Shiva’s Story
Shiva is a 31 year old UPI Agent from Araku. He first heard about becoming a UPI agent while seeking job opportunities outside the fisheries sector. A series of WhatsApp links led him to a UPI agent job description on the Apna Jobs App. Intrigued, Shiva called the number provided in the description to learn more and was invited to the office in Vizag for additional information.
Excited by the opportunity, Shiva resigned from his previous job and began working at his first UPI company. Although there was a training session, most of his techniques and knowledge came from his own exploration. While he occasionally misses the comfort of an office space, he enjoys the flexibility of working as an agent, as long as he meets his targets.
Shiva earns based on a commission model, though he believes a fixed salary model would be better. He mentioned instances where agents resorted to mis-selling just to earn commissions.
His day is primarily governed by the targets and tasks set by his manager via the UPI app or WhatsApp group, which can include up to 90 agents. Tasks are monitored through the application, and agents provide updates in the WhatsApp group.
In addition to daily tasks, the provider sometimes offers competitions where high-performing agents can win cash prizes for onboarding new users, known as drives. These events are highly competitive. Shiva once won by onboarding 65 people in a month but found it too stressful to repeat.
Customer relations are very important to Shiva. He works meticulously to ensure his customers' needs are met, even sharing his personal cell phone number for any issues. He regularly checks in with his customers, reminding them to contact him if needed. He prides himself on his customer loyalty, hoping they would reject any other agent trying to poach them.
Shiva's commitment to customer service is supported by his company. If a new user does not use the app for 20 days, the agent is notified and must investigate. To minimise these occurrences, Shiva ensures that during onboarding, he thoroughly explains how to use the platform and make the most of it. For him, onboarding does not end with account creation but with comprehensive teaching to ensure sustained use.