CEO Maharashtra & Goa

    
    
    
        
            
        
    
    
        
            
    
        
    

            
                
    Aditya Gupta
                
    CEO Maharashtra & Goa
            
            
        
        
            
                                
            
            
    Slowing GDP growth rate signals an era where "customer retention" becomes more important than "customer acquisition".This book with its real life vignettes and simple lessons is a forerunner to this trend.
        
    
    
    
The book presents some interesting customer service stories in a parable format. An easy read that will get you to view even the smallest customer request with new eyes.
Ambi M.G.Parameswaran
Executive Director & CEO

    
    
    
        
            
        
    
    
        
            
    
        
    

            
                
    Ambi M.G.Parameswaran
                
    Executive Director & CEO
            
            
        
        
            
                                
            
            
    The book presents some interesting customer service stories in a parable format. An easy read that will get you to view even the smallest customer request with new eyes.
        
    
    
    
I would rate this book captivating. Something everyone can relate to. In an era where the thrust is more on "Pushing a Product, this thought provoking book drives home the necessity of Exceeding Customer Needs" as the prime aim of marketing.
Commander Amit Sanyal
Indian Navy Headquarters 

    
    
    
        
            
        
    
    
        
            
    
        
    

            
                
    Commander Amit Sanyal
                
    Indian Navy Headquarters 
            
            
        
        
            
                                
            
            
    I would rate this book captivating. Something everyone can relate to. In an era where the thrust is more on "Pushing a Product, this thought provoking book drives home the necessity of Exceeding Customer Needs" as the prime aim of marketing. The incidents, punctuated by most appropriate quotes at the right intervals, provide a smooth narrative with a terrific punch. Cyrus and Kalim have done a fantastic job.
        
    
    
    
This book is a timely wake up call for corporate growth and success in the 21 st century. It has an interesting storyline and looks at the concept of customer service from the viewpoint of both the customer as well as the service provider.
B. R. Jaju
CFO

    
    
    
        
            
        
    
    
        
            
    
        
    

            
                
    B. R. Jaju
                
    CFO
            
            
        
        
            
                                
            
            
    This book is a timely wake up call for corporate growth and success in the 21 st century. It has an interesting storyline and looks at the concept of customer service from the viewpoint of both the customer as well as the service provider.
        
    
    
    
This fantastic book superbly encapsulates the customer oriented philosophy that any future thinking business needs to follow. 
Jimmy Mistry
M.D. & Principal Architect

    
    
    
        
            
        
    
    
        
            
    
        
    

            
                
    Jimmy Mistry
                
    M.D. & Principal Architect
            
            
        
        
            
                                
            
            
    This fantastic book superbly encapsulates the customer oriented philosophy that any future thinking business needs to follow. Kalim & Cyrus have been training my Sales and Marketing team on a regular basis and the positive difference their inputs have made is terrific.Now they have put down their secrets in the form of a book which will tremendously benefit Indian Industry as a whole.
        
    
    
    
This is a fantastic "story" book, so easy to read, lively to the end and earthly due to real life experiences. Couldn’t have asked for a better book with outstanding messages on management principles
L. V. Krishnan
CEO

    
    
    
        
            
        
    
    
        
            
    
        
    

            
                
    L. V. Krishnan
                
    CEO
            
            
        
        
            
                                
            
            
    This is a fantastic "story" book, so easy to read, lively to the end and earthly due to real life experiences. Couldn’t have asked for a better book with outstanding messages on management principles and customer service in particular. To top it, we can get absorbed into finishing reading it in a single Mumbai-Delhi flight.
        
    
    
    
Destined to be a classic on Customer Service from an Indian Perspective. As an HR and Training professional I would highly recommend it as required reading for any person intending to make a career in Customer Service or Sales in any industry. 
Neil Sequeira
VP-HR

    
    
    
        
            
        
    
    
        
            
    
        
    

            
                
    Neil Sequeira
                
    VP-HR
            
            
        
        
            
                                
            
            
    Destined to be a classic on Customer Service from an Indian Perspective. As an HR and Training professional I would highly recommend it as required reading for any person intending to make a career in Customer Service or Sales in any industry. There is lots to learn in this book for even a seasoned sales professional.
        
