LETTER TO R P SHAH

To

The Proprietor,

Sunshine International,

Khasra No. – 38, Plot No. 306,

Gali No. 3, Dabri Palam Road,

New Delhi – 110045.

From

Datla Chiranjeevi Raju,

Ground Floor, H. No. 33-4, Devi Nagar,

Payakaraopeta, Visakhapatnam District - 531 126.

Andhra Pradesh.

Dear Sir,

I saw an ad, given by you, in the Telugu daily Eenadu, a few weeks ago. I contacted Muskan over phone. She explained me the details of paper cup manufacturing process. I decided to buy a machine, make paper cups and make money for my survival.

I contacted Mr. Sudheer in Hyderabad and knew some details about this work.

I deposited 64,000 rupees into the current account of Sunshine International around 1 July, 2012. I paid 40,000 rupees towards partial cost of machine and 24,000 rupees towards security deposit for paper cup raw material. You took 10 days to make a machine for me worth 70,000 rupees. You booked my machine and a little raw material addressing me on 10 July, 2012, in New Delhi, at the office of Associated Road Carriers. I received this machine and material at the office of Associated Road Carriers, in Tuni, on 2 August, 2012.

Your trainer J Mukesh came to my rented portion of house in Payakaraopeta, in the morning hours, on 3 August, 2012. He checked the quality of my machine and did a few fitting acts to see that it is functioning for a while. He discovered that the 1 HP motor, in this machine, got damaged during road transport. He spent every minute hurriedly. He rushed to Rajahmundry that afternoon itself. I did not feel as if a trainer came from Delhi to train me on paper cup manufacturing process but Barack Obama from the United States of America. I paid 7,000 rupees to him as training fee based on the orders of Muskan. I did not know what he did for me worth this training fee.

I borrowed money from a private finance firm in Tuni pledging all the gold ornaments of my wife. Every month I have to pay 2100 rupees as interest for this money. I borrowed this money just depending on the promise of your business venture to invest in it. I did not think that you take that much time to send me the machine and you send such a trainer to teach me the process of paper cup manufacturing. I am suffering a lot considering the standards and values you are maintaining as an industrial unit in New Delhi. I am writing this letter to you to awaken you in many ways and let you know how a person like me suffers because of the shallow and unreliable business practices you are following now. Honesty is the best policy. I practice it in my life. I expect it from others.

1. Depositing Money in Bank Account

I deposited 64,000 rupees in your bank account without any proof or document from your end. I have to just believe that God is great and similarly Sunshine International also. Muskan gives me bank account details and that’s it. Don’t you think that it is one of the most outdated and old-fashioned methods of expecting money from your clients/new customers when they are interested in your business venture? You must send a formal letter/document/receipt at least specifying the details of payment and why you took it from a person. Why are you not doing it? Is it not a poor and bad business practice on your part?

2. Respect for Customers

I clearly typed my postal address in my email addressed to Muskan. She did not write even my address correctly on the consignment note of Associated Road Carriers or the envelope sent to me bearing this document through DTDC. She omitted my name altogether and just wrote down the name of C/o person. Is this the kind of communication and respect you have for your new customer, who desires to sustain his/her livelihood depending on your business venture? See that you write addresses correctly. Accurate communication is crucial for business.

3. Delay in Transport

I waited for 23 days to see my machine and material in Tuni. It means the vehicles of Associated Road Carriers took 22 days’ time to reach my machine to Tuni from New Delhi. You said that some annual fairs take place during this season, roads get blocked, vehicles stopped, during this time, in states like Uttar Pradesh, and so this unbearable delay in road transport. Why are you depending on Associated Road Carriers only? No Indian Railways or any other road transport medium, which promises you better/faster delivery, even in times like this? I felt very much frustrated and disappointed for depositing money in your account. Once I deposited money, I am in your hands. This is how you think and millions of Indians are thinking now. This is not fair business practice.

4. Negligence in Sending Raw Material

I clearly emailed to Muskan to send me raw material necessary for making one lakh paper cups. I received 1000 sheets of paper only along with machine. I can make 24,000 cups using these sheets of paper, if each of these is in a good condition. I found that about 15 sheets of them are partly damaged. Muskan asked me to send them back when I send my finished goods. You commit a mistake and you want to put that related burden on your esteemed customers. Is this a good business principle! Can you accept if I do like this when sending finished goods?

