Friday, July 30, 2010

Flood of Emotions

Its a relief to see raingods having mercy on mumbaikars and rushing to fill all the lakes with enthusiasm. But its not a good sight when your house meets the same fate. I woke up this morning to see my bathroom and my kitchen sink flooded with water and dirt that didn't belong to me. Its a problem that has been raised several times and even the heavens would have opened or closed depending on my pleas. but that's not the case with mahindra. They turn a blind eye or at best give assurance that it will be sorted out asap. We are still waiting with bated breath (the stink is unbearable).

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Powwow with CEO OF Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited

There is a meeting planned with CEO Ms Anita Arjundas on 30th July 2010 to thrash out the issues which have been dogging the residents for long and no effective and long lasting solution could be thought by project engineers and managers of Mahindra Lifespaces Developers Limited.
 

Residents are hopeful that true to the dignity of her rank, CEO will have judicious look into the grievances and pull up the managerial and engineering hierarchy to deliver on promises and save the reputation of the brand which was painstakingly cobbled together after years of dedicated workforce of Mahindra Group. How can these guys hold the prestige of Mahindra brand to ransom, and in fact allow the real estate arm of Mahindra Group - "Mahindra Lifespaces Developers Limited" to score so low on the scale of customer satisfaction and grievance redressal.
We hope that CEO also doesn't take the leaf out of the book of her project team, who seem to have attained mastery in constantly repeating like a parrot that miseries faced by residents are due to unauthorised and shoddy structural modification by some of the residents.
 

When project team is confronted why there is perennial leakage in the pipe ducts which causes dampness in adjoining walls and attracts fungus and algae formation, they come up fully armed with laptop, digital projector and very enthusiastically start the slide show of pictures depicting unauthorised modification by some residents and wave the fancy looking spiral bound audit report on the issue.
 

Does it not show how childish they are in their approach to solving the problem?

Does it not show that they have failed miserably in taking timely action to prevent unauthorised modification which may cause nuisance to all the residents?
 

Does it not reflect that they have unwittingly admitted their failure to do their duty?
 

Does it not show that instead of finding the solution and rectifying the mistakes they are engaged in producing fancy papers and passing the buck?
 

Why not they stop printing fancy brochures, bulky audit reports, digitally enhanced misleading pictures and instead show their talent in giving shape to the concrete structure?
 

When people invest their hard earned money to buy their dream home they also invest their emotions. When people start living in their homes and are confronted with stinky realities almost on daily basis, they tend to ask the question to themselves, if they really did something wrong by blindly investing their emotions and money with brand named - MAHINDRA. The thoughts of having our dream home made by who else but famous Mahindra brand name, were juking and jiving in our mind until they landed with a thud all because of bunch of duds from Mahindra Lifespace developers limited, who believed themselves to be the dudes of construction business.
How can CEO allow some handful of her own people to compromise the Mahindra brand so recklessly. After all MAHINDRA name has gone on to become from someone's surname to one of the most visible brand names globally. Even though we don't work for Mahindra Group, but feel passionate and take pride with brand when we see it appearing globally. But the irony is CEO's team doesn't seem to be passionate about it, and we, who are more passionate about Mahindra brand are being savaged more ruthlessly and being taken for a ride.
 

How can Mahindra Lifespaces Developers Limited even digest the fact they are now being rated lower than many of the second rung builders in Mumbai? Is that how CEO intends to scale the heights in Real Estate business? Is it only the balance sheet and annual bonus which keeps the CEO ticking?
 

Our dealing with Mahindra Lifespaces Developers Limited has brought to the fore this fact that Mahindra Lifespaces Developers Limited -
1. neither score high on OPERATIONAL SPEED - moving quickly, completing the projects on time.
2. nor scores on STRATEGIC SPEED -reducing the time it takes to deliver value.
Mahindra Lifespaces seems to have pioneered the concept of flouting their own set deadlines over and over again. Operational speed has already been bid adieu by them and we tend to wonder if STRATEGIC SPEED was ever on the agenda of MAHINDR LIFESPACE DEVELOPERS LIMITED.
 

Strategic Speed is a function of leadership. With customer dissatisfaction reaching high among Mahindra Eminente residents, is it not the time for leadership to take a pause, look around to be sure that MLDL is on track and if any course correction is required, rather than plow ahead full bore to either dig khaddas after khaddas in the name of water body within the complex not knowing how to keep it clean or to fill the khadda up with concrete in your quest to con some more customers into buying apartments in new residential tower ANGELICA. If this course correction and self introspection is not resorted to now then it may lead to decreased value over time.
Historically the companies who have "slowed down to speed up" have averaged almost 40% higher sales and 52% higher operating profits. Choice is on the leadership - madame CEO!
 

