Net delivery service puts women first<\/p>\n
By Dwi Rahayu<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Joko is a tall, well-groomed young man who is
\nglad to be at your beck and call.<\/p>\n
Need that important document you accidentally left at home?
\nCraving a takeout order of mutton fried rice from Kebon Sirih in
\nCentral Jakarta but loath to head out of the house and wait in
\nline?<\/p>\n
Then Joko and his colleagues, who are called Clickboys, are
\nonly a click away to help you get what you need -- as long as you
\nare a woman!<\/p>\n
It is a service distinctly reminiscent of sci-fi author Robert
\nA. Heinline's short story We Also Walk Dogs, telling of a future
\nwhen a virtual service company provides all types of services,
\nfrom paying overdue phone bills to taking pooches for a stroll.<\/p>\n
But is the Jakarta version, with a print ad which includes the
\nblurb \"Let the Men Serve You\", nothing more than a clever
\nmarketing ploy which actually amounts to reverse sexism? Is it a
\ncase of move over Playboy bunny, here comes the Jakarta Clickboy?<\/p>\n
Not so, according to the company which runs
\nhttp:\/\/www.talullah.net, now two months old, a website which also
\nincludes information and features articles. It says it is merely
\ntapping into the real power behind the family's purse strings.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes we seem to forget that the real decisionmaker of
\nthe family is the mother,\" said PT Tallulah Dotnet president
\ndirector Sahat Siagian. \"She decides what things to buy for the
\nwhole family.\"<\/p>\n
However, he conceded the use of the suggestive ad line was a
\ndeliberate strategy in setting the Clickboys apart from regular
\ncourier and delivery services.<\/p>\n
\"It's part of our selling point ... if we get more customers
\nand need more Clickboys, then we may set certain criteria, such
\nas the Clickboys must be taller than 170 cms and are better
\nlooking than the average delivery man.\"<\/p>\n
He listed the members-only services, such as picking up
\nrestaurant orders to paying phone bills, which may help a busy
\nmother with her hands full taking care of the kids, or a single
\ncareer woman who spends her life at the office.<\/p>\n
Siagian, who claims the service is the first of its type in
\nthe world, said the idea came from his experience working at
\ngiant delivery service companies such as FedEx, DHL and UPS. He
\nrealized that everybody considered it a luxury to have someone to
\ntake care of their personal needs.<\/p>\n
Psychologist and counselor Monty P. Satiadarma said such
\nservices showed how the Internet was actually reducing social
\ninteraction. Instead of meeting others, talking with them eye-to-
\neye, people can take care of many of their needs without any
\nsocial contact.<\/p>\n
\"It's the age of the computer and it's becoming part of the
\nlifestyle ... more people are spending time with their computers
\ninstead of with other people.<\/p>\n
\"A husband has a computer, his wife has one, and they are not
\ndoing things together, like shopping, because they can do it over
\nthe Net.\"<\/p>\n
Occasionally, a few renegade male customers try to bypass the
\nwomen-only rule. One man had a Clickboy pick and deliver a fruit
\nbasket for his in-law in the hospital. And a gay man mistakenly
\ntried to order a Clickboy because he believed it was an escort
\nservice.<\/p>\n
Clickboy Hidayat said the use of customer service officers was
\na help in ensuring that misunderstandings did not occur. \"They
\nhave to decide if we can do the job or not, for instance if a
\npackage will be too heavy for us to carry.\"<\/p>\n
Business sense<\/p>\n
Monty said it made good business sense for a service focused
\non women \"because there are more women here and in the world. It
\nwould be a good idea to promote meeting their necessities.\"<\/p>\n
The idea may be on target, but the physical act of getting to
\na destination can be difficult. As they navigate their way around
\nthe city on motorbikes, the Clickboys greatest obstacle is
\ntraffic.<\/p>\n
\"That's why we can only guarantee a 90-minute pick-up and
\ndelivery time,\" Siagian admitted.<\/p>\n
Although customers are usually understanding of the situation,
\nthe management has set a target of delivery in 48 minutes in the
\nfuture. However, they said it will only be possible if membership
\nreaches 2,000.<\/p>\n
\"That way we will be able to arrange an effective way of
\npicking up and delivering things at the same time with a certain
\nnumber of Clickboys covering one area,\" he explained.<\/p>\n
They try to shorten the time with virtual stand-by points in
\nseveral places in each district. Through handy-talkies, the
\ncustomer-service officer at head office communicates with the
\nclickboys, telling them what to pick up, where to get it and the
\nfinal destination.<\/p>\n
From its opening on Dec. 15 to mid-February, 200 women have
\njoined the service, which has an admission fee of Rp 20,000 plus
\na delivery charge of Rp 13,500. Siagian said almost half of the
\nmembership was active in using the service.<\/p>\n
Tips are strictly prohibited for clickboys -- \"it's a company
\npolicy, unless the customer really insists\" -- said Siagian.<\/p>\n
So, is the emergence of the clickboys more evidence that women
\nare edging ever closer to equality with men?<\/p>\n
Monty said the service indicates gender roles are changing,
\nbut ultimately it comes down to the almighty rupiah.<\/p>\n
\"It's still a male society, but today there are more women
\nwith better positions, better income, even higher than their
\nhusbands, than in the past,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"And money is power in so many ways.\"<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/net-delivery-service-puts-women-first-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }