Customer Service in Nigeria: Rant of the day

So I have been at the mercy of bad customer service time and time again at the hands of my fellow Nigerians. This is ranging from Business Owners to Security Men, from Corn Seller to Receptionists. From Bank Cashiers to Etisalat Customer Service Reps. Now this is very normal in a country like this and you might say "oh please get over yourself!" However, having lived for many years in the UK and experiencing the highest level of customer service in most places I go, it saddens me to see what is going on in my country. 

I just cannot stand the way people are treated on top of the fact that they are paying their own money. Whatever happened to "customer is always right".... boyyyyy! You are on a long tin as my friend would say. The art of excellent customer service (and I emphasize on the word ART 'cos that is what it is) is totally lost on businesses and individuals.

Even though it’s been a little bit over a year since I moved back I don’t think I can ever understand this disease called "Zero Customer Service mentality". You might wonder where this rant stemmed from but it’s been brewing for so long. OK so here is what inspired this post. Read below:

I went to get some drinks for a party at a Coca-Cola depot in an area called BEESAM in Oshodi (not sure if this is the spelling). I had quite a lot of cash on me and was ready to make a large purchase. I was trying to solicit the shop owner's help to assist me in deciding what to buy. I couldn't quite make up my mind and was only asking for her opinion on which packs are better to buy and how many would be enough for X amount of people. The next thing I heard was "MADAM ARRANGE YOURSELF WELL AND UNDERSTAND YOURSELF O. MAKE YOU NO COME HERE DEY ALLOW ME GET UP AND SIT DOWN LIKE SAY I NO GET WORK". Shocked beyond words and usually a very witty person that would give you a quick reply before you could finish your rude sentence, surprisingly I had no words coming out of my mouth. All I could just mutter to an obviously illiterate and uncouth woman was "madam do you have any customer service at all?" to which she replied "No I no get...na u sabi dat one o". I didn't say anything else. I turned around and left. Too too shocked. lol. 

As I was going into the car she made no attempt what-so-ever to call me back. That incident made me decide never to go there again! My company uses that depot a lot for office birthdays which we celebrate regularly and I'm in charge of planning but believe me I have vowed to ensure we stop using her depot. This woman's singular act of rudeness and disregard has cost her the loss of customer goodwill on my part and the company's part.

I've heard KFC attendant's embarrassing a man in front of me because he demanded for his 50 Naira change after spending a fair amount of money on their meal. I've also seen security men being rude and over-zealous in an attempt to show that they are also important within the company. I’m still yet to experience customer service that would wow me in this Naija. Hopefully I will someday. That’s me done. Rant over. Lol.

What bad customer service have you experienced? Please share your thoughts. 

Mwah. X