Good customer service experience is dead in Nigeria. At the altar of banks, eateries, gadget stores, e-commerce sites, and fintech apps. The emotion you feel after a purchase or interaction at a particular store determines if you will return. It is not pomposity. You desire quality service in a value transaction.
If a store treated you like a mannequin, you would not smile. Instead, like the mannequins, you would be shocked and frozen! You would then think it was a mistake to patronise the store. If you can relate, welcome to my party.
On The One Hand
A voice called me the other day. The caller wanted to know if the smartphone I returned due to factory defects was okay. But the smartphone was still in the company’s possession. Another sales rep in a gadget store was as lethargic as the cold when she walked up to the customer. Could this customer pay for any of these dollarised gadgets? Her body language betrayed her!
She dragged her feet when you insisted on viewing a copy of the gadget. She insisted the gadget was in stock. She would get it when you are ready for it. Calmly, I said I was ready. She would show me a replica of the gadget. Like the mannequin, I froze. Then I left.
On The Other Hand
The following day, I returned to purchase the same expensive gadget. A friend accompanied me. She needed the gadget. We were casually dressed as casual workers. She recognised me immediately. She was as sloppy as ever. Maybe she was ill. Maybe. Or hungry? Maybe. Or tired? Maybe. Or she hated my face. It is a possibility. But I could not tell. She repeated the motion. The gadget was in the store. She said I would get it when I am ready. I was ready. I announced calmly.
In The Long Term
My friend was livid. She was surprised at my calmness. The sales rep left and pretended to attend to another customer. I approached a walking tattoo. A young Lebanese. His biceps bulging under a tight-fitting t-shirt. He was the floor manager. I placed my order. He guided me to another section. He showed me the gadget in its blazing glory. With disdain, he threw the cost at me. Let us have it. Like a fluorescent bulb, his face lit up! He was alarmed.
Then, the sales rep walked over and collected our particulars. We moved to another level of the building. Paid. Moved to another section of the building. Retrieve the gadget. Moved to another section. Documented the purchase. Like a defeated champion, we left the store with the purchase.
At a different store, I purchased a smartphone accessory. The fidelity of the purchase was necessary. She could help with that because she was not an engineer. She announced. Could you get an engineer, please? She left. She returned with a technician. And we were served.
Writing on the impact of bad customer service on brand reputation on LinkedIn, Chinenye Agu said customer feedback plays a crucial role in shaping a brand’s reputation. Negative customer service experiences tend to spread more widely than positive ones. People naturally focus more on negative experiences due to a psychological tendency. Bad customer service is a wound. It heals slowly.
Besides, poor service often provokes strong emotions like frustration and anger. It prompts customers to share their experiences more vocally. Technology and digital channels aid in amplifying complaints. Studies reveal that a dissatisfied customer tells 9 to 15 people about the experience. A satisfied customer tells only 4 to 6 people.
In The Short Term
Banks. Fintech. Mobile phone accessory stores. These entities need to invest in quality customer service. Then dead good customer service experience will resurrect in Nigeria.
