Business
Dealing With Poor Customer Service In Firms
Poor customer service is a killer for any business, regardless of the size, standing or stature. If you ask people to give an example of a time when they experienced bad customer service, they would probably tell of one immediately. But ask someone to give a positive example; this will be met with little hesitation before an example is given. This is one of the main reasons bad or poor customer service can kill a business or an organization.
Also, word of mouth referral is one of the most effective forms of promotion as it costs nothing but carries a huge amount of credibility because it is based on the customer’s personal experience. While many customers are aware of the value of excellent customer service, only few can accurately quantify its direct impact on their bottom line. Some businesses understand that turning the customer experience into an emotional engagement strengthens their brands, names, and results in more loyal and satisfied customers. However, some companies do not even bother about their customer’s feelings.
Customers are your friends, customers promote you, customers make you who you are and give product and service what it is called.
I remember a bad experience I had recently at the Muritala Muhammed Airport, Lagos (local departure) when I was to leave Lagos for Port Harcourt. We were supposed to board the plane by 2pm; we rushed down to the airport, checked in as early as 12.30pm expecting to board at 2pm but all we noticed was that we were seated for more than four hours, still expecting an announcement; but the most disappointing part was that we were all seated without anyone informing us that our flight might be delayed nor was there any apology from the airline management. This got me upset and I went directly to the airline’s customer’s desk to ask why or what was going on. The reply I got from the person incharge of the customer service desk was “Please can you go back to your sit and let me rest. Oh! You are surprise, right? That wasn’t even enough, I tried to explain things to her and guide her through the ways in relating with a customer, but her second response was a bucket full of insults on me that even got some people around talking back with annoyance at her. She said; “Please this is none of my business can you please sit back till you see the plane arriving, did I beg you to purchase the ticket? So please keep your dirty mouth shut and do not teach me how to handle my business”. I almost fainted after all sort of insult from her to me, such a bad attitude, towards a customer need to be addressed. And here, I give some tips: Good Ways An Employee Can Relate with customers.
Smiling: Smiling is always one of the best ways in relating with your customers so as to draw them closer to your business. First impression lasts long. Our first look to a customer always matters. When you frown at a customer, he or she can be driven away or never even come back to you again, so I advise, you should always put on a smiling face even when you are moody, never let or show to your customer how moody or sad you are. Do not mix up your personal feelings with business, leave aside your aggression or annoyance behind, at home, do not let it go with you to work so that you will be able to relate well and good with your customer. Like I always tell people that a table of smile can cure 20 patients together at the same time, meaning your smile can draw customers closer to you and your organisation. So why not always wear a smile when relating with a customer?
Do not nag: people who nag, drive people far away from them. Never nag your customers when they come to you over a problem or solution rendering, solve customer’s problems one after the other even though some customers can be annoying sometimes too but never let that bother you. Relax, listen and respond back with a good manner and attitude in order to suit their needs or find solutions to their problems.
Apology: Customers are always right according to a popular saying because you invited them to purchase your product or service and they are the outsiders, they see beyond what you see from within. So when they come for problem solving, always apologise, keep apologising, tell them “Oh! Please we are so sorry”, “please we would find better ways or good solutions to your problems” and so on. Let’s assume a consumer had a bad experience with your product, and they come back to you in annoyance to complain, never give back to them in annoyance, all you need to do is apologise, keep apologising until you are able to calm him or her down.
Access to information/much information: An employee on a customer’s desk should be able to have lots of information about their products or services. Never say to your consumers “please I have no info or idea about our products or services”. It is wrong!
Miss Lambo is an Intern with The Tide.
Anifat Akanbi Lambo
Business
NASS Engages Agric Minister On Food Crisis
The National Assembly through its joint committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development has engaged the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari on an urgent solution to food inflation bedeviling the country.
The committee chaired by Senator Saliu Mustapha (APC Kwara Central), at an interface with the Minister, interrogated him on plans being put in place to arrest high cost of food prices in the country and make it affordable and available to the poor masses.
In his response, the Minister said the Federal Government has commenced distribution of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains to some focal points of state capitals nationwide.
“We have received directive and approval from Mr. President to distribute for immediate impact 42,000 metric tons of assorted grains free of charge to the Nigerian population.
“This was received in mid-February, as we are speaking, we have a record of the distribution being carried out, but I will want to plead with the honorable house and distinguished senators that some of the movements can’t be made public but a lot of states have started receiving their grains.