5. Trainer Fee

J Mukesh spent every minute, in my presence, hurriedly. I did not understand whether he came from New Delhi to Tuni (travelling about 3000 kilometres) to teach me everything related to paper cup manufacturing or just to rush away teaching a few things formally. Are you treating your customers like me like a beggar? A beggar treats his master like a God but God does not treat the beggar similarly. Gods don’t have much time to spend with beggars. You asked me to pay 7,000 rupees to this trainer. I wondered questioning myself “Why am I paying 7,000 rupees to him? What did he do for me? Has he come from the USA to train me or from India only?” Since you are in a higher position now, as an industrial unit, wherefrom you can issue orders to your clients/customers, I noiselessly paid 7,000 rupees to him. You are my master. I am your slave/servant. Servants should not question their masters.

6. Raw Material Processing (Sheet Cutting, Packing and Transport)

You are sending big sheets of paper. I have to cut each of these sheets into 24 pieces to make 24 paper cups from it. Every piece is a very valuable item for me because I am craving to earn 25 paise from each cup. How should I cut these many sheets into so many pieces to make paper cups? I should ask my wife to cut them into pieces, spending 24 hours a day, or beg a binder or printing machine holder to do it for me spending a lot of money and time on that factor. Your trainer or you are telling nothing on how to cut these sheets of paper into suitable pieces? You are leaving this crucial matter to the lot of your poor and helpless customers. You want finished goods. How should I pack them? Which boxes should I use to pack them? From which source should I get/buy those containers/cardboard boxes? What must be the sizes of these boxes? How many pieces should I pack in each box? To which address should I send them? Through which transport system should I send them? How and when do you pay money for these finished goods sent by me? Is there any system to address and monitor these things from your end? You left sheet cutting, packing and transport to your address like a big issue to all your customers. You don’t know how many problems they face every day to resolve these issues? How can a villager solve these problems? Most of the poor and helpless people are in villages and small towns now in India being unable to go anywhere and do anything to make a living? How can they benefit from your business venture? Can’t you find a solution to resolve these issues faced by your customers across places?

7. Supply of Raw Material

I asked Muskan, by email and over phone, to send me raw material necessary for making one lakh cups, along with machine but she did not do it. If I make 12,000 paper cups, working for eight hours, on your machine, how many paper cups can I make in a week’s time? What should I do when there is no enough raw material with me? Should I sit idly in my home dreaming about Muskan sending me raw material after a few weeks? You think your customers like me are millionaires and billionaires, who work for five days and rest for 25 days until your raw material arrives as per your standards. Poor, helpless, hopeless and frustrated Indians only resort to paper cup manufacturing business after collapsing in their personal/financial lives in many ways. Every day and every paisa they earn from your business option is very important for them. In this context, why are you playing with lives of desperate people like me? When I deposited 64,000 rupees into your bank account, without any proofs about your standards and values as a reliable business unit, why can’t you send raw material for two lakh paper cups without asking me to deposit more money for that also? You think we escape to the USA or the UK using the money we earn from your business, making a few thousand cups? I cannot deposit more money to make you send me more raw material because I am poor and helpless and for that reason only I chose your business. I want to make more and more paper cups, every day, amid chasing power cuts in our corrupt state, using the adequate raw material generously sent by you. I am not doing this business to cheat you. Fraudsters and criminals don’t choose the business option of paper cup manufacturing but politics, films and games. If some fellow decided to work with you means, he wants to live honestly and ideally through hard work, every day and night. I am one of such Indians. Why did Muskan refuse to send me raw material for two lakh cups without more deposit of money for that?  Why did not you send me raw material even for one lakh cups? How many days should I wait to earn a little money through your business venture? I am helpless, hopeless and sad, and that’s why I decided to work with you. You must be ideal when talking and dealing with helpless folks like me. If I have ability to deposit thousands of rupees in your account, whenever you ask, why should I do this poor business? Understand poor and helpless people better to do good business with them. If you fail to be kind and generous towards poor and helpless Indians like me, there is no purpose to your business venture or meaning to your mortal existence on this earth. Humanity means sympathy for good people. Only right people get into businesses like paper cup manufacturing. Only good people consider 25 paisa for one cup considerable income to live on their own. Let good Indians retain their hope for tomorrow.

