Company Experience

I just want to share my experience while working with Mobile Magic, which claims to be India’s largest and fastest growing chain of mobile retail stores.

After my studies in Pune, I had decided to return back to Kerala and try for some job here so that I could stay in my home with my parents. That time, I got a call from the “HR Manager” of Mobile Magic, the so called “Largest chain of mobile outlets in India.” I was asked whether I was interested in working in my native. Since I was planning to come back, I took this offer. In two days, I received a call from one of the promoters. He was pretty impressed with me (I guess) and so I was asked to pay a visit to Mobile Magic’s head office at Nagpur and take the final round of interview.

Nagpur is about 16hours journey from Pune, by bus. I reached company office on the given date before the scheduled time of 9:00AM. All I could see was a locked office where I had to stand about an hour when the security arrived and opened the office. I got my self refreshed in the office itself. And people started coming in one by one by around 10. I met the HR, with whom I had been interacting with. And the directors had also arrived. I was asked to wait as the person whom i was supposed to meet was busy with some meetings with the other directors.

Time went by and nothing happened. In between I met the HR regarding the interview. Everytime she assured me that it will happen in 15 mins. I wondered, is this the only 15 mins the HR knew, in all the world. It became lunch time, I was still waiting. Later around she asked me to have lunch and come as the director had left for lunch. (I thought “That’s great. He had called me all the way from Pune and he is having his lunch very comfortably.” Lack of proper time management.)

The funniest thing is that company’s Office is situated in such a place in Nagpur, where you will not find a single hotel or restaurant in the near vicinity. Oh yeah, you have one multi cuisine restaurant a block away but it was very expensive. And the funniest thing was none in the company who were residing in Nagpur knew a place nearby. Somehow, I could find a place nearby where I got some snacks for lunch. IT was then, the HR had called me and asked to return to the office immediately as the director had returned. This was around 3:00PM. I got back to the office ASAP and found myself waiting near his cabin. Later it was about 5:00PM when the director called me inside. And I had my bus back to Pune in an hour. I went inside, he asked me some questions regarding my previous profession and then regarding mobile business. Then he just went straight to topic regarding the company, its promoters, operations and other thing in brief. He even gave me a presentation which is usually given to the prospective customers and he wanted me to ask him questions as a prospective customer. I did everything, and I believe he was pretty impressed. Later in the night, I caught my bus back to Pune.

After a couple of days, I received a call from the HR stating that I was selected and she briefed me regarding the position, remuneration and other job profile details. I accepted the offer and I agreed to join Mobile Magic.

Experience never ends.

One thing I noticed after joining was that Mobile Magic was a completely disorganized company. From outside everything seemed in place. But when I got into the system, I understood that including the directors, no one had any value for their word. Everything in Mobile Magic was a mess. The accounts, logistics, stock department, marketing… everything. No one cared for Mobile Magic and its future. The directors were very busy working for the development and tie-ups when they neglected the basic problems in Mobile Magic. I was told that I will have to adjust for a month as Mobile Magic was under huge financial crisis and was assured that things will get alright in a months time. Poor me, I agreed. The directors were running behind people to invest money into Mobile Magic but they neglected the existing people/ franchisees who had already invested with Mobile Magic for its franchisee.

Mobile Magic works in a franchisee model. People who are interested had to invest lacs of Rupees depending on the location, to take its franchisee. So there were people who had already invested whose problems were neglected and no one including the director-franchisee development, Mr. Vivek Palode. He was desperately running behind people to invest their money in Mobile Magic and take its franchisee.

There was no proper training given as there was no one to do that. The director wanted only results. Without training who can give results. No one came straight from the skies who is that smart. He is the number one deceiver who will laugh with you and pull your leg from behind. More people were added to my team. Everyone was told the same problem – the financial crisis of Mobile Magic.

To get itself out of the financial crisis, the directors had applied from loan from a bank. The as per banks procedure, their officials will come and visit Mobile Magic premises and make sure that its not a fake and its worth it providing loan. The funniest thing I found was on that particular day scheduled for visit from bank, everything was in place. The logistics we going smooth, people were in great spirits including my team. And I was asked to act as if I had just returned from my work place and I had appointed 3 franchisees there. It was really an unfortunate situation. I had to fake myself, that too with my fellow country-man. I could not help myself. The director introduced me as the star performer who had just returned from Kerala after appointing 3 franchisees here. That was really a bad day and I was really upset for what had happened. My colleagues told me not to worry and such things happen in the professional life.

