A Disgruntled Customer

It is a known fact that the good people of Ghana do not take their government agencies and their works seriously unless they need something from them, especially those who work there. Bad work ethics, poor customer service, you name it and the government agencies have got it. Because people feel 'it's for the government, not mine' and when    some want to be good citizens by coming to work on time, using work hours for just that and leaving after hours they are discouraged by colleagues with statements like 'does your father own this institution?' Or 'is the government your father's?' Yet when decisions are taken without our input we complain. So all along I thought it was just the public sector that had this problem until recently.

Now, when one is apathetic toward a cause, and in the case of a business portrays bad work ethics, what other conclusion can we draw than that the one wants to collapse the business? So it surprises me to see even SMEs killing their babies that are yet to see the light of day.

I have asked around and it appears that I'm not the only victim. There are a lot of people who do not give a hoot about customer service.

Nana Esi went to the market one day to get food items. She came across a tomato seller and stopped  to buy some. After the seller had bagged her purchase, Nana Esi paid with a fifty Cedi note for her five Cedi worth of tomatoes. And what does the seller do? She grumbles about how she doesn't have change and sits there, expecting Nana Esi to go find change and bring to her. When Esi complained, the seller replied that she was tired. When she asked for the seller to give back the money and take her tomatoes, she retorted that they had already been bagged; she wasn't going to take them. How annoying could this woman get? If you've been to the market you must have noticed how people beg consumers to buy their wares, only to meet one as this.

Eventually, she got up to find smaller denominations, but this customer will never return to this particular seller.

While visiting with my Granny for a while, I craved bread and fried egg one evening and stepped out to get some. The reception I got killed my enthusiasm. First, the lady didn't acknowledge my greeting or me. She wasn't smiling and when I told her what I was getting there was no indication that she had heard me. So I repeated myself a few more times. All I got was a glance in my direction which I interpreted as she had heard me. I cannot tell if that is her everyday mood or she was just sour that day, but why should that affect me? I was put off but the smell of the frying egg kept me there.

I don't know where the sellers of bread and egg came up with the legislation of paying an extra fee for toasting bread, but that was my first time encountering that. The grumpy woman was just bagging my bread and egg when I asked her to toast. 'That would cost and extra 40 pesewas', she said. Or was it 20? I can't quite remember but what I do remember was my shocked reaction. It was just so funny, I couldn't help chuckling. Then I realized she was serious.

Now, from the last time I bought bread and egg (which must have been long considering the changes), I picked only 2 cedis when I stepped out, expecting a change of 20 pesewas even. To be on the safe side, though, I asked her how much it cost. I'm sure you buy often so I must sound silly right now. Anyway, the long and short is I didn't have any extra money so I (sighs shamefully) pleaded with her to toast for me since it was my first time. She refused and practically shoved the food in my face in outright dismissal. No two ways, I was never stepping there again after that. Not that alone, I told my cousins about the place and my experience. What do you expect they would do?

Repairing the damage caused after bad customer service is real hard work. Why not be nice for a few minutes, especially when it's in your favour if you do? After all how long does a customer spend with you? Research shows that customers will tell more about their bad experiences than good.  So this is just a small reminder. To you the businessperson, I know you know but this is just a reminder on the power of customer service. And if you know people who own businesses, please tell them too. 

A disgruntled customer will tell. Just like I’m doing.