CUSTOMER SERVICE????????
Its strange that many of us take the simple discourtesies meted out to us daily by people whose services we pay for. I'm talking about the clerk at the local supermarket who would rather finish a conversation with her colleague than serve you, and not even apologise for keeping you standing or the petrol attendant who keeps your change and when you demand for it grudgingly gives you your ten naira like it was his!
I went for an exam yesterday at a centre in Abuja, its an examination you write on-line. I was at the centre an hour before the exam was to start we were told to arrive 30mins before the exam but I decided to be extra careful ( I know I get no points for coming early). The first person to arrive came to open the office 12mins before my exam was to start. I greeted him and asked why we were told to come in 30mins before an exam if the centre was not opened until a few mins to the beginning of the exam. For my efforts to enquire why I had been kept waiting I did not get any reply.
As I walked into the centre after the young man who had opened the door he suddenly turned round to ask me why I had not closed the door even after he had asked me to. I was stunned and replied that I was sorry but I had not heard him and I did not even realise what I had done. His reply was that since I did not help him shut the door he wont help me set up my test. I suspected he was joking but I did not appreciate his attempts at jocularity.
Of course the exam did not start as scheduled, after more than an hour of waiting the only explanation made was that they could not download the exam. No apologies were offered. I asked if I could go out for 30minutes and I was told I could. Even after I came back the wait continued. By this time I was becoming irritated and when the same young man came out again to attend to another customer he mentioned to him and not to us waiting for the exam that they were having technical difficulties with the exam being set up. When I asked why no apologies had been proffered his response was that would he turn himself into an exam for us to write? I was stunned, I called my sister to air my complaint, she advised me not to make trouble after all I was there to write an exam. Another candidate there also told me Just be praying we can write the exam today and not have it rescheduled.
Finally over an hour after the exam was scheduled, the candidates were called in. Yours truly was called in last even though I had arrived a good one hour before any of the others. When I attempted to go in with the 2nd candidate whose exam was scheduled for 12noon, I was met with a gruff reprimand 'who asked me to come in'? barked this young man once again, I was so stunned that I gave a very gentle reply 'I'm sorry, I thought we were all asked to come in' and I turned to go out but I was told to come in. Was this supposed to be my punishment for speaking up against their lack of common courtesy? I was not bothered. During the exam despite my use of the headphones provided I could hear our invigilator making phone calls and generally making unnecessary noise. I thought the rooms were supposed to be quiet.
During the exam, NEPA did the usual and I guess there was some trouble switching over to the generator for our screens went off suddenly and we were in the dark for over 10minutes more like 20minutes. The only thing that was said to any of us during this period was about 5minutes before we could resume when a voice announced that in 5minutes the lights would be back on. Once again I was utterly amazed. No apologies were given for the break in transmission, it was not any of their business if our trains of thoughts had derailed or the adrenaline our systems had built up was slowly and gradually dissipating. It was not their business that we had been inconvenienced in any way;
After the power outbreak when the systems came back on I followed the instructions on the screen to start the programme, after that I pressed the enter key when a request for password came on not knowing I was not supposed to touch anything, someone came in and restarted my computer without giving me any instructions. I repeated the same act, suddenly I heard one of them shout 'Look at that girl o! She has touched her computer again' What is wrong with her? I can tell you that my anger levels went up, I had been called a girl, a girl?! but I decided not to say anything, the same young man who had restarted my computer came in again and asked me like he was talking to a truculent child- 'Do you know the password?' dont touch the computer again' I just shook my head. I wrote on the scrap paper which we had to submit that the customer services of First logic, Abuja was rubbish, I'm sure they read it because while I was writing it down I could hear them wonder what I was writing and several of them came to read it while pretending that they were fiddling with my system I certainly did not hide it they needed to know the truth.
The exam was paid for on-line so before we even got to their doorsteps we had already paid for our services. We had no choice over what venue to choose to write our exams in. Maybe that has no bearing on their financial gain and that was why they behaved like that. If we had a choice I would ask that if you can choose a much better centre where the competition would make them sit up and make the effort to treat their customers right. One piece of advice to everyone 'You have the right to be treated right demand for it when it's absent'.
I went for an exam yesterday at a centre in Abuja, its an examination you write on-line. I was at the centre an hour before the exam was to start we were told to arrive 30mins before the exam but I decided to be extra careful ( I know I get no points for coming early). The first person to arrive came to open the office 12mins before my exam was to start. I greeted him and asked why we were told to come in 30mins before an exam if the centre was not opened until a few mins to the beginning of the exam. For my efforts to enquire why I had been kept waiting I did not get any reply.
As I walked into the centre after the young man who had opened the door he suddenly turned round to ask me why I had not closed the door even after he had asked me to. I was stunned and replied that I was sorry but I had not heard him and I did not even realise what I had done. His reply was that since I did not help him shut the door he wont help me set up my test. I suspected he was joking but I did not appreciate his attempts at jocularity.
