Let me start this write up in pidgin English “na you wan sell, na you dey do guy, who you help?” I have my money, I can go wherever I like. I don’t have an obligation to patronize you.
You see, when the customer care service of an organization is a write off with hostile or less than friendly staff, it is a big deal because I really don’t know why they exist in the first place. Unfortunately, we find them everywhere; in the banks, shopping malls, private firms, government palatals and of course in the market place. I have often felt like walking away without achieving my purpose of visiting a customer help desk as in one experience I had with a certain popular bank; I needed to make a withdrawal urgently but I couldn’t because all efforts to get my ATM card from the said bank had proved abortive for no good reason. I however desperately needed to make the withdrawal so I went to the customer care stand. First, she couldn’t even manage a smile; second, it was like I was more of an intruder than a customer. I didn’t mind much, so I went on to carry out her counsel which meant I had to meet another staff of the bank. On getting upstairs, my warm hello was met with a very stern look like the ‘can’t you see I’m busy’ look. I was desperate so I went ahead and stated my reasons for appearing before her uninvited but she totally ignored me and kept on with her business. I just stood there wondering… until (by coincidence) the first person that attended to me down stairs came up and (to my surprise) asked if I had been attended to. Only then did the lady turn to her colleague and ask in a condescending tone “what is her issue”? I was dumb founded and totally felt like a kid who didn’t possess the ability to express herself. I might have blown up (the former me, I would have brought down the whole banking hall with my wahala) but I thought, two wrongs never make a right. So I put a lid on it, walked out of the scene, then thought of an alternative to solve my problem rather than rely on a bunch of hostile and untrained individuals. What they didn’t know was that they just helped me finalize my decision to close down my account with them that day, being that this wasn’t my first experience.
Has it ever crossed your mind that people always have alternatives? Well may be not immediately, but push them hard enough to the wall and they would create their own alternatives sooner than you think. Every sales man or customer care personnel should see his or her position as a privileged one. Attending to people’s needs and concerns especially as it touches your business or area of expertise is an opportunity everyone should rather be grateful for, handling it with care, more politely than arrogantly.
I once heard of a certain government official who served years ago and had to face an endless queue of contractors waiting for payments and other individuals needing assistance; it was said, that never once did a sad or angry man go in and come out the same. Not because he always had the money to give them, but because he had a warm personality and knew how to genuinely appeal to people’s emotions. Not because he couldn’t afford to be arrogant but he had understanding. So rather than create a scene and have all manner of people bad mouthing him and sabotaging his efforts, he played the humane role and had people come out of his office smiling and hopeful even when their request was not granted. I’m not talking about politicizing; I’m talking about a genuine rapport with people. It’s just the way we humans are wired; to crave physical and emotional comfort / satisfaction. As long as you have chosen to render services to people, it really doesn’t matter how upset you are or how manner less, careless and untrained you maybe. All that matters is that you deliver on the job. But where it has become too much of a priority to pet your ego, or sulk over underpayment and express the level of your insensitivity, then you may very well stay at home. At least when customers don’t find you, they’ll return another day to check up on you but when you drive them away with your attitude, they will consciously advise themselves to get an alternative.
Customer service according to study.com, is the act of taking care of the customer’s needs by providing and delivering professional, helpful, high quality service and assistance before, during and after requirements are met. The outcome of every transaction largely depends on the quality of customer service. Personally, I would rather patronize someone whose goods are more expensive but has a warm and persuasive persona in handling the transaction then one who sells cheap but with a stinking attitude. Charity, they say, begins at home. If it’s an attitude problem, find a way to deal with it from the root, if it is a momentary challenge, apply the customer care persona, it always works. Pretend to be it or be it for real, long as you get your job done, it’s all that really matters in this case.
Whether as a banker or a market woman, one major branding goal should be to make profitable sales and build integrity if you must keep your clientele. A satisfied client has no reason to desire a change. But satisfaction goes beyond just throwing the right goods and services at the customer, to offering it satisfactorily, after all, there is a saying that ‘customer is king’ so how do you serve a king? Assuming your service were to be a meal; don’t you think it would be more presentable and dignifying to not just make it sumptuous but to put it in a clean tray alongside water to drink, wash and a napkin to dry out the hands while you have on a genuine smile? How do you think such a customer would feel? Like a king! If not for the taste (quality) of the food (goods), for the feeling of regard and acceptance felt (customer service), he would definitely think of coming back, let alone when the taste is great too.
One question you should ask yourself often is; why am I here?
