The most vital department or unit of any successful business
establishment I believe is the customer relations unit. This unit is there to
ensure that the customer is always satisfied and continues to patronize the
business. Therefore, to businesses that realize that the consumers are the
reason for their being, the saying ‘the customer is king’ is not to be trifled
with at all, except in Nigeria.
The population of Nigeria alone translates to economic Eldorado to astute
business people. Also and unfortunately, the culture of impunity and anything
goes syndrome coupled with the absence of checks and balances on the part of
Government creates a breeding ground for all sorts of economic atrocities to go
on. The service/goods provider is therefore free to pursue profit at any cost
thereby exposing the average Nigerian to all manners of assault on a regular
basis in the course of paying for goods/services.
Who do I blame? The normal Nigerian will blame the government. I mean,
almost every Nigerian is suffering badgovernmentisalism. This is the disease
afflicting the average Nigerian. You pay for goods and services and you are
treated like shit on top of all the money you paid for the service or good and
it is the fault of the government.
It is amazing what Nigerians accept. Goods and service providers are
constantly taking undue advantage of their customers and yet the customers
continue to patronize them. To me, it appears Nigerians have been totally
emasculated, devoid of the ability to make choices and resigned to constant
abuse, rape and all sorts of indignities. It appears the average consumer in
Nigeria is a zombie past caring about the treatment meted out by service providers’
et al.
To worsen the situation, the enforcement body in charge of ensuring
customer satisfaction does not seem to know the difference between a
consumer/customer and a service provider/business. I say this because it
appears that in the dictionary of Consumer Protection Council (CPC) which is the
body I refer to, the service providers/businesses are the consumers to be
protected as they (CPC) stand by and watch customers’ rights being trampled
upon and abused with poor service delivery.
My greatest confusion however is not that the CPC is not functioning,
this is the norm as far as Nigeria is concerned (let me quickly chirp in here
that the wind of positive change is blowing over Nigeria and very soon it will
no longer be business as usual) but that the average Nigerian consumer
continues to accept such undignified treatment over and over and over ad
infinitum again. It is saddening. Maybe the average consumer in Nigeria sees
him/herself a beggar, lending weight to the saying that a “beggar has no
choice”. Because I am surprised not to see people rebelling such treatment en
mass. I am not talking about the occasional protest, but I am talking about
people just out rightly saying no to indignity and poor service delivery by boycotting
a particular product or business.
It is unfortunate that we the people remain unaware of the power we
possess, that we are the reason for the continuing existence of any product or
business. That if we decide not to consume a particular product or service that
business will fold up. And we allow ourselves to be treated shabbily, cheated out
rightly and worse, we still pay to be treated that way.
How many so called customer care line are truly functional? It’s so
annoying, it hurts. If the government does fail to protect us the consumer is
there nothing we can do about it? I don’t want to believe that Nigeria is
populated by people who are defeated, hopeless, helpless, hapless, lifeless,
powerless, incapacitated and all other such adjectives, I don’t.
We have the POWER, let’s use it. Let’s say no to poor service delivery by
boycotting erring goods/service providers en mass. We are the ones in position
to hold them to ransom and not the other way round. Let us be united against
such shabby and unprofessional treatment. Let’s not forget that if we choose to
ignore it when someone else is maltreated today, it could be us next time
around, therefore to ensure that all service providers/businesses at all levels
are professional and customer satisfaction oriented in their service delivery,
we should as one let them know that they are, because we are.
And thank God for the platform afforded us by internet i.e. the social
networks. Do not hesitate to cry foul if exposed to poor service delivery. Put
your smart phone to good use if you can, record the scene, do so. Mention the
day, date and time and try and get the name of the particular people involved.
Feel free to name the business without fear. I am calling out to those who have
genuine claims to not keep quiet about it. As many as are bold enough to speak
out should be encouraged, we all should lend our voice to theirs. We all have a
right to enjoy excellent service delivery therefore a slight to one should be
taken as a slight to all.
I am looking forward to the day that we all will refuse to travel due to
the excesses of e.g. NURTW (*WINK*)
Remember, they are because we are…
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