All hail the KING

 

What do you do to what you cannot possibly change? (I guess just about everybody would do nothing). This is usually the path of least resistance and an easy disposition for anybody to assume especially when you consider the fact that in spite of whatever you say, the fact remains that the matter remains in its very pristine form; unchanged. This is frustrating to say the least.

 

 

I seek your indulgence in a couple of lines to permit my outburst. I am tired of bottling up my pent up emotions (I really wanna spare the world the impending explosion, so I have chosen to let it out). I am tired of the culture of impunity. I am weary of permitting just about any rubbish to keep lying down. This time, I have had enough of sleeping dogs. I really hope this makes some difference in the long run but, if nothing comes out of this, I’d be satisfied unburdening my bowels of the stench that has accumulated.

 

 

I esteem highly my identity and owe no apology to anybody who feels otherwise. I will spare you all the paraphernalia by mincing words on who I am. Even though I consider myself a patriotic national, I differ strongly on many issues and many grounds of ideals. I probably wouldn’t be writing this piece if not for the fact that my stomach refused vehemently to swallow this time the advances of a child of impunity (forgive my heavy choice of words). Today like other days, I suffered ill-treatment from the hand of another agent of impunity. This was after spending two hours on the queue waiting for the transit bus to work. This has become a daily episode.

 

 

When I was in college, I was told by my commerce teacher that the customer is the KING. The topic was consumerism and she took us through the precepts and ideology of the free market enterprise. She painted a scenario which in reality is obtainable even today. Her simulation showed the picture of an individual (apparently the customer) arraigned in royal apparel standing majestically with something in his hand. In the same scenario were some other characters (individuals also) with items on display. This was a real market situation where the customer appears with value in his hand hoping to obtain value. May I also add that the customer wore a crown.

 

 

In that scenario, the customer equipped with value and expectation to exchange what was in his hands for a commensurate value decides on whom to transact with. The choice of who to transact with is predicated on a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors which I will not explore within this narration but, the ultimate is that a choice is made. The customer exercises his right of choice and settles for one out of many others with an expectation that value will be gained. Not much to expect considering the fact that both him and the supplier will exchange value for value. The meeting of minds. A fair deal.

 

 

The aftermath of such transaction leaves each party with a particular experience. But, perhaps the customer’s experience is one that doesn’t just disappear unlike that of the supplier who probably feels like a victor having made the sale. His objective is achieved at the point of exchanging his articles for money. Wait a minute, where does this leave the customer if after exchanging his own value discovers that the promise of value by the supplier was a farce, a façade or a blatant deception? Is that fair?

 

 

The customer despite his glorious grace and the power of choice is still liable to a risk. Need I name the risk? Call it whatever. It’s clearly a default notwithstanding. The outburst of a dis-satisfied customer is the up thrust of this write up. I am painting the sufferings& amp; woes of the mistreated lot. There are 1million+1 cases of where the customer suffers default from the sinister supplier. Must this continue ad infinitum?

 

 

I will spare the child of impunity that I earlier mentioned at the beginning of this write up the shame of publicity. What I could have done is to simply grace the name and address of this ungrateful entity so as to save other innocent customers the anguish I now feel. I however choose to be benevolent this time.

 

 

Every time you as a supplier subject the customer through an experience that falls short of excellent, you are a child of impunity. Every time you leave a customer with that bad taste in his mouth, you are culpable and don’t deserve to be in business. You are guilty as charged on the altar of morality and more. Shouldn’t you be ashamed that you have failed to deliver the promise? Shouldn’t you realize that you have broken the heart of the king? Who says there is no conscience in business?

 

 

Who is the customer? The customer is every entity that has a promise to claim. The customer is that party whose expectations must be met. Defining the person of the customer is imperative because of the possible myopia of just narrowing the application of performance to typical trading relationships of buying and selling. To the government, the customers are the citizens and vice-versa. The government must fulfill its promises while on the other hand; the citizens live their end of the bargain. This is only fair. To the employer, the employees are the customers and vice-versa. The employer must create the environment and equip the employees to be able to deliver on their job responsibilities. This is when we can assert fairness.

 

 

What must change?

I recently visited the UK where I experienced a culture shock. It was a culture shock to realize that the culture of impunity is exclusive to my homeland. I suddenly realized that not all society admits the culture and practice of impunity of treating the customer with utter disdain. It suddenly hit me that some people are very deliberate about treating the customer right. Even though, I experienced imperfections here and there, I cannot but confess to a world of difference. I saw ingenuity in the way the customer is enthroned. I literarily saw the melody in the offerings/renditions with the unequivocal recital of ALL HAIL THE KING. The customer was enthroned per encounter.

 

 

Imagine the actual possibility of a money back guarantee on your purchases? Dis no be textbook principle or theory. It is real and in practice. You can actually return goods if you are not satisfied for whatever reason. What a far cry from what I see in my own society. I even heard that companies like Starbucks Coffee has in its policy (The Green Apron Book^a) a free drink or a money back guarantee for any customer whose choice of beverage as listed in the menu is unavailable. Doesn’t this just blow your mind? It certainly was amusing for me. By the way, I treated myself to an exquisite cup of Starbuck’s vintage cappuccino in a very endearing café. I was attended to by a very keen Barista^b. The aroma of the fresh coffee was a great relish .I promise to pay another visit to my Starbucks café. I’m certainly a brand evangelist.

 

 

My conclusion

Let me wrap this up by hitting the nail on the head. You are the customer. I am the customer. We are customers in differing contexts. Our bearing of this title is not limitedtransactions. Beyond a title, it is a crown. It is a crown you wear all the time. Others also wear it. The crown is easy to spot and comes unambiguous. Be mindful of how you treat those that wear that crown. Treat your customers’ right. Refuse to accept anything less than excellent. Say YES to excellent customer service.

 

 

Image Credit: Google