To
This will help to keep you focused. Another question is, if I fail, who stands to lose? they who have the money and a variety of places they can get the same services from, or the sales man who needs to sell off his goods before they expire or go out of fashion and become irrelevant in the business? Let’s even assume that somehow, customers are stuck with you, what happens to the place of integrity in building your businesses and other relationships? We all (merchants and customers alike) need to be careful in the way we relate with people, be conscious of the signals we are sending them and constantly reevaluate our values.
Nigeria, you must hear this! Strive for excellence, it doesn’t kill. We have all it takes to do better than most countries in the world but we would rather seek out short cuts and quick gratification. That must stop. Greatness is built over time, one step at a time, with integrity, diligence, consistency and patience. That’s how people come about posterity in business and life generally. This very important strategy may be all you need to be in business longer and better than McDonalds or Guinness, Coca-Kola and the rest of them. It’s not magic, trust me.
Are you a banker, a market woman, a mall, hotel or restaurant attendant, a single lady waiting to be found, a single guy looking out for Miss. right, or even a boss desiring staff cooperation, a subordinate expecting a cordial relationship … we are all business men and women of different sorts and it would amaze you to know how much of your clientele you can retain for as long as you are in business, with the right attitude.
There is no substitute for the right attitude; not money, power, position…nothing! The guide line to caution ourselves would be to treat others how you would want to be treated. Acquiring professional skills may cost you a worthy fortune however, being nice and polite is as effective yet, doesn’t cost a thing, on the contrary, it adds to you in ways you may not immediately realize. Your attitude is not a product of what people do to you, it is a product of whom you really are (whom you’ve built yourself into be over time). Your customer care service could be your signature secret, don’t trivialize it.
By Fidelia Ben-Udi
Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well.
There’s plenty talking among young people about getting white collar jobs and I’m wondering… are we young people listening at all? Are we paying attention? Are we observing the trend of the world today?
Not too long ago I met with a fresh first class graduate of engineering, he was within the State government secretariat and when I asked him what he was doing, he said he was looking for a job. Then I said to him, “You know the era we are in, there are really no government jobs for now”. He replied “then you are lucky”. When I probed further to find out why he made the statement, he went on to explain how those who have government jobs are settled for life, how they are secured and have a regular income, blah blah blah. As I listened to him, it dawned on me that this must be ignorance playing out in words.
The truth is, a lot of us are ignorant! Going on about how nice it must be to put on a neatly ironed shirt and trouser, a tie and probably a suit, sit in a well air-conditioned office and just write memos, then have a steady paycheck that gives us a sense of security, then what? I bet it hasn’t occurred to you that there are a lot of restrictions and limitations too. I never wanted a government job or at least a regular 8 to 5 job so I wasn’t looking, it just came. Well that is not the point.
My point is why wait and waste away in anticipation of a white collar job, when you can get involved in a blue collar job?
For the purpose of clarity, let’s quickly see the difference:
*White collar jobs simply put, are jobs that basically involve mental exertion rather than physical strength e.g. desk jobs like the civil servant, the cashier in the bank, the consultant on legal issues and so on.
*Blue collar jobs are jobs where people do work needing more of physical strength and skill like hair dressing, make up, automobile mechanic jobs, etc. On these jobs, you could get stained, ruffled and/or really dirty.
Over the years people have downgraded the blue collar jobs because of the need to look polished and reputable and I’m wondering, who says you can’t be polished doing a blue collar job? Hmm, in our local parlance, “my dear, hunger never catch you”. If you’ve been hungry, you would know that necessity is the mother of invention. Well that’s on a lighter mode.
But more seriously, I don’t believe we go to school so we can get white collar jobs. I believe education only gives you an edge and can also give the polished and sophisticated look you so crave no matter what you do for a living. It’s unfortunate that a lot of young people are misguided in their choice of studies while others are frustrated trying to get admitted into departments of their choice. I strongly believe that something can be done about it.
Usually, everyone is passionate about something; everyone needs money to survive in this world. Now tell me, how any of these are hinged on the ability to get a white collar job? I have met with doctors turned full time business women, met with lawyers who settled for music, engineers who settled for photography, and geologists who settled for farming and so on. What does it really matter?
Just in case you think I’m over doing it, let’s see a few examples we can relate with:
#Tara Durotoye. Here’s an extract from her story as documented by Lioness of Africa
Tara’s early journey towards business and entrepreneurship was inspired by an advertiser, who spoke to her about being business conscious whilst she was still in secondary school. She remembers: “I was in secondary school many years ago and a man came to speak to us and he came to us as an entrepreneur, that is, as a business man. He was in advertising and because he was creative, I found him interesting. He made me interested in business… I eventually went to the university and I studied law. As an undergraduate, while I was in school I started a business. I started with just N15,000. It was less than the cost of a blackberry phone”. Today, as a graduate of law, Tara’s business - House of Tara has over 3000 reps spread across Nigeria, 20 studios across Nigeria and international recognition and I bet she has a cozy office and looks more polished now.