With regards to the salary issues, I got my first salary after joining Mobile Magic toward the end of Nov 2006, in February. My first salary for the month of December came into my operating account after 3 months of joining. Has this ever happened with anyone? I hope it has not and it don't. Because it your first salary man!!. This company never gave a damn about the people working in it. Then how will it care for those who invest.

And the same continued again. One fine morning, I was asked to pack up and leave for Cochin, which is a prime city of Kerala, where there was an expo in which Mobile Magic was taking part. It was so sudden that I did not even have a chance to think. And I left for my field without any kind of training attained. And the director expected me to give results. And unfortunately nothing worked out in Kerala. Now I am happy that no one took the franchisee as now as I look back, I as so happy that I didn’t not have to drag any of my fellow being into this. And I returned back to Nagpur.

Starting from December, Mobile Magic had given advertisements inviting people to take the franchisee offer. They were offered some kind minimum guarantee in return every month, which I used to wonder whether any of the franchisee of Mobile Magic is receiving that. I believe everything was a fake. They were just trying to cheat people and make money. During the ad campaign, I got this opportunity to work in the back end. Again no one including the directors had any idea regarding how to carry out things. Inquiries flushed in and we used to send the offer documents with all details. That time I was working as a data entry operator with the designation or a Manager. ;-)

Months passed by we were working without being given a single money as salary. We had to fight with the people in the accounts department to get atleast out Daily Allowance amount. Even that was not provided in time. Every 2nd day we used to go and beg for it. Anyways, towards mid May, there was an expo in Bangalore in which we took part. At last I got out of Nagpur. I stayed back in Bangalore after the expo, for about 2 weeks and started meeting people. In the meantime, there was another expo in Hyderabad in June 5th or 6th. Again I was told that my colleague will take over from me all the works I was doing in Bangalore and I was asked to move to Hyderabad. All my works in Bangalore went in vain. It was more difficult to work in Hyderabad as I was not feeling good in my mind. I didn’t have any money with me to spend for myself or to do something else. No entertainment for more than a month. When I ask for money, its again the same story – financial crisis.

And it came to a situation where salaries were given to those who had given results and to those who hasn’t, no payments. The condition was horrible. You feel down morally. I was so desperate to find some one so that I would get my salary. And the direcrot used to say not to be desperate behind people. He never tried to understand our problems. He used to say that and never paid salary. Once he had even stopped my salary cheque for 2 month, worth Rs.29,800/-. What can I do?

I worked in Bangalore for 2 weeks and was not let to be there to give result. I started work there and after 2 weeks, I was asked to leave Bangalore. And the director was behind me for result. My 2 weeks of work was a waste for me. And my colleague got the result. That’s not the problem. He never cared to understand that. He was telling me that its been more than a month and he needs results. Where the heck will I give him results? How can he expect me to work that way? I was badly in need of money. And at last I found one person in Hyderabad and I signed him without thinking anything else. And I was given one month’s pay, ie of February.

In this condition, I decided to quit. And I got a chance to come to Kerala. After coming here, I tried to get one more client so that I could retrieve other month’s salary too. But I could not drag more people into this. At last I decided to for-go my pending salaries. If I stay, I will lose more months. And I decided to quit and I did. Still I have 3 months salary pending. The directors had stopped payment of one cheque with out even giving proper notice to me. The cheque was returned to my address. I can sue the signatories for doing fraud and cheating. And I am thinking about doing that. What do you suggest? I am not asking for my incentive!!.

Now I think I should have demanded for my salary when I was working with them. Because without proper cause, they cannot terminate an employee. And if they intend to do so, they will have to clear all the payments. Also the person can approach the labour court for his rights. So those who is reading this, if you are with Mobile Magic, I am not asking you to quit, but be careful of the directors of Mobile Magic. You could get cheated. So do demand for your payments on time. If you are not performing, then they can with hold your incentive and not your salary. Its your right to be paid your salary in time. If they say the same reason – financial crisis, trust Mobile Magic would have got closed down by now. So those are just the excuses they are giving to delay your payments. So just take care.

Still I have 3 months’ salary pending from Mobile Magic. When I last talked to the HR, when the director was not attending my calls, I was told that all the dues were cleared, when the cheque carrying my salary for two month was in my hands. This information was passed to the HR and inturn the HR had conveyed it back to me with a footer "Please don't try to contact the higher authorities." The cheque is worth Rs. 29,800/-, and was issued in my father's name I didn't have an account in a branch that had core-banking facility.

So this is my suggestion to everybody. Next time, when you are planning to leave a company, be sure that you have redeemed all the dues between you and Mobile Magic. There is any left, you should claim that then itself. Please don't think that Mobile Magic will repay it back to you. C'mon you will hardly find companies so sincere.