Let me start by just saying that customer service is Ghana is poor. Dirt, cheap, one sugar cube left in the fridge poor. (In fact that’s a great way of looking at it.)
The standard is supposed to be a full blue box of sugar cubes (that lion brand). Rich and sweet but often, many of us receive a piss poor excuse for customer service. Makes you wonder how the country prides itself on Christianity.
“Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.””
Mark 12:29-31 MSG
Love your Neighbour as yourself is the second most important commandment in the Bible according to Jesus. Yet, it seems that passage was never translated into a business lesson.
There are many ways to look at this problem but today I want to focus on one of the fundamental rules of customer service that front end staff of the retail and service industry must live by.
THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.
This is where sometimes even established businesses who pride them selves at customer service get it wrong.
Yesterday I was at a cafe and a couple was making an order. The attendant at the till repeated the order after the couple was done to find out that the order according to the couple was incorrect. (This is where unfortunately, customer service reduced to one sugar cube)
Instead of the attendant apologizing and correcting the order, she decided to stage a mini debate of “but that’s what you ordered”.
WHO CARES?
Let’s even assume the error was the customer’s. IT DOES’NT MATTER!
What matters is that THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. So you apologize for the error, smile and correct it.
Did she do that? No!
She kept going on about how the lady ordered what she said she didn’t order and her facial expression was clearly not pleasant. She had that “I am doing you a favor and you are pissing me off” look. Clearly not the look you want other customers to see.
The order ended up being changed but to me the service deserved a big minus. That was service with a pound of salt and not something you want your clientele remembering.
Whether you are Christian or not treating others the way you want to be treated is the best thing to do. When serving people you put your issues aside and serve each person like they are royalty.
God serves us each day with oxygen, sun, gravity and time regardless of whether we deserve it or not. How far are we willing to go for a paying customer?
Let’s treat each other better. Not for business goals but for peace of mind and harmony.
Keep it ONE HONDRED!
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