“We are distributing to state capitals in the first instance as you all are aware of the risk involved in the vandalism of foodstuff so we are working with the office of the national security adviser and other national security agencies.
“Furthermore, 58,500 metric tonnes of milled rice from mega rice millers will also be released into the market for stabilisation”, he said.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the interactive session, Senator Mustapha expressed satisfaction with the steps being taken by the federal government.
He said: “From our interactive session, we are on the other side of the parliament; we are fully in the picture of what is happening, we are convinced that the steps being taken by the federal government are in the right direction.
“All we did again is to further emphasise on the need for certain things to be done on time, I think from this collaborative approach by the grace of God, Nigerians will have a better feel of the government policy on food security”.
Business
Obj Harps On Cheap Credit, Policy Consistency For Food Production
Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has called on the government to provide cheap credit and ensure policy consistency to enable farmers increase food production in the country.
The former President made the call as food inflation and nutrition security concerns grow in Africa’s most populous country.
Obasanjo’s made the call at the 9th Agrofood & Plastprintpack conference in Lagos recently, where he said farmers in the country were yearning for consistency in policy and single-digit interest loans to drive growth in the sector and attain food security.
“Policy sustainability and predictability is what farmers want. It helps them to plan. Availability of finance is also what farmers want. They cannot survive on the double digital interest rate”, Obasanjo, who is also a farmer, said at the conference.
According to him, food and nutrition security start with availability, then affordability by ensuring that everyone who needs food can get it.
He noted that food was one of the major imperatives in life, adding that “there cannot be food without agriculture and agribusiness”.
Obasanjo further stressed the importance of agriculture in changing the fortunes of the economy, with attendant exponential gains by way of earnings, employment, food security and other spin-offs.
He noted that agriculture must be made attractive to the country’s teeming youth population, saying this would address the rising unemployment, worsening insecurity and youth migration through the Mediterranean.
“We have to make agriculture attractive to the youths. We have to think within and outside the box to make it attractive to the youths so they are willing to get their hands dirty and feet wet”, he advised.
He continued that “Part of the security issue is owing to our inability to get them engaged. The need for agro-food and agribusiness is for food security, employment, wealth creation and income generation, particularly foreign exchange”.
Speaking also, Wouter Plom, the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, said his country had faced challenges similar to those Nigeria confronts – feeding a growing population with limited resources.
He said as partners with a joint vision, the Netherlands and Nigeria recognise that the agricultural sector was one of the prominent drivers for economic growth.
He noted that the Netherlands has further strengthened its partnership with Nigeria to boost the agriculture sector in three main areas- economic growth, improved diets and youth employment.
The ambassador noted that all the challenges in driving growth through the sector, improving diets and tackling unemployment can be addressed when food production is efficient.
Paul Maerz, Managing Director of Fairtrade Messe, said with more investment in agro-food & plastprintpack solutions, products and technologies, brighter days were ahead for Nigeria’s agriculture.
Business
Abuja Farmers, Others Lose N12bn To Ginger Disease
The Federal Government, has confirmed the outbreak of ginger blight epidemic in four States in Nigeria, saying ginger farmers have lost over N12 billion due to the disease.
The government disclosed this at the inauguration of the National Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce in Abuja, revealing that the fungal disease had inflicted significant damage on ginger farms in Kaduna, Nassarawa Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said the blight had caused billions of naira in losses, impacting not only the livelihoods of farmers, but also Nigeria’s position as the world’s second-largest ginger producer.
“Our preliminary estimates suggested that affected farmers in southern Kaduna lost over N12bn.
“Furthermore, considering that over 85 per cent of Nigeria’s ginger cultivation occurs in this region, we can safely assume a substantial loss of cultivated land, potentially exceeding 70 per cent of total land”, he stated.
Abdullahi, however, stated that the Federal Government through the National Agricultural Development Fund would launch a N1.6bn recovery package for affected farmers in ginger-producing areas.
He said the ginger blight epidemic served as a stark reminder of the importance of preparedness in safeguarding agricultural resources, adding that by investing in research, extension services and farmer support systems, “we can build a more sustainable future for our agricultural sector”.
On his part, the Chairman of the task force committee, Abubakar Abdullahi, said there was no doubt that the blight on ginger had negatively affected the Gross Domestic Product earnings from this subsector.
“It is of necessity and great urgency that various subcommittees are put in place to forestall these negative effects”, he stated.
Abdullahi assured the minister of the commitment of the team to salvage the situation, as he pleaded with the minister to give the committee the power to co-opt members that would add value to the task force to discharge their duties efficiently and effectively.
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