#What about Aliko Dangote? He ranked first in 2008 Forbes list of Nigerian richest people in the world with an estimated fortune of 3.3billion dollars, and as at 2015, 18 billion dollars. He started out with a small capital to start his trade in commodities like cement and the list grew lager and now, he is known as the ‘golden child’ of Nigerian business circles. According to nijia.com, as a self-employed person, with minimum basic education, he proves that business success is usually through strength of mind, honesty and perseverance; and not necessarily by obtaining Harvard-oxford certificates or first-class academic qualification. His managerial skills surely are the envy of economic professors. See that? Life isn't about white collar jobs, its about making a positive impact, its about being fulfilled.
#And Olakunle Soriyan? Now the principal Transformation Strategist of Olakunle Soriyan Company, says in his biography as documented by ipledge2nigeria.com, “I was a refuse collector in Lagos State. Before pushing cart from house to house became popular in Lagos state, I started it; nobody pushed cart and refuse before me. When I did refuse collection and saved money, I began to fumigate from house to house; carrying fumigation machine as an undergraduate in LASU. I moved from there and began to sell barbeque…the night I started, I was arrested by operation sweep for illegal hustling…the next day they brought me back and everything was burnt. So I had to start again. Doing barbeque, I made my first N1 million”. Despite graduating with a third class in economics, he is a voice to be reckoned with in some sectors in the country, especially in the corporate world. He has also become critical to the interest of very intelligent business and cooperate leaders, opinion leaders, top government officials at various consulting and training intervention as well as cabinet retreats.
These are all educated yet they didn't start out waiting for white collar jobs’. As a matter of fact, most of them have more money and more recognition plus satisfaction doing what do than many ‘office job’ people. I think white collar jobs are good if you get them, especially when they involve a lot of exposure and good paychecks. However, sitting and waiting for them when there are numerous options to be explored, is just crazy. You have a brain, so come off your high horse, get dirty if you must, make an honest living (at least I’m sure the money won’t be dirty), gain fulfillment and endeavor to leave your footprints in the sands of time. That’s all that actually matters.
This is an appeal to all under graduates and fresh graduates please do not sit and wait for a white collar job when you can excel at a blue-collar one (maybe far more than you could in a white collar). With the world’s presently dicey economic state, we should be thinking more about what we can do for our nation, to add value, not just wait for what our nation can do for us. Your birth into any nation is a call to serve. Nothing works in this nation right? Try living everyday with the mind of service and see how well things work.
Picking up a blue collar job doesn’t make you less of a human being or less educated, it is lack of integrity and drive for excellence that does. No matter what you choose to do, remember that there is one who blesses the work of our hands, whether it is white or blue collared. Stop being choosey, just work, serve and keep serving no matter what side of the coin you find yourself.
By Fidelia Ben-Udi
On Etiquette...
I don't claim to be an expert on the issues borthering around etiquette, but i have learned a few things that would definitely be of help.
The use of abbreviations in our day to day conversations has become quite alarming. Some call it 'short hand' and very many indulge in the use of strange and meaningless abbreviations like: wat, lyk, cumin, re, becum, tink, hv, hw, b4, btw, and so on. Truth is, popular as they may seem, not everyone understands them and not everyone takes kindly to the use of them.
Speaking from the Nigerian point of view: Initially, abbreviation was introduced as a means to reduce the number of pages our text consumed so as to reduce the cost we had to pay per page of SMS (that was when text messages cost about 7 to 10 naira per page) or so I think . I use 'we' because I was guilty of it for a long time.
Well today, text messages cost 4Naira per page but people still go ahead to make use of the 'short hand' (most of which are ambiguous). Funny thing is some of those who practice this, probably didn't even 'see' the era of 7Naira per text page. And now, even on social media where most of the platforms don't charge per page, it has become a bad habit that is difficult to break.
Fair enough, some people may have genuine reasons for making use of of abbreviations which could include wanting to save time, wanting to sound casual, wanting to sound sophisticated, etc. But, it is worthy of note that 'whatever is worth doing is worth doing well'. You may not be judged for making use of abbreviations in chatting with close pals. However, a habit could gradually evolve from the act and the consequences could span wide to include things like; loss of job opportunities, loss of favour generally, failure in exams, etc.