Only after the meeting with CEO, that the residents would come to know whether leadership believes in Operational speed , Strategic speed or doesn't believe in the concept of speed at all.
Lets hope this meeting with CEO doesn't turn into another round of braying and baying in an otherwise sepulchral quiet of conference room.
 

Also
 

Lets hope this meeting with CEO doesn't lead to hodgepodge of initiatives without any overarching vision or plan.
Come on .........Hold on to coffee containers , switch blackberrys & iphones to vibration mode and file in to conference room for some powwow with CEO and her bunch of bhaus....Remember.....? Those infamous "Bhaus" of Goregaon's "Bhaucha Dhakka"!!!.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Duds behind deadline

This blogpost emanantes from the comment left behind by Mr Rajesh Sonawane in previous post http://mahindra-eminente.blogspot.com/2010/07/deadline-is-dead-again.html For the sake of greater visibility the comment has been reproduced here verbatim:

QUOTE

"..........I would jog our memories to the last meeting we had with the MLDL team. After much frustration vented by the residents (justified because it was bred over months and months of MLDL's abject failure with the waterbody - It has never worked in all its eight months of existence!), after debate, and consternation Mr. Kharkhanis - just about stopped short of thumping his chest - declared that the waterbody would be up and running in 15 days flat - that the team had the monster in control finally.

It's been well over a month and a half since that meeting, and Mr. Kharkhanis has proved as effective as his word. The waterbody is still dysfunctional, its gone worse! And Mr. Karkhanis is as silent as the dry gaping holes of the gargoyles.

For all the flourish and conviction that these blokes advertise, they must also realize that this abject apathy is unacceptable in today's day and age. This is a classified premium property, and it must be backed with accountability for the money they have siphoned off the believing customers.
What world are these guys working in? Gone are the days when builders were beyond reproach. This is no anarchy - this the age when customer is the king.

The waterbody typifies a developer who is probably the last dinosaur of his ilk. He belongs to the museum.

It infuriates me when I see all the troubles of living here in exchange for hard-earned money. We come to a brand and pay the price it commands only so that we do not have to take this s**t.

What were these guys thinking when they built this great ode to architectural disasters?

Where is the brand when it has to answer for all the claims it made?

Do these people spend any time at all when the complaints come in? Or are they just too busy approving the layouts and deciding the font sizes of yet another misleading brochure.

They should be in the printing business then. They must vacate the construction line; leave it for the Lodhas, the Rahejas and the Oberoi's and spare themselves further public humiliation.

I will point out to the health hazards due to the waterbody in a subsequent mail..................."

UNQUOTE

===================================

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Deadline is dead again!

True to Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited (MLDL) work culture, and their obsession with flouting one deadline after another, the deadline of making the waterbody operational is dead again. Is it not an indirect admission that they can never deliver which they promise? Is Mahindra Life space developers limited in the business to fleece the customers and build up on the balance sheet ?

At the first instance they fleeced one set of home buyers in buildings- VERVIAN and VERONICA by showing the plans depicting the greenery, then suddenly some nerd in MLDL thought - Nope! blue water body in the glossy brochures will be more appealing for next set of home buyers for their new buildings- ASPEN and ANGELICA . So, quickly new set of brochures printed and dug up the mother of all khaddas right in our midst.

Ground reality is that since January 2010 when Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited sent across the circular with digitally enhanced images of operational waterbody and waterfall area, declaring it ready, it has never been ready in true sense. It was always dirty, full of muck and been the breeding ground of mosquitoes and no one in MLDL having a clue about how to keep it clean and operational. Since then it has always been in such a sorry state that look, feel and atrocious fishy smell around the water body is no less than what one is subjected to when at Bhaucha Dhakka (Ferry wharf) in Mazgaon Mumbai.

Is this the Spanish design of water body?

Is this the Spanish standard of maintaining the water body?

In which part of Spain, have MLDL bosses and Hafeez contractor seen this kind of water body which has no parallel anywhere else in the world except right here in Bhaucha Dhakka at Mazagaon? We don't want any more (maz)gaon in Goregaon. One gaon is enough!

Where is that Bhau, who conceptualised it ? Where is that bhau who erected it and where is that bhau who is now shouldering the job of operationalizing it? Let all the three Bhaus come here in our midst and show us from which of the four cardinal points, this water body concept is trying to replicate the Spanish architectural glory?

Forget about Spanish architectural glory, is it even looking any shade closer to the shade of blue painted in advertising brochures.

Since the last meeting with Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited on 13th June 2010, the job of cleaning of water body was taken back from international cleaning experts KNIGHT-FRANK and was handed over to another set of local experts. Since then one obese expert was pretending to supervise while constantly chatting on his phone and the other so-called expert has been vacuuming the bottom of the water body. After more than 20 days of expertise, experts decided to drain off the water (and also the money), then got down to Indian style of mopping and scrubbing.