Of course the exam did not start as scheduled, after more than an hour of waiting the only explanation made was that they could not download the exam. No apologies were offered. I asked if I could go out for 30minutes and I was told I could. Even after I came back the wait continued. By this time I was becoming irritated and when the same young man came out again to attend to another customer he mentioned to him and not to us waiting for the exam that they were having technical difficulties with the exam being set up. When I asked why no apologies had been proffered his response was that would he turn himself into an exam for us to write? I was stunned, I called my sister to air my complaint, she advised me not to make trouble after all I was there to write an exam. Another candidate there also told me Just be praying we can write the exam today and not have it rescheduled.
Finally over an hour after the exam was scheduled, the candidates were called in. Yours truly was called in last even though I had arrived a good one hour before any of the others. When I attempted to go in with the 2nd candidate whose exam was scheduled for 12noon, I was met with a gruff reprimand 'who asked me to come in'? barked this young man once again, I was so stunned that I gave a very gentle reply 'I'm sorry, I thought we were all asked to come in' and I turned to go out but I was told to come in. Was this supposed to be my punishment for speaking up against their lack of common courtesy? I was not bothered. During the exam despite my use of the headphones provided I could hear our invigilator making phone calls and generally making unnecessary noise. I thought the rooms were supposed to be quiet.
During the exam, NEPA did the usual and I guess there was some trouble switching over to the generator for our screens went off suddenly and we were in the dark for over 10minutes more like 20minutes. The only thing that was said to any of us during this period was about 5minutes before we could resume when a voice announced that in 5minutes the lights would be back on. Once again I was utterly amazed. No apologies were given for the break in transmission, it was not any of their business if our trains of thoughts had derailed or the adrenaline our systems had built up was slowly and gradually dissipating. It was not their business that we had been inconvenienced in any way;
After the power outbreak when the systems came back on I followed the instructions on the screen to start the programme, after that I pressed the enter key when a request for password came on not knowing I was not supposed to touch anything, someone came in and restarted my computer without giving me any instructions. I repeated the same act, suddenly I heard one of them shout 'Look at that girl o! She has touched her computer again' What is wrong with her? I can tell you that my anger levels went up, I had been called a girl, a girl?! but I decided not to say anything, the same young man who had restarted my computer came in again and asked me like he was talking to a truculent child- 'Do you know the password?' dont touch the computer again' I just shook my head. I wrote on the scrap paper which we had to submit that the customer services of First logic, Abuja was rubbish, I'm sure they read it because while I was writing it down I could hear them wonder what I was writing and several of them came to read it while pretending that they were fiddling with my system I certainly did not hide it they needed to know the truth.
The exam was paid for on-line so before we even got to their doorsteps we had already paid for our services. We had no choice over what venue to choose to write our exams in. Maybe that has no bearing on their financial gain and that was why they behaved like that. If we had a choice I would ask that if you can choose a much better centre where the competition would make them sit up and make the effort to treat their customers right. One piece of advice to everyone 'You have the right to be treated right demand for it when it's absent'.
I'm absolutely disgusted!
ReplyDeleteYea,it's so irritating when someone rendering a paid service acts like they are being inconvenienced,or worse still, like they are doing one a favour.Most of my experiences have been with sales' girls(no gender bias pls,most sales' persons are just females!)and alot of the times I just walk because they can't even understand my point. It's a thing about our thinking system that most people take as a norm,So unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you o Amos! When you do complain you get looks on the faces of the sales person that shows they have no inkling what you are talking about or they dont care at all, until people begin to talk out and report to the bosses of those concerned no change will occur.
ReplyDeleteI remeber being present when a staff in gtb told my friend to leave her desk as she was irritating her, i was so mad i insisted that we make a report to the manager who was not at work then, we did get to see someone else who apologised on her behalf but i really dont think anything was done about it, as my friend got an insolent phone call from the rude girl to apologise. She apologised in a manner that showed she was unrepentant and could not care less!
It matters not the looks we get, as long as 'tis not a favour they are doing us; moreover, when we are paying for the service.......then, by all means we should demand courtesies.
ReplyDelete'tis high time we stopped tolerating ineptitude.
Thanks rethots for visiting once again! How is 'ise' going?
ReplyDeleteThis is very infuriating...in a good country they will be sued for causing psychological trauma, impeding one's success, etcetera etcetera. When will we ever learn? We can't continue acting lawlessly.
ReplyDeleteThank God I passed o! if not I might have thought of suing them, maybe I would have scored higher:) thats a thought!
ReplyDeleteMany congrats to you Tomi.
ReplyDeleteAndy says to sue people for lack of courtesy!!!Yes, maybe for ineptitude,but would that not be an attempt to killing a Fly with a sledge hammer?
Suing them not for lack of courtesy it would be for emotional trauma.. the lawyer will be able to word a nice phrase......:)
ReplyDelete