Here are a few things that could help regulate your use of abbreviations:
1. Know that you are not speaking to yourself: When you make posts, its not for personal use but for the consumption of your audience and the purpose is communication which means that the other person must understand your message; he must be able to decode it appropriately else, the aim of your message would be defeated. Not everyone understands non-dictionary approved abbreviations.
2. Understand that your audience is mixed: Especially on social media, you have a crowd more vast than you can know in most cases. Now, you don't exactly know who and who are on your page, neither can you tell their race, exact level of literacy, influence, nor their angle of perception. You do not want to start a war by passing the wrong message. It is therefore important that you use complete words (may not always be always be conventional, but it must be something that adequately passes your message across) so if some people still don't understand, it most likely means that your post was deliberately crafted to exempt them from gaining understanding. If you must communicate, make use of complete and correct texts.
3. Your image /brand is important: You only get to project what you want people to see. Fortunately and unfortunately, you wield that kind of power on the social media. You should note that the content of your posts gives people a subconscious perception of whom you are. If you are given to making use of unnecessary abbreviations, I personally think you come across as a not serious minded person and your content stands the risk of being taken lightly no matter how good it is. Present the type of image you want even the president to acknowledge if he happened to sneak up on your page.
We Nigerian kids know better than to do a text message to dad using 'short hand'
Workers in the civil service and most private firms, know better than to write memos or send official messages using 'short hand'
What then is the big deal?
I'm not advocating pretence, I'm just advocating the need to do what is right not just what you like, as you like.
Frank notes from Fidel to you.
Lots of love.
Lonely road; Part 3
Once upon a time, I was a naïve and gullible teenager. However, it didn’t stop me from getting into the university or growing up and mixing up with people (I guess it’s both the price and prize that comes along with living). I was worried because I knew how easily I could be swayed, more so because it was time to get into the university (the larger world, as they called it), constituted of a massive variety of human behaviors and character. I was so scared of the outcome of peer pressure on me, scared I would get mixed up in the wrong crowd, and at the same time, scared I’ll end up replicating my boring college life in the university. I was just living sacred, so for the first two years of my stay in school, I decided to mind my business. I was pretty much isolated, highly reserved (I even got an award for it) and extremely careful and picky about those I mixed with.
At a point however, I realized that I was keeping the good crowd away as much as I was keeping the bad crowd away, I was being over protective of myself, and then, I knew it was time to take the huge leap. I didn’t know how, neither did I know what direction to leap in, but I knew I had to.
- I was so scared of letting people in and getting committed to them in any way and I really didn’t know what to do about it so I just prayed and asked God for the right friends. Funny, but that was all I could do and I believe it helped a great deal.
So now, I was mentally ready, and soon, I began to discover people I naturally connected with (sometimes, just because they were nice or because we had something in common). So I got rid of the fear of rejection and fear of being wrong, I decided to trust my instincts about these people in line with what I wanted for myself and what I saw in my future. So for the rest of the two years I stayed in school, I got more involved with people, I became more open, more receptive, more accommodating and more tolerant (now that can’t be easy, but in life, we have to be deliberate with just about anything). I can’t tell you that it was easy, because I bumped into a number of difficult people and bad company, I probably got hurt on a few occasions, but what I saw in my future always pulled me away from them right after I had learnt some more lessons to take with me on the journey through life.
Then, there was the awesome number of those who turned out to be among the best things that ever happened to me in life. I got to make friends that I could trust, ones that I could count on and could count on me; they were those that shared the same values and sometimes, same visions with me. We didn’t always agree, sometimes we had bad quarrels but in the end, we became thicker together because we found great company in each other on the road to the future we dreamed of.
By the time I was graduating, I was so thankful for the quality of people I had in my life, most of which are still very prominent in my life and some of which would forever be. Either way, I could never regret my decision to take that huge leap. Besides, daring it has made me skilled in the art of figuring out the right crowd for me.
Note that I sometimes had to make the first move of friendship, at some other times, it just happened naturally and only a few times did people directly approach me for friendship. Now, among some of those I approached directly or indirectly, some snubbed me, some insulted me (mostly indirectly), and I felt really bad, but I couldn’t judge the whole bunch by one piece, so I kept trying. I would always ask myself; what is the worst that could happen? Answering that, makes it pretty clear what my next step should be.
Often times, we are kept back and held down by our fears so bad; we are deprived of so many awesome things. Rather than miss out on the good stuff in a bid to avoid the bad, it is better to be prepared to handle bad stuff when they come. You can do that by staying focused on your dream and putting to good use the few right people in your life. Everyone has someone at least.
