We have given it a lot of thought and here is our Christmas wish list.
Service stars
Send us some more service stars. We know there are quite a few of them in Botswana already but we cannot get enough of them. So far we have celebrated around 100 people for delivering customer service over and above consumer’s expectations but we are greedy and we want more! Every store, every restaurant, every bank should have service champions who can lead teams, train newcomers and - every so often - fire those who just can’t make it in a service setting. They can take the lead in improving our whole service culture and making us a country people talk about for being welcoming, friendly and hospitable. It should not be so difficult, surely? We are welcoming, friendly and hospitable, aren’t we?
Suppliers who “get it”
Just as there are individuals who deliver top-of-the-range service there should be suppliers, who realise that excellent customer service makes them competitive, makes them achieve the best and makes them lots of money. There are a few companies that do this already but a few isn’t enough. We want more of them! We want much more competition in Botswana. Real competition. Yes, there is room for it and things can only get better when those that excel make those that do not either shape up or ship out.
More assertive shoppers
Please Santa, send us a large dose of assertiveness that we can share amongst shoppers and consumers. We do not mean aggression, rudeness or confrontation, just assertiveness. Just the strength to stand up for our rights, to say “No” when we’re being abused and some backbone when the supplier tries to bully us.
Reason
Please send us some reason? We urgently need to send some to those suppliers, who get all defensive when we raise our perfectly justifiable complaints with them.
We also need to distribute just a little bit among consumers themselves. Very occasionally the customer is wrong. Completely or partially wrong. Sometimes even unreasonable. Every now and then we need to give a consumer a dose of reason for when they have either been driven crazy by an awkward supplier or they just happen to be unreasonable in their expectations.
Some smiles
This should be easy as smiles are cheap! Send us a huge load of smiles that we can give suppliers, and indeed customers, to use when they deal with each other. We know that a smile at the beginning or end of a transaction or a complaint makes the whole thing much easier and much more satisfactory.
Imagination
Some outlets urgently need some imagination. Restaurants need new menu items occasionally. OK, keep the items you know people love but be adventurous occasionally. It may not work but at least nobody will be able to criticise you for not trying.
Oh and give us some special offers. Just make them ones that work in Botswana please? Not ones limited to South Africa. We are not a province or a colony of South Africa. We are a separate country and you know what? We rather like it that way.
A little legal protection
Send us a few laws that can help to protect us. We don’t want many, just a few that will regulate the micro-lending industry, control store credit schemes and punish those that transgress. However, if you and your little helpers don’t have many laws to go round there is one we want more than any other. We want every company, whether a bank, a micro-lender or a furniture store to be forced to tell us every time they advertise what the total cost of a lending scheme will be. Make them include every charge, make them say what the annual percentage rate is and make them give us a compulsory cooling-off period so when our husband or wife blows a fuse we can change our minds!
However, and this is a big however, please do not send us anything like the litigation culture they have in the States. We don’t want to sue a company for compensation for our emotional trauma and psychotherapy bills every time they upset us, we just want the right to get our problem fixed. We really don’t want every tiny complaint sorted out 2 years later in the High Court having incurred huge legal costs, we wanted it sorted out for free on the shop floor this afternoon.
Legal threats
Lastly, can you please send us a few more suppliers who, the moment we criticise them by pointing out their outrageous interest rates or their complete contempt for their customers, will threaten to sue us for defamation? It does make us laugh such a lot!
Lots of love
Consumer Watchdog
This week’s stars!
l All the guys at Kudu Filling Station in the Main Mall in Gaborone for being great fun
l Raj at Plascon for being “just great at customer service”
l Daniel and the team at BSPCA for being so caring, friendly and great with the animals
l Enrico and the team at Kgale Debonairs Pizza for responding SO well to an issue a customer raised (free ice cream all round!)
l Debbie and team at Waterbabies for donating an Adult swimming course as a Christmas prize.
Who do YOU think deserves to be celebrated? We know there are people out there who are doing a great job and we want to hear about them and to recognise their achievements. We have LOADS of Christmas prizes to give away donated by various suppliers.
You can contact Consumer Watchdog by emailing us at watchdog@bes.bw, by post to Consumer Watchdog, P.O. Box 403026, Gaborone or by phone on 3904582 or fax on 3911763. You can also visit our website at www.bes.bw and then click on the link to Consumer Watchdog. We really want to hear from you!
And all you service suppliers out there, don’t forget our Christmas appeal for vouchers we can give to service stars and the people who nominate them!
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