It’s our 10th birthday and we’re letting you in on some of our most fiercely guarded and best-kept workplace secrets! Bring out the popcorn.
Bring out the party hats and streamers because we just turned 10! We may not have turned into an adult yet, but at BankBazaar, we have to do plenty of things that adults do – like showing up to work on time, sitting through meetings, chasing deadlines, etc. You get the drift. But since we’re still young and child-like at heart (and plan on staying like this forever), there are also some super-cool and fun things we get to do that make all the adult stuff seem more bearable.
Additional Reading: Drama Lama Celebrates BankBazaar’s 10th Birthday
On that note, here are 10 things we bet you didn’t know about us (keep an eye out for number 9):
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Our first investor was a tea company
Most of you out there, especially those from the South, will be aware of AVT premium chai, right? Well, Chennai-based AVT Infotech, another subsidiary of AV Thomas group of companies, was our first investor. We raised a whopping 1 million dollars in our first year of operations from AVT Infotech. And we can’t thank them enough for getting us started on this wonderful journey.
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Our first partner has a new name now
No one forgets their first – be it their first love, their first job, their first ‘whatever’. We haven’t forgotten our first either. ING Vysya, now Kotak Mahindra, was the first bank to come on board with us, our first partner.
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We started our journey during the 2008 financial crisis
The financial condition across the globe was pretty messed up, but we still took a leap of faith. Well, we don’t regret it even a bit today. It’s been 10 years and we can proudly say that we have played a big role in changing the financial landscape, at least in our nation.
Additional Reading: The 10 Biggest Lessons I’ve Learned
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We make memes of each other (mostly of a few unsuspecting ones)
What makes us different from other organisations? Well, we don’t take ourselves (and sometimes others) too seriously. Having said that, we don’t disrespect or discriminate against one another. We have pretty low tolerance for stuff like that even if it’s intended to be funny. But, sometimes, we try to make the day seem less routine and predictable by making funny caricatures and memes of each other. Let’s just say that we love our co-workers and their quirks and this is our way of showing it. Stuff like this help us blow off steam and enjoy a good chuckle.
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Our customers form the epicentre of our activities
Across the board, none of our suggestions or ideas will make the cut if it doesn’t benefit you (our customers) in some way. The idea of our company was born with the benefit of the end-user in mind. So, whether it’s our platform, our mobile app, its features, our blogs, emails, tech support, etc. we think of you first! Our company culture embodies this value and it features in our work targets too! Our days are driven by thoughts of how our platform will help you, how it will make your life easier and how we can make it better for you. We understand that the world of finance is complex and confusing and simplifying it is our #everydaygoal.
Additional Reading: What Makes BankBazaar The Best Online Financial Marketplace?
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We pay it forward
While we’re working to making the complex world of finance easier for you, we’re also thinking of ways we can give back to our community. As employees, we get to take “BB Cares” leaves for volunteering activities and community service. In the past, employees have chosen to contribute their time and resources to rescued animals at Compassionate Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) in Bangalore; participated in drives that collect and donate footwear in usable condition to the needy and more.
Additional Reading: Our Day Of ‘Wise Selfishness’ – A Visit To The Wildlife Rescue And Rehabilitation Centre, Bangalore-rehabilitation-centre-bangalore/
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We have rock stars and artists for co-workers
‘It’s hard to have a life beyond work’, said no BankBazaar employee ever. Our co-workers include pretty famous rock stars, cartoonists, dancers, actors and so on (we could keep bragging all day). At BankBazaar, employees are encouraged to have a life beyond their work because we know that human potential is limitless and when you’re happy outside work, you bring your best self to work.
Additional Reading: Metal, Money & Mentalness – Decrypting Kryptos’ Frontman Nolan Lewis
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Paperless all the way
It’s not just restricted to Credit Card and Loan applications. We’ve gone paperless even at our offices too. Last year, we decided to do away with paper cups and tissues in all our offices. Go green, save green!
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Our Legally Registered Name
Well, you know us as BankBazaar. And we know ourselves as BankBazaar too. But did you know that this was not the name that we had started out with? For the longest time, we called ourselves Loan Dukaan, but we figured out that most people had trouble spelling ‘Dukaan’ (Oh, C’mon Seriously?). Anyway, we zeroed in on BankBazaar after a simple show of hands. And the rest, as they say, is history <wink>.
Psst! Our legally registered name is A&A Dukaan Financial Services Private Limited. Bet you didn’t know that either!
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We’re allowed to be ourselves
No, scratch that. That should read: “We’re encouraged to be ourselves”. We’re fessing up to it- we love people who are original and have a mind of their own. Our recruitment process reflects this and so do our daily work tasks. We don’t just have space, we have the entire office for the ‘round pegs in square holes’, the misfits and the mavericks. We encourage diversity of opinions and ideas as long as you can prove that it helps everyone and most importantly, the customer.
So, whaddya think? Amazed much? Now hop on to our awesome website and grab some great offers before they are gone.