British Rail

A few years ago, British Rail had a real fall-off in business. Looking for marketing answers, they went searching for a new ad agency—one that could deliver an ad campaign that would bring their customers back.

 

When the British Rail executives went to the offices of a prominent London ad agency to discuss their needs, they were met by a very rude receptionist, who insisted that they wait.

 

Finally, an unkempt person led them to a conference room—a dirty, scruffy room cluttered with plates of stale food. The executives were again, left to wait. A few agency people drifted in and out of the room,

basically ignoring the executives who grew impatient by the minute. When the executives  tried to ask what was going on, the agency people brushed them off and went about their work.

 

Eventually, the executives had enough. As they angrily started to get up, completely disgusted with the way they'd been treated, one of the agency people finally showed up.

 

"Gentlemen," he said, "your treatment here at our Agency is not typical of how we treat our clients—in fact, we've gone out of our way to stage this meeting for you. We've behaved this way to point out to you what it's like to be a customer of British Rail. Your real problem at British Rail isn't your advertising, it's your people. We suggest you let us address your employee attitude problem before we attempt to change your

advertising."

 

The British Rail executives were shocked—but the agency got the account! 

The moral of the story: The agency had the remarkable conviction to point out the problem because it knew exactly what needed to be changed. It is always better to call a spade – a spade than beat around the bush! This is also a true representation of the working of many government organisations in many countries.

 

Systems are important but it is only the people who are the face of any company!          

What Is this.?

An 65 year old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 38 years old highly educated son. Suddenly a crow perched on their window.

The Father asked his Son, "What is this?"

The Son replied "It is a crow".

After a few minutes, the Father asked his Son the 2nd time, "What is

this?"

The Son said "Father, I have just now told you "It's a crow".

After a little while, the old Father again asked his Son the 3rd time,

what is this?

At this time some expression of irritation was felt in the Son's tone when he said to his Father with a rebuff. "It's a crow, a crow".

A little after, the Father again asked his Son t he 4th time, "What is this?

This time the Son shouted at his Father, "Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times 'IT IS A CROW'. Are you not able to understand

this?"

A little later the Father went to his room and came back with an old tattered diary, which he had maintained since his Son was born. On opening a page, he asked his Son to read that page. When the son read it, the

following words were written in the diary

"Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow was sitting on the window. My Son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a Crow. I hugged him lovingly eachtime he asked me the same question again and again for 23 times. I did not at all feel irritated I rather felt affection for my innocentchild".

While the little child asked him 23 times "What is this", the Father had felt no irritation in replying to the same question all 23 times and when today the Father asked his Son the same question just 4 times, the Son felt

irritated and annoyed

So, if your parents attain old age, do not repulse them or look at them asa burden, but speak to them a gracious word, be cool, obedient, humble and kind to them. Be considerate to your parents. From today say this aloud, "I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since Iwas a little child. They have always showered their selfless love on me.They crossed all mountains and valleys without seeing the storm and heat to make me a person presentable in the society

today".

Being There

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.

 

"Your son is here," she said to the old man.

 

She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

 

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand.   The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

 

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength.  Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.

 

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.  

 

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

 

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

 

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.

 

"Who was that man?" he asked. 

 

The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.

 

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."

 

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

 

"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed on. I came here tonight to find one, William Grey. His son was Killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this Gentleman's name?”

 

The nurse with tears in her eyes answered, “Mr. William Grey.............

 

 

Moral of the story: The next time when someone needs you .................... just be there.

 

We all need a shoulder to lean and cry, in our life, at some point of time or other. It is only fair that we extend our shoulders, when we can, to those who need!