I have this friend; going out with her when we were in University was always a nightmare because she virtually complained about everything. When we went to Mc Donalds, she would return her burger plus fries complaining that the bun didn’t taste fresh and the fries were not hot enough. When we went for tea, she would complain that she only asked for one sugar but could taste two. She was a serial complainer but it favoured her most times because every instance she complained, she always got exactly what she wanted or her money back. Though my friend’s complaints were always a bit excessive and compulsive but thinking about it now, she just didn’t want to accept any value less than her money was worth (apart from her being a troublemaker).
I noticed that unconsciously we accept and attract bad attitude and customer service to ourselves. The standards we set are those which influence how we are being treated by others. If we indirectly send out signals that we tolerate rubbish then rubbish will be dished out to us abundantly.
Something I also noticed amongst most of us Nigerians is this; our minds are inclined and immune to bad attitude and bad customer service. It has become part of our lives to accept it (by “it” I mean bad customer service), manage it, live with it and then keep complaining forever, which is totally wrong. We make excuses that we do not have other choices so we embrace and “manage” whatever is being shoved at us with our lips sealed. In this way we indirectly send out signals saying “its OK, you can treat me as you like”. Voluntarily we settle for less and embrace the things that we clearly do not deserve or even want .We are not waste-bins; we shouldn’t allow people to dumb things that don’t match our standards on us.
These services we receive, we pay for, thus we deserve to be given quality and good attitude in value for our money. I have heard a couple of people who sell things say ” why are they making so much force when they paid so little for the service” my friend, if the money we are paying for that service isn’t good enough for you, increase your price or close down your store.
I believe that each individual should stand up for his /her right, if you go somewhere and you are treated unfairly, like my friend hairmadness for instance who walked out on those silly hair stylists when they were wasting her time and didn’t have the decency to apologise for delaying her hair appointment. if you cannot walk out because you cannot get an alternative elsewhere, then you should speak up. ask for the manager (I know sometimes those managers even have worse attitudes) if the manager acts like a fish and doesn’t not see sense in what you are complaining about, then ask to see a higher authority, if they have none, tell who ever is in charge and if they don’t do anything about it, at least you have registered your complaint and as long as everyone keeps doing that there would be progress. The bottom line is that each of us must take action in order to be heard. Imagine if you complained, and I complained, and then my sister, her husband and a whole lot of us complained (about the same service) somehow these service provider would do something about the situation. Even if it’s not a huge or immediate change, it would be a stepping stone for them and since it’s our money, let’s teach them how to treat us.
If you don’t like the way you are being treated, you gotta do something about it. Speak out! Or you know what? Come and talk about it here, I’ll speak out on your behalf.
Enough is enough!
