BRAToSPHERE

Tag: ecommerce

  • Alibaba’s World – Book Review

    Alibaba is probably the biggest success story of the recent times. Adding my interest in e-commerce sector in general, this book got on my must read list. I got my hands on the e-version of the book and finished it within a working week!

    The book chronicles the rise of Alibaba, from an apartment building to a company that challenges corporate goliaths E-Bay and Amazon. The author was one of the early employees at the company and had an inside view of the company from its beginnings.

    From his vantage point (he was handling PR for the company), the author writes about the successes and to a lesser degree the failures of the company.

    There are many interesting anecdotes about the early days of the company like the whole fight with ebay, and the guerrilla tactics used against it; the challenges posed by Yahoo’s early investment in the company.

    Reading the book makes one feel that history is repeating itself on in India, albeit 10 years later, and instantly one starts pegging who would be the Alibaba from India? Probably many, given the complexities in the geography and the economic disparities in this wonderful country.

    At the end of the book, the author has included 40 lessons he took away from Jack Ma and Alibaba. Here’re a few of my favorites:

    • Today is tough but the day after tomorrow is beautiful. But most companies die tomorrow evening and can’t see the sunshine on the day after tomorrow.
    • Endure the struggle
    • It’s more important to be the best not the first
    • Find opportunity in crisis
    • Learn from competitors but never copy them

    This is like a semi-autobiographical narrative of the author’s life in alibaba. While it serves as a quick entertaining read, I wish there was a depth into the mind of Jack Ma.

    I felt the author was very lenient on the company and has highlighted all positive things alone. The book nowhere seems balanced perception of the company.

    Also, one thing that has kept me intrigued for long is – why did Jack Ma chose the name Alibaba. Alas! I am still intrigued and unaware.

    Overall, a good basic book for anyone interested in the story of the rise of alibaba.

  • Why i am never ever going to buy from snapdeal.com?

    Those who know me would know that I am a Sucker for anything online, and can proudly claim to be one of the early adopters of e-commerce. US trade data says e-commerce continues to trounce physical retail stores. I still very strongly believe in it, and prefer buying things online, if a decent option is available, be it books, electronics, and of late apparel too! ( travel tickets of course)

    About three weeks back, in the last week of June, I was looking to buy a sports shoe for myself, and had checked them out extensively over the Internet and in retail stores too. I did not want something expensive. And then, I see this mail from snapdeal.com, saying HUGE DISCOUNTS ON SHOES. I am interested, and check out the collection. After spending a good one hour searching for the right looking shoe, and also exchanging links of the same, to get it ratified, i place the order. A shoe, worth 2k, for 1.6k – cool! Snapdeal is cool! Or so I thought.

    This I order on thursday, June 28th. When i check the status on July 1st, it shows the shipping date as thursday, July 5th. One whole week to ship the product? Not so great by ecommerce standards, but am cool. It is worth the deal provided. Or so I thought.

    Friday, July 6th, I check the status online, expecting that it has been shipped and i would receive it today. Well, the status still shows “to be shipped on july 5th”. I am surprised. Can they not even update their system, and this particular bit can be automated. I tweet snapdeal.com about the case, and get a quick response that they would check and get back within 24 hours. I am impressed by their customer care, and responsiveness. Or so I thought.

    Saturday, sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – no response! I kept tweeting them each day, but no response there either. I am surprised. The website status still shows the same ” to be shipped on July 5th” now this gets worrying, and I decide that I would call their customer care the next day. Expecting that they would call before that, or the status would change. Or so I thought.

    Thursday, I again tweet my agony to snapdeal.com, and this time they respond – “our customer representative tried calling you yesterday but no response. Will arrange for a call again today” I have now totally lost it. Are you doing a favor to me by calling me about my order? If I was not available on the phone, mail me the issue! I have ordered it online, and would appreciate digital communication. And instead of “arranging” for a call, you should have just called.

    The “arrangement” clearly did not work, as I never got that coveted call from snapdeal.com. Finally, giving up, and realizing that it is my money at stake there, I had to call them (I was so wishing that I had opted for COD. Now i know why the return rate is so high on COD orders)

    By now I am totally miffed, and furious at snapdeal.com. My money was stuck with them, and I had to call them for that. I call up the customer care, and after a wait, a customer representative responds. After another long arduous wait, and being on hold after mentioning my order details, the representative there, in a very non-chalant manner, in a matter of fact way, tells me that the vendor does not have this particular piece, and they would be refunding my money.

    Yes, I want my money back, and my mental peace. After keeping me waiting for two weeks now, this is the least you would do. But the important question, it would have been appreciated if you had shown some remorse or some guilt on this whole fiasco.

    I would never ever buy again from snapdeal.com!