You can’t stand it when people snub you? You can’t handle it when someone betrays you? You can’t afford to be judged? You can’t afford to make any mistakes? Then I’m sorry, but it means you can’t afford to make progress either.
You will always need people as much as people would always need you so rather than stall for fear of whatever, just take that leap having in mind the picture of the future you dream of. It’s alright to take the wrong turn but never alright to stay in it once you’ve realized. Life really doesn’t have to be a lonely road after all so in the words of Rachel Nolchin, I encourage you to “surround yourself with people that reflect who you want to be and how you want to feel, energies are contagious”.
Proverbs 13:20
By Fidelia Ben-Udi
Part 2
Hello friends, I trust you have been doing great since the last time. Well, if you haven’t, I’m sure you will after reading this, when you realize that you don’t have to walk that road alone. Like I promised in the previous post, this is a continuation of ‘Lonely Road’.
A friend of mine (Matthew Adedoyin) made a striking statement in his write up just last week saying, “…though you can succeed without a mentor, good mentorship accelerates your success”. I couldn’t agree more because a huge chunk of life is all about associations and those associations determine a great deal of the outcome of our lives.
Will Rogers said, “A man only learns two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people”. The question is what is your association like? How healthy is it?
Ordinarily, no one really walks a lonely road but the mind does play certain tricks on us that we willingly accept. So I concluded that the only way one can walk a lonely road through life is;
1. If they aren’t sincere
2. If they are sincere with the wrong people
Not being sincere in this context could mean denying ones need for others, isolating oneself from others for whatever reasons, etc.
Being sincere with the wrong people on the other hand could mean ‘I admit I need company but I get mixed up in the wrong crowd’.
Now, why would a certain crowd be considered wrong for you? Because they do not point you in the direction you should be going or the one you really want to go in.
As it stands now, the world is filled with so many fake and dishonest people so getting involved with the right crowd is becoming increasingly difficult but thankfully, not impossible.
Truth be told, it is a huge leap of trust when you decide to let someone into your life. However it is a mandatory leap for success in life. The question is, how do we make the calculations right so we don’t leap amiss? How can we tell that it’s time to take this leap and in what direction?
First, about making the calculations: Discovering who you are is vital. Hmm…did I hear you say that’s the hard part? Well I can relate with that line of thought, but there’s always a start point. For me, I figured out the things I was attracted to and interested in, how I perceived the world around me, the people that looked like what I may want to be, the people that were accessible, etc . So I tried to get close to them, make enquiries about the things I was attracted to … mind you, some of these things I did where not even for the proper reasons but they helped me for a start.
Having an idea of you, gives you a pretty good idea of the people you should associate with. What is your picture of yourself and better still the self you foresee?
Note however that the picture of you may change over time but that is fine. Like they say, change is the only constant thing. So as your picture changes or evolves, be conscious about tactfully upgrading your association.
Proverbs 13:20
To be continued…
By Fidelia Ben-Udi
A child is born, all rejoice, singing and dancing
And at that moment, it feels like all these faces would always be here
It feels like the singing and dancing will never end
Soon the crowd disappears leaving me, mama and papa alone
At least I still have them, their warmth and care
But gradually, I begin to understand the ways of men
The paths of life
And suddenly, I am in confusion…
Here is mum and dad still, a few siblings and the crowd once in a while
But deep down, I feel alone, I know I am alone
Can no one understand me?
Can no one relate with my inner struggles?
This is so overwhelming ...
I need to find my own way
I need to find answers somehow
I need someone who understands?
But is there really anyone?
OR
I’m pretty sure a great number of people enjoy coke (coca-cola soft drink). Well, some time ago, coca-cola changed the shape of their bottle to something I find really attractive and I’m wondering…What if as a coke fan, you decide to have a coke to quench your thirst only to find that inside of that attractive bottle is a liquid coke-coloured dye, a far cry from the real thing, would you still go for it the next time you thirst for coke? Well maybe, but with a lot of caution. However, I’m sure you would prefer to drink the real coke poured out in a clean cup and forget about the one in the attractive bottle. The container and label are good but what quenches thirst is the content and thus is far more important.
This will help to keep you focused. Another question is, if I fail, who stands to lose? they who have the money and a variety of places they can get the same services from, or the sales man who needs to sell off his goods before they expire or go out of fashion and become irrelevant in the business? Let’s even assume that somehow, customers are stuck with you, what happens to the place of integrity in building your businesses and other relationships? We all (merchants and customers alike) need to be careful in the way we relate with people, be conscious of the signals we are sending them and constantly reevaluate our values. 
