Delivery heroes to the rescue: Bend gender rules like these Hyderabad women

HYDERABAD:  Pragathi says that customers in Hyderabad are often surprised to see a woman delivery executive. However, most of the time, they have been courteous to her which helped her have one of the highest customer satisfaction scores in her hub.  Mahalakshmi too had the same experience and says that people are gradually warming up to the idea of a woman going around the city and making deliveries.

The duo work for e-commerce website Flipkart. They admit that doing their work in a male-dominated profession amid a pandemic has been challenging, but the right support from their company and customers have helped them overcome every hurdle.  Before she joined this profession, Pragathi was part of another male-dominated job: collecting bills for an internet service provider.

“The customers were mostly surprised to see a woman going around in her vehicle and collecting bills, considered a man’s job. I always wanted to supplement my family’s income and hence joined an internet service provider as a bill collector. Over the years, I also used to double up as a technician, fixing minor issues and learnt the nuances of customer delivery and experience.

I realised that my customer management skills could be aptly applied in e-commerce and joined Flipkart over an year ago,” she recalls.  About how it feels to be a woman in a space considered to be a man’s job, Mahalakshmi says: “I feel it’s not about the workplace being dominated by a particular gender, rather it’s about making employees feel comfortable about working in any environment. With the support of my hub-incharge and other delivery executives, I feel we are a family here.”

About the challenges she faced while delivering goods in a pandemic, Pragathi says: “We were informed about the safety protocols, and we followed all precautions. Contactless delivery helped us to work without any concern. We also have an SOS button on our app in case of distress.”  “I have always believed in keeping my vehicle in shape through proper maintenance. In addition, we follow all the road safety rules such as wearing a helmet, driving in lanes and not speeding,” adds Mahalakshmi.

Ahead of International Women’s Day, what message would they like to give other women? “That they too can take up a job in any field they are interested in. I feel women should reach out and achieve their true potential to become independent and empowered,” Pragathi says. Echoing her thoughts, Mahalakshmi adds: “Men and women are equal. Women can participate and succeed in any workplace by just taking an initiative. This, along with support from colleagues and family members, play a crucial role in one’s success. Family and peers should encourage women to join the workforce and brave the challenges that may arise.”