‘Taught Me Something My MBA Didn’t’: Product Manager Learns Viral Performance Appraisal Lesson From Blinkit Rider | Today’s news
What started as a routine Blinkit grocery delivery turned into a viral lesson on customer service, performance metrics and workplace incentives after product manager Mansi Sharma shared her experience on LinkedIn.
According to the post, Sharma mistakenly placed the Blinkit order to an old stored address, which is located almost three kilometers away. The mistake only came to light after the deliveryman called to say no one was opening the gate.
“My husband’s friend’s location was saved. We never noticed,” she wrote on the platform.
Realizing the mistake, Sharma apologized and asked if the delivery manager could bring the order to her current address instead. He agreed without hesitation, drove the extra distance and finished the delivery with a smile.
“I apologized. I asked if he could come to our address instead. He said yes. He drove 3 kilometers. He delivered the package. She smiled,” she said.
The customer felt guilty for the inconvenience and offered him extra ₹100 as a thank you.
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However, the delivery person politely declined.
Instead, he explained that his motivation was not extra money, but customer ratings that determined his performance at work.
“I felt terrible. I handed it to him.” ₹100 extra. He looked at it. He brought it back,” Sharma mentioned.
A Blinkit rider told her, “Last month my rating was 4.2. If I do an extra mile it goes up to 4.8. That’s my rating.”
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The statement struck a chord with the product manager, who said that despite earning an MBA, she had just learned one of the most practical lessons in performance management.
In her LinkedIn post, she noted that delivery leaders understand KPIs better than many managers and highlighted how clearly defined metrics can influence employee behavior.
“I have an MBA. He understood performance metrics better than most managers I know,” she concluded.
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The post has since resonated with professionals across industries, many of whom have described it as a reminder that customer satisfaction, meaningful incentives and recognition often drive performance more effectively than financial rewards alone.
It also sparked discussions on social media about gig workers, ratings-based rating systems and the often-overlooked commitment of delivery leaders who go the extra mile to ensure a positive customer experience.
Netizens react
One social media user commented: “Some people teach us more than a degree ever could.” Another said: “Interestingly, incentives shape behavior much more than titles. For him, it wasn’t about extra customer service. It was a direct investment in a metric that determined his future. The best operators understand this instinctively.”
“The MBA is really more of a gimmick than a degree – just another useless hype sold by the USA. Off topic, but just my opinion, no MBA should offend. Your life choices are not subject to someone’s personal opinion anyway. Hello,” commented a LinkedIn user.
