CUSTOMER SERVICE OR CUSTOMER COVER UP

CUSTOMER SERVICE OR CUSTOMER COVER UP

One construction company does roaring business rebranding dilapidated company offices. They pledge to give the company a new look and a new beginning. They believe that such a makeover will attract new customers for the business. Indeed it does. However, what this company does is not reconstruction. They measure wall space and obtain an equivalent amount of brightly colored paint to give the building a new coat of paint. This usually excites their shortsighted clients who pay millions for the single coat paint job that lasts about six months.

I have recently been asked, by a client, to cover up their business incompetence by conducting a course on customer service for staff. Try as I might I could not convince the customer that customer service is not a "cover up" operation. I tried to explain that it is an outward expression of an inward commitment by a business to provide quality services. This means that a client needs to attend to all the organization, management and service delivery bottlenecks before crowning this exercise with training staff to maintain customer confidence. I lost the job. A painful experience for anyone who wouldn't mind a little extra cash. But a gainful one for you because you will not fall for the tricks of the said construction company.

Allan Bukusi