Cab Guru

A conversation that turned out to be very profound…

- Harihara Mahadevan M

That was an unusual day for me. I learnt precious wisdom from a simpleton – a cab driver. What famous B- schools can't teach, he taught me during one trip with him! It is over a month since I met him that too for a very short time as his customer, yet, the impact he left on me is still lingering. Let me narrate the conversion that happened between us.

As I approached his cab, this smartly dressed driver jumped out of his seat to open the rear door of the car for me. With an attractive smile he handed me a laminated card and said “I would like you to read my mission statement”.

Though taken aback by this, I read the card. It said: “To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment and making it a pleasurable experience.”

I sat inside the cab and was pleasantly surprised to see the inside of the cab kept so clean like that of an aircraft.

''Would you like a cup of coffee or tea?'' I opted for coffee and it was served hot.

He also handed over the daily newspapers and weekly magazines.

''Leave all these! Tell me, friend, is this your regular practice with all the customers? ''

"Yes and no! For the past three years, yes! Before that, an honest no! I was also complaining like the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard about 'power of choice' one day" - He continued further.

''Power of choice is that you can be a duck or an eagle. Ducks quack and complain; Eagles soar above the crowd. I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I decided to make some changes, slowly… one change at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more''.

''How did you get into this profession?'' I was interested in knowing about him.