    
    
    
"Where is my Ketchup?" Makes a brilliant reading gives an insight into customer service by exploring in depth but by using very practical approach. 
Sanjay Muthal
Managing Director

    
    
    
        
            
        
    
    
        
            
    
        
    

            
                
    Sanjay Muthal
                
    Managing Director
            
            
        
        
            
                                
            
            
    "Where is my Ketchup?" Makes a brilliant reading gives an insight into customer service by exploring in depth but by using very practical approach. Perfect analogy for catch up makes the book compelling to read.
        
    
    
    
This excellent book highlights in a remarkably detailed and insightful manner the way we all hate or love to be treated as customers. 
Shripad Kulkarni
COO

    
    
    
        
            
        
    
    
        
            
    
        
    

            
                
    Shripad Kulkarni
                
    COO
            
            
        
        
            
                                
            
            
    This excellent book highlights in a remarkably detailed and insightful manner the way we all hate or love to be treated as customers. The book is full of wonderful true to home examples across the service sector. If you have a direct consumer interface and want to listen to your consumers - go grab a copy !
        
    
    
    
Any business hoping to thrive in this extremely competitive 21st century simply has no alternative but to put the customer first. 
Shhyam R. Singhania
Chairman

    
    
    
        
            
        
    
    
        
            
    
        
    

            
                
    Shhyam R. Singhania
                
    Chairman
            
            
        
        
            
                                
            
            
    Any business hoping to thrive in this extremely competitive 21st century simply has no alternative but to put the customer first. This superb book explains in a simple and beautiful form the formula for customer delight. Each chapter by itself is worth the price of the whole book. A fantastic read.
        
    
    
    
The next level of differentiation for all brands (not merely service brands) comes from managing the customer’s experience – the proof of the pudding will truly be in its eating.
Sourabh Mishra
Chief Strategy Officer

    
    
    
        
            
        
    
    
        
            
    
        
    

            
                
    Sourabh Mishra
                
    Chief Strategy Officer
            
            
        
        
            
                                
            
            
    The next level of differentiation for all brands (not merely service brands) comes from managing the customer’s experience – the proof of the pudding will truly be in its eating. The cost of acquisition of a customer will be justified only if the customer can be persuaded to stay on within the brand’s fold for a viable ‘life-time-value’ extraction.And in this age of constant customer churn, a well informed treatise on customer service comes just at the right time. Corporates must make this compulsory reading for their front-line managers to equip them better to manage the brand’s customer equity. The storytelling format of this book also ensures that overtly complex theory and unnecessary jargon does not come in the way of its readability, making the practical lessons contained therein easy to assimilate.
        
    
    
    
"Where is my Ketchup" is the perfect customer-service recipe for anyone in business today and is a "must-read" manuscript, especially for those in the service industry.
Vijay V. Raut
Managing Director & CEO

    
    
    
        
            
        
    
    
        
            
    
        
    

            
                
    Vijay V. Raut
                
    Managing Director & CEO
            
            
        
        
            
                                
            
            
    "Where is my Ketchup" is the perfect customer-service recipe for anyone in business today and is a "must-read" manuscript, especially for those in the service industry.In today’s world, the customer is king, lord and discerning selector from the myriad choices that he surveys. For all businesses, big and small, the book is replete with pearls of wisdom on customer attraction, delight and retention. What makes it extra-special is the engrossing, sometimes saucy narrative which keeps the reader interested, and yearning for more! The narrative is strewn with day-to-day occurrences, which anyone from a corporate manager to a housewife can immediately relate to. The icing on the cake (or ketchup on the samosa, if you like) is that the narrative is peppered with several pertinent, quotable quotations from a plethora of management gurus including the authors themselves. With “Where is my Ketchup”, Cyrus Gonda and Kalim Khan have served up the ideal fare for a world of commerce that needs to be customer-centric like never befor

PRESS COVERAGE

Where Is My Ketchup? A book on customer service, authored by Professor Cyrus Gonda and Professor Kalim Khan was launched at Crossword Bookstore in Bandra on Friday. Published by Embassy Books, the book focuses on the art of delivering world-class customer service, and how to bond with the customer. About the book’s rather odd title, Khan said, “The word ‘ketchup’ is used as an analogue for the word service in the book.” The discussion at Crossword revolved around the booming service sector and the importance of providing good services to customers. “The book covers all aspects of customer service. It covers everyday services including the milkman and the dhobi,” said Gonda. Khan is the director of the Rizvi Institute of Management Studies and Research, and Gonda is the head of department, General Management, at the Rizvi Institute. Both Khan and Gonda believed that brands that were ready for bad times — such as the ongoing economic downturn — are the brands that survive.

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