Sunday, February 05, 2006

Unfair Transaction

Yesterday, I went to market to buy some coconuts. Unfortunately I didn’t had any money with me, but I had a bagful of bananas so I thought of paying using good old barter system.

I went to a kirana store and asked shopkeeper to give me one kg coconuts, and according to exchange rate printed on board I had to pay ten kgs of bananas for one kg of coconut.

The shopkeeper weighed coconut and gave it to me. I gave him bagful of bananas to weigh and take his share in that. To my amazement, the shopkeeper started to remove cover of banana and he weighed only eatable part of banana to keep for him.

I protested, "You weighed coconut, with its shell and now you are removing cover of bananas which I am giving it to you, I am at loss, this is unfair!”

"I don’t care", the shopkeeper yelled.

"When I give coconut to you I am concerned with what I am giving to you, I don’t care what you are receiving, it depends on type of coconut and how you remove its shell",

"Also when I accept bananas from you, I don’t care what you are giving, I am concerned with only the eatable portion I receive, I don’t want its useless covers and I won't give you additional coconut for the useless covers of bananas."

The adamant shopkeeper offered no choice for me. I searched all the shops in the market, but of no use. All shops had this same practice.

What do you think? Isn't this transaction unfair?

If you haven't guessed it, put yourself in my position, shopkeeper is your employer and coconut is CTC, cost to company, and if you remove its shell, eatable part - inhand salary is very less. The banana is TFC, time for company, time you spent for your employer which includes your travel time.

Now, Is THIS a fair transaction? We need to ponder over it. All shopkeeper follow the same rule doesn't mean that it’s fair. I hope some day customer will get better bargain for his bananas.

As a customer, what do you think about this?

5 comments:

Paresh said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

companies do pay for your travel time. But for that you have to be sitting at the higher parts of the hierarchy!

Shailesh said...

Yeah, for that I have to wait some more years :)

Some years ago, concept of bereavement leave, paternity leave were unknown, atleast in India.

Similarly I think, within 10-15 years ordinary employee will get compensation for travel time in some form or other.

Anonymous said...

They will never consider travel time moreover companies cut good amount from salary for providing transport. CTC makes u infatuated and fall in love with company, when finally u start working i.e u get married then u get to know the reality i.e. the actual perks and inhand pay and more working hours, more pressure and u get nothing for it. Finally a failed marriage which u cant divorce for ur whole life.

Shailesh said...

The issue is not only of travel time.

The main problem is "measurement" at shopkeeper's end and not at customer's end.