Our bai , who neither appears international nor calls herself an expert, definitely doesn't take 20 days to clean our house and does better job than both KNIGHT-FRANK and "experts" put together.

By the way, lets not let go the three Bhaus off the hook.

How can Mahindra & Mahindra Corporate group turn a blind eye to such kind of talented Bhaus being nurtured in Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited? On the other hand, Mr Anand Mahindra tweets that he is busy distributing Mahindra Scholarship. I hope after enjoying the scholarship, those talents also don't turn out to be same blokes as we are currently struggling with in Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited. This is the time, Mr Mahindra, to take a break from that kabutarbaaji(tweeting), and taking to task these errant bhaus and cronies of Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited.

Once again - We don't want Bhaucha Dhakka inside the premises of Mahindra Eminente!!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Monsoon Nuisance III

Before Continuing with this episode of Monsoon Soap Opera at Mahindra Eminente residential project developed by Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited, please don't miss earlier episodes:

Monsoon Nuisance -I

Monsoon Nuisance-II

As the monsoon arrives so starts dripping water in the stilt parking area through various expansion joints between concrete slabs. When Engineers of Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited are confronted with this situation they comfortably resign to the fact by boldly stating that concrete expansion joints are expected to leak. What kind of water proof joint was used which was supposed to leak in addition to absorbing the expansion.

Has Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited patented a new technology of "leaking expansion joints of concrete structure", and made Mahindra Eminente project a guinea pig for first trial of that kind of rubbish technology.

Mahindra Eminente residents are not amused by this kind of rubbish technology. We challenge Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited to show us one concrete Expansion Joint, anywhere in whole of Mumbai other than the ones in Mahindra Eminente, which allows water to pass through.

Now the icing on the cake - Instead of repairing such leaking expansion joints, project team has chosen to fix the containment tray complete with drain pipes under all such leaking joints to capture the water leaking through.

Now some more dollops of icing and for some good measure sake throw in some falooda too - Even the containment trays are leaking and now workers are trying to fix the leakage of containment tray with liberal quantity of cement. Why not M-Seal? man!! o man!! Does "M" in "M-seal" stand for Mahindra? Clearly a shoddy workmanship , isn't it? Did you all miss previous story about workmanship? Never mind, just follow this link, but after reading that story come back again to complete this episode of Monsoon Soap opera.

Now best one for the last -
When there is water logging in the silt parking area due to water leakage through concrete expansion joints and disproportionate slope in the floor of stilt parking area, engineers of Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited collectively decide to chisel out miniature canals to lead the water to nearest drain hole.

Any children living in the complex following this blog?....Monsoon is the right time to let your paper boats traverse through these miniature canals!!!! Maajhi Re!!

Jai Ho!!! Mann Gaye Mahindra Lifespace Developers ko!!!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Workmanship at its worst!


Attached picture is of the wall at the elevator entrance lobby on stilt parking level. One of the tiles on the wall is of the shade different from other tiles.

Does it not reflect the level of quality control and work culture of the builder MAHINDRA LIFESPACE DEVLOPERS LIMITED.

Shoddy workmanship and shoddier supervision!.

Anand Mahindra has been camping in South Africa to buck up Mahindra Satyam geeks in managing IT affairs of worldcup and salvage some of the reputation for an organization from Mahindra stable but looks like he has got no time to salvage the reputation of Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited. So much so that he doesn't show the courtesy of replying to some of the tweets by residents, referring to deplorable state of Mahindra Eminente, whereas he doesn't miss a minute to reply to appreciation and post minute by minute account of his FIFA sojourn.

Time for some soul searching in addition to searching M&A opportunities somewhere faraway.

Monsoon Nuisance -II







In continuation of earlier blog post (http://mahindra-eminente.blogspot.com/2010/07/monsoon-dhamaka.html) regarding nuisance value which Monsoon has brought along for Mahindra Eminente Complex and exposed the shoddy workmanship coupled with shoddier supervision and quality control, here are some more pictures.

Appended pictures reflect the damage which is caused to false ceiling panelsby water seepage on the podium lobby of VERVIAN and veronica buildings. This also demonstrates the mypoic vision and lack of foresight on the part of project executioners.

Lets hope root cause of the problem can be located and corrective action initiated by MAHINDRA LIFESPACE DEVELOPERS LIMITED at th earliest, instead of turning a blind eye and waiting for mother nature to provide solution by orbiting away in its orbit and allowing for this chaotic monsoon to give way to next season. Probably then builder's project management team will breathe sigh of relief and then these ugly patches in ceiling will be camouflaged with fresh coat of paint.

Lets see which course of action is chosen by the engineers of MAHINDRA LIFESPACE DEVELOPERS LIMITED.