Keeping people at heart

Home-grown fast fashion retailer Splash and CEO Raza Beig have been spreading love – among its employees and customers – for the last 25 years. The brand strongly believes in keeping people at the centre of everything it does.

Beig – who is also CEO of Iconic & Landmark International & fashion director – Landmark Group, firmly believes in the adage that charity begins at home. He is a firm believer in being kind to internal customers, or employees, to ensure the happiness of Splash’s external customers. Splash runs a programme called ‘Be Nice’ – wherein employees must be kind to their families, colleagues, customers and the environment – which is taken very seriously.

“We are very cautious of our people’s well-being, happiness, safety and security alongside their career enhancement. If your employees are happy and secure, they are your biggest ambassadors who will ensure bringing a smile to the face of every customer. There are people in my team who have been with us for decades. That must say something about the brand,” Beig stresses.

But as the business grew over the last two and half decades, it has become slightly difficult for Beig to touch base with every employee individually. “You can’t lose touch either,” he says, “so I have sought technical assistance to stay connected with our people through a programme called ‘Hello HR’.”

“But I don’t talk to invisible people. If they are willing to share their name – which remains confidential – the problem and are open to a fair discussion, I look into it, investigate and offer a solution within a set timeline…Why only internally, I am open to talking to my customers as well, through what’s called ‘Hello Raza’ and listen to their experiences, suggestions, criticisms and words of love,” he adds.

Spreading love is something that comes naturally to Beig. “I’ve never worked at creating a culture of love. It has happened naturally. It probably has a lot to do with my personality. I have made conscious efforts to create similar values in my senior team – to spread love, be caring and help any new member to imbibe these values…Anyone can make money, but at the end of the day, if you don’t feel responsible socially or have not been able to leave behind good memories, it’s not worth the effort,” Beig states.

“Similarly, it’s love that makes a brand. Today Splash is a big brand but what’s even more heartening is that the brand is loved by our customers and employees. We have constantly been, and will be, in love with our people and the business,” he concludes.