Build a Brand India, exhorts Rudy

Tuesday, 11 November 2003, 20:30 IST
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NEW DELHI: Smile more, be aware, look sharp -- they tell you all that at school. Or in one of Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy's open house sessions. Stung by a description of Indian airports as "dignified urinals", Rudy has outlined his code of good conduct for airhostesses, security personnel, officials and all the sundry others who interact with the average passenger. "Good behaviour, grooming, presentation and personalised attention," he says, full of instances where a warm smile, a comment or even a mild reproof from airline staff touched him. "Innovations have to come in the behaviour of staff," was his mantra to build "Brand India", as he addressed his eighth open house meet Monday, in 168 days as minister with independent charge of civil aviation. He brooks no excuses or complaints from the large gathering of employees who carp about stinking toilets, low productivity linked incentives and favouritism in recruitment as he presides over the somewhat one-sided open house. The bottom line -- customer is king. Airports in India are not the best of experiences for passengers who have to put up with curt behaviour, long queues and brusque security checks apart from unclean surroundings. Rudy pointed out that only 24 million people travelled by air in India, a country of one billion, compared with a total of 1,638 million worldwide. "It needs to change." Airhostesses had a big role, he said, since they spent maximum time interacting with passengers. "If you (airhostesses) add a personal touch to your passenger dealing, it makes a world of difference." Rudy had invited much criticism when he asked domestic national carrier Indian Airlines to stress on looks and presentation of candidates more than their written test while recruiting airhostesses. Like a finicky homemaker, Rudy goes on to describe other small areas of improvement. Uniforms need to be crisp, ventilators need to be freed from cobwebs, floors need to be swabbed more routinely, and toilets need to be spruced up. Admonishing the staff of state-owned Air-India and Indian Airlines for their complacence and dependence on government protection, he exhorted: "Outsiders only see the counter of India - not that of Jet or Sahara or Air India. "You represent the counter of India. Lets work to build a brand India." There is an undertone of caution in the encouraging words. "The government is behind you -- we will protect you. I am not here to fight the system but fine-tune it."
Source: IANS