When working in the service industry, returning customers are king, and with all the extras that come with this bike-taxi ride, he should have them queuing up in no-time. G Annadurai has upgraded his rickshaw with amenities a passenger in a London black cab could only dream of, including magazines, a mobile phone charger and a tablet.
Annadurai, from Chennai in South India, also offers free rides for teachers and hospital workers and spends his profits on education for impoverished street children. Annadurai has become famous across Chennai thanks to his unique three-wheeler, which boasts a wide selection of newspapers and magazines as well as wi-fi and a TV for his passengers.
The 28-year-old believes in putting the customer first, offering free rides to the deserving and even running regular prize draws for his returning passengers. It took Annadurai years to save up and afford many of the luxury items he offers his passengers. ‘The rickshaw has a wide range of magazines and newspapers for the passengers. I also offer mobile phone and satellite TV service recharge,’ he said. ‘I have Wi-Fi, but not all passengers have a device, so I offer them a tablet.’
Last year he sponsored the education of three street kids and later this year he intends to sponsor 10 more from a local government school. ‘I also want to provide a place where the elderly don't feel they are a burden, an old age home maybe,’ he said. ‘There they can be taught simple skills which they can use to earn a little money and spend it the way they want to.’
