Lousy customer service mirrors our relationships

You would imagine with business closures and job losses; employees would up their game to remain employed. You would assume that businesses would go out of their way to wow customers.

You would rightly believe that couples would grow closer and love would thrive now that we are all locked in 24/7.

But no, we have to misuse such golden moments to breathe each other’s oxygen and mistreat each other. Just like the collapsing businesses are doing with their customers.

I called a restaurant to order in - my small way of supporting a business. Lousy customer service was an understatement. To give the children a sugary treat, I ordered a one-litre soda with the lunch.

“Black Currant flavour.”

“Delivery will be there in 25 minutes.”

They showed up 40 minutes later, with the wrong soda flavour and size. I told the delivery guy about the error.

“Call the food people. I am just the delivery guy.”

I called the restaurant.

No. Soda is not soda

“But soda is soda,” they said in response to my complaint. 

“But I specifically and repeatedly told you that I wanted black currant.”

“Yeah… well… apologies,” she sounded distracted.

“I am sending the soda back. Deliver the right order.” 

“You will need to pay me to go back and bring it back,” the rider interrupted.

“I’m I to pay for you sending me back the right order?” I asked on the phone.

“You asked for soda, and we delivered, you have to pay for another order.”

“But you brought the wrong order.” 

A long pause. 

“Are you still there?”

“I will call you back.”

She never did. My next call went unanswered.

Lousy customer service

In an unrelated incident, a week later, I contacted one of our rapidly expanding supermarkets. I picked the telephone that was boldly listed on their website as the Customer Service Number.

It went unanswered.

I tried it for two days at different times. It was picked on my fourth attempt on the second day. 

“I have a publication that would engage children; how do I get it stocked in your outlets?”

“You want to be listed?” asked a surly male voice. 

“Yeah… to supply you with my product, for stocking in your stores…” the call was disconnected.

It would take another three days of calling before it was picked, and I started my story all over again.

Finally, the man said, “Let me send you a different number for suppliers.”

He never sent it, and since then, my calls have gone unanswered. I visited their headquarters. I kid you not, but the receptionist gave me a number to call - the very one listed on their website.

I was dangerously calm when I informed her, “I have been calling, and it goes unanswered.”

“Maybe they are at lunch.”

“No, I have called in the mornings, noon and evening on different days… anyway, maybe you just have lousy customer service.”

She gave me another number and an email, which, as you guessed, have since gone unanswered.

Two other supermarket chains took me through the exact maltreatment. 

I could give a million examples of terribly abusive attitudes towards customers, including the one where organisations keep sending emails or SMS’s that do not allow a reply. A sure red flag of an abusive relationship is one-way communication. 

Did we take our bad habits from home to the office or vice versa? When did Kenyans become a people of such foul mood? Even on social media, people are nasty. 

I am particularly wary of a man in a WhatsApp group, a regular ‘poster’ of misogynist views. Dare you disagree with his opinions! He will chase you with personalised attacks in a bid to intimidate you. I shudder to think of how he treats his spouse. 

Is it impossible to be polite and friendly? How do we treat our customers like a nuisance and spouses treat each other more like adversaries than teammates?

Karimi is a wife who believes in marriage. [email protected]