I use a 2-wheeler to get the spare parts. There is no expense in going to and fro on a 2-wheeler. If I ask the customer to buy the part himself, he refuses and says that he trusts me and asks me to get the part myself.
Underwear and baniyans are delivered. There is no need to check the quality there. I just send the names on WhatsApp. These items kept here are underwear and baniyans. I send the names and sizes. So, they deliver them here.
For sarees, I have to check and buy. There are new designs daily. If we get old designs, then we cannot sell them. No, for sarees, we have to check and purchase. Once I purchase, I get an auto and bring the items. They will drop the items here. I have an Activa of my daughter. I use that. If it is a small bundle, I bring it on Activa. If the bundle is big, the auto drops them here. They charge 60-70 per bundle. I buy only what is needed. If the sarees are light, I can bring around 100 sarees. If the sarees are heavy, it will be 25-30. If the sarees are very heavy, I bring only 20-25.
If there are no customers, why would I go to buy parts? I go myself to purchase the parts and bring them with me. I go on a bicycle.
Yes, in the beginning, my in-laws asked me not to go. They said, "How will you go alone?" My sister-in-law stays in Kolkata, so they asked me to stay at her place. She will take you there. So I did it. Nobody stays in Jaipur. I used to go alone. I got scared in the beginning, but I stayed and bought things in the hotel of my choice. I used to get up at 7 and leave by 9. The market opens up at 10. I used to roam in the market and see. There are problems, but I do it. I took the clothes on my own and didn't use transport for it. I have used transport to get my inventory, but I had a loss of Rs 10k as they used to steal it. I am not a big businessman. I started with getting Rs 1 lakh inventory. So I used to get it on my own in the beginning.
I used to take staff with me earlier, but now I go alone. The staff can manage the shop, and I can complete the work there. I know where to buy items and how to get them packed. Now I have a new transporter, so I can get inventory through transport as well. Yes, earlier I didn't used to do this because of that tragedy. But now I have a transporter. The work is completed in a day, and I return home in a day or two by train.
The vendors write down the inventory and payment, and then it's their responsibility to send the items here. The clothes arrive after 5 days. I used to get them on my own before. It has only been 2 months since I started using transportation to get them. Because I used to carry so many clothes, there used to be a lot of hassle during train checks. Sometimes there are no porters available either. Jaipur's station is quite far inside, and Pratapgarh station is also far away. So sometimes the train used to come on the opposite side, and I used to face a lot of problems alone. That's why I decided to try using transport. I told the vendor about my fears and experiences, and he assured me that this won't happen. He said that he will provide his own transport which goes all over the country. So I decided to get the clothes delivered through that.
Even though the material is not available with us, customers come to us only. I had placed order to Punjab vendor and told him to give delivery within 4 days but he delivered it after 7 days, customers made much fuss saying our vehicle is standing useless, it has become very late and all. We tell customers that we have placed order for your part, if you will go elsewhere he will also consume 10 days more, now here only 3 days are pending, you will get the part in 3 days from now. We tell them transporting issue happens many times, it becomes delayed. Vendors tell us that we have already dispatched your material, you will get it soon. Vendors tell us clearly that they have that material or not.
Smartphone is a good invention. WhatsApp is there. I was thinking some time back that when WhatsApp was not there and trucks repairing work was being done here since 1985, how these people would be contacting vendors for the material. Maybe they would be contacting them on landline which was more trending at that time. Now we immediately click the photo, tell the vendor that this spare part and this model number we want and they send us the material. Now everything has become easy. Earlier there used to be much problem. Vendors used to send person with the material for delivery from other state to this state. Entire day of that person used to get wasted in travelling like this. The process used to be very slow. Same was with the shopkeepers, sometimes they used to send their person to the party to get the delivery of the material. At that time travelling was slow also. One day used to get wasted in travelling only. Now the process has become very fast, if we need the material immediately, the vendors will deliver it to us on next day. If we want anything urgent then they charge us more for it and send it in the bus. Within 1 hour the material reaches us then.
If there is damage, the vendors won't replace it. We check the items from the shop. There is no replacement. They will only give us the things and we have to decide how to bring those things. If you put it in a lorry, it's your responsibility. That's how it is.
I don't need any vendors for cyber. They come and give papers to my shop. When the ink is over, I call them and they come to refill the ink. I have to purchase the materials. In some cases, I have to purchase from Kolkata, and in some cases, I have to purchase from Asansol. If it is very urgent, I have to purchase from Durgapur as well. When I went to purchase from Kolkata, my wife went with me, so we roamed around the Barobazar area. I stayed at the house of my relative. On the second day, I ordered goods from 2 to 3 shops after seeing all the products myself. I also contacted the transport and brought the goods by transport. Then, when I went to Asansol, I realized that I was getting the same goods at the same price, but the transportation cost was lower. So, I started purchasing goods from Asansol. Now, I order goods by phone.
My husband gets vegetables and fruits by a 2-wheeler. When he goes in the morning, he only gets vegetables and fruits. Then he buys grocery items when he goes again for the second time. Sometimes he goes after 6 PM and buys the grocery items.
Wholesalers send the stock in a van. If I order today, I will receive it by tomorrow.
If we order on the phone, vendors will deliver. Bundles will come in the lorry and we need to pick up. To order stock, I will check how many pieces are there in 38 inches shirt half and full. If the pieces are less in half and more in full means I will decide not to take full and order half hand shirts as it is fast moving. I will see all that and order. I place order may be every 6 months. Each time the condition will differ. Definitely we place a Diwali order. Maximum 75% we will order for new stocks. 25% are there now. If the place is not enough we keep in the godown, at the back of the shop.