8. Lack of Guidelines and Formats

At Sunshine International, the staff at higher positions, including its proprietor, must understand and answer the following questions and doubts, personally and professionally, which are felt by every client, while doing business with you. You can earn money doing business any way but the best businessman is one, who understands and serves one’s customers thinking from their perspectives. I want Sunshine International to be the best employer/business unit/entrepreneur. I have the following suggestions/comments in this regard.

1. Can’t we make a website/brochure/CD informing and explaining everything we do at Sunshine International as a business unit? It must speak everything about Sunshine International clearly and proudly? What else can we do to achieve this goal, which many small firms are also doing now?

2. Why should any new customer deposit money into our current bank account just depending on our words? Can’t we prepare a format of documentation/formal letter to address this point of concern better? How can others trust that we are a reliable and admirable firm, with a great track record, without some proofs in this regard?

3. How can we ensure that our consignments reach our present and past clients without much delay? Should we consider Indian Railways/highly reliable road carriers/any other medium? If days and days get wasted in transport itself and some goods are damaged in this process only, why should our clients be happy and satisfactory with our services in this regard? Are we using great material in our machinery or just fooling our clients thinking that they don’t know the real worth of these machines in open market? We should change our thinking in this direction!

4. Can’t we make a tool/set of tools to cut sheets of paper into different sizes minding the problems of our clients? Much of their time and energy get wasted in cutting sheets of paper only if we leave this stage of processing to their innocence and helplessness only. Printing presses/binding shops/individuals demand a lot of money from our poor clients if we leave paper cutting to their imagination only!

5. Can we make highly durable and dependable boxes/other material to help our clients? We should send raw material to them in time without damage and they must be able to send finished goods in the same fashion to us utilizing this material/tools/mechanism/means made/arranged by us. What should we do in this regard?

6. Why should we be scared to send adequate raw material to all those of our clients, who want it, based on their urgent and regular requirements. If somebody, living in distant places from New Delhi, chose to make paper cups for us, expecting 25 paisa for each cup, leaving all other similar business ventures in their regions in different states, it means that he/she is really innocent and helpless. They cannot sell/market our machines/paper cups in their regions without sending us. Then why expecting lots of deposits to send them enough raw material?

7.  Do we have a database with the contact details and addresses of every client we are dealing with? We must be able to understand everything, going on at Sunshine International, at any given point of time, without depending on others in this firm or our clients. Accurate and easily accessible information and reliable communication are great assets of a firm. What can we do to enhance our image in this regard from every point of view?

8. What can we do to streamline every process at Sunshine International? Raw material, packing, dispatch, receipt of finished goods, instant payments to clients, reliable business principles and practices…There is so much to think and act upon. Businesses thrive through planning, idealism and vision. We should help and guide others ideally. What can we do to achieve this larger goal every day? Let’s assemble our staff and bring a lot of change in.

About Me

I earlier worked as a language editor and content writer with four firms in Hyderabad for about four years. I did not find that life satisfactory and interesting because I did not get time to feel and enjoy my personal life. I wanted to go away from all those pains and burdens of city life as an employee associated with a business firm. I wanted to live doing something near my home, being close to my parents, siblings, friends and well-wishers. I returned to my hometown. I thought a lot. I decided to make paper cups to live honestly and ideally.

Essentially I am a writer, dreamer and thinker. I write personal diaries and post them online. To understand me as a writer and dreamer, you can visit my blog sites virahini.blogspot.in and dcraju.blogspot.in

I write when I feel the need of it strongly. I knew, from J Mukesh, that Sunshine International has a big industrial unit in New Delhi, where about 100 people work every day on different machines and tools. I wondered when I knew from him that there are about 100 machines of Sunshine International in different places of India. It means Sunshine International is not a small firm with a little board by the side of a road. When such many people are working in it, why are its people and processes are little known to its clients and customers also? Even worthless blokes are doing a lot now through their websites, brochures, business cards, presentations and other sources to let others understand who they are and what they are doing. Then, why not anything, of this order, happening on behalf of Sunshine International? These doubts and questions and related disappointment, caused to me, because of your thoughtless and unreliable business practices, made me write this letter to you. I can be happy and satisfied as your client only when you understand my concerns and fears. As a writer and dreamer, it is my moral responsibility to make my fellow Indians understand others better. Attached my CV for your careful glance!

Thank you.

Sincerely,

(Datla Chiranjeevi Raju)

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I wrote this letter on 4 August, 2012, and posted to the address of Sunshine International, for R P Shah.