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
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh said this at the 8th annual induction and conference of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN).
He explained that abandoned projects continue to lock up public funds that could have been used for infrastructure development, industrial growth, job creation and essential social services.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Chris Osa Isokpunwu, he said the impact goes beyond financial losses, as incomplete projects affect communities and limit access to important public services
He cited examples of that remain unopened, schools that cannot accommodate students, roads that fail to connect communities and electricity projects that have not delivered their intended benefits.
The Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of CIPMN, Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, also identified poor project management as a major challenge affecting development in Nigeria.
He revealed that the institute had developed a project management curriculum for Nigerian universities, which has received approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC). The programme is expected to enable universities to offer project management as a bachelor’s degree.
Mbadiwe further referenced findings by the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee, which identified 11,886 ongoing federal capital projects in 2011, with an estimated financial commitment of ?7.78 trillion.
He noted that inadequate planning, supervision, accountability and implementation were among the factors contributing to the abandonment of projects across the country.
The minister called for stronger project management structures across ministries, departments and agencies to improve planning, monitoring and evaluation.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had introduced a 90-day implementation reporting cycle to strengthen transparency and monitor the progress of government programmes.
Ikenga said the company remained committed to Nigeria’s power sector and would continue investing in its operations despite the challenging business environment.
He spoke in Lagos at the third edition of the Shell Power Conference, themed “Powering Nigeria’s Progress: Turning Ambition and Action into Sustainable Impact”.
The Transcorp Power chief said the company would sustain electricity generation, invest in its facilities and deliver value to shareholders.
“Transcorp Power is a long-term player, not a short-term player. This year has been challenging, but what is important is getting power to schools, hospitals and businesses to power progress,” he said.
Ikenga said the company’s focus on operational efficiency and investment had strengthened its contribution to Nigeria’s electricity supply.
He disclosed that since acquiring the Ughelli Power Plant in Delta State in 2013, Transcorp Power had quadrupled its available generation capacity.
He also said the company became the first privatised power generation firm to receive a post-privatisation discharge certificate after fulfilling all its privatisation obligations.
The company’s unaudited results for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, showed a profit before tax of N83.1 billion, while its profit-before-tax margin rose to 31.2 per cent from 29.6 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
Its total assets rose to 11.7 per cent amounting to N629.5 billion, while shareholders’ funds grew 8.9 per cent to N199.8 billion. Cash and cash equivalents also rose to N10.3 billion, supported by improved collections.
On the company’s contribution to grid stability, Ikenga said Transcorp Power’s black-start capability enabled it to restart operations without relying on electricity from the national grid.
He explained that the capability allowed the company to support power restoration following grid disturbances, helping to restore electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries.
Ikenga noted that Nigeria had an installed electricity generation capacity of about 13,000 megawatts, with an estimated potential of 50 gigawatts, adding that realising the potential would require effective coordination across the entire value chain.
“Everything in the value chain has to work,” he said.
He called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, regulators and private-sector operators, alongside increased private investment, to build a sustainable electricity market.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary, Maryann Duke.
The statement said Oyedele pointed to “improved digital systems, including electronic invoicing, as a key driver behind a record of N33tn in government revenue collected between January and October 2026.”
The minister said the performance demonstrated the potential of technology to improve revenue administration, strengthen compliance and increase efficiency across government institutions.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Digital Sovereignty and Ethics: Guarding the Economy for the Next Generation,’ Oyedele warned that Nigeria risked losing substantial economic opportunities if it continued to depend heavily on foreign digital infrastructure.
Citing Nigerian Communications Commission figures, he disclosed that the country recorded more than 157 million active internet subscriptions as of May 2026.
He explained that these connections generated significant volumes of information through financial transactions, healthcare, education and taxation.
However, citing estimates from the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Oyedele said as much as 90 per cent of the country’s data was hosted abroad.
According to him, the situation has implications for foreign exchange expenditure, employment opportunities, technological skills and Nigeria’s control over information generated by its citizens.
He compared the country’s reliance on foreign digital infrastructure with its historical dependence on imported refined petroleum products, warning against a situation where Nigerian data would be processed abroad and the resulting services sold back to domestic users.
The minister consequently advocated greater investment in local data infrastructure, technical expertise, cybersecurity and predictable regulations to enable Nigerian businesses to capture more value from the digital economy.
He clarified that digital sovereignty should not translate into technological isolation but should strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to participate competitively in international markets.
Addressing graduating students, Oyedele urged young Nigerians to become developers of technological solutions rather than remain primarily consumers of products created elsewhere.
He identified artificial intelligence as both a disruptive force and an opportunity for innovation, advising graduates to acquire relevant digital skills alongside critical thinking, creativity, sound judgement and integrity.
The minister also cautioned against irresponsible online behaviour, explaining that digital footprints increasingly influence employment prospects, commercial relationships and professional credibility.
Oyedele outlined five priorities for graduates, including continuous learning, value creation, integrity, responsible digital citizenship and active participation in national development.
“Your degree is evidence of what you have learned. Your competence will demonstrate what you can do. Your character will reveal who you truly are,” he told the graduating students.
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