The person you interact with when you go to the banks, filling stations, supermarkets, etc i.e “the face of the business” is rude, plain rude. Even when they appear to be cheerful, one often gets the impression that you are being lobbied to drop some change, most obvious in the case of doormen at fast food restaurants and supermarkets.

Why haven’t we learnt to relate well with those wonderful human beings who patronise our businesses? Is it that we don’t realise the customer is king? Is it that employers aren’t careful enough in their recruitment processes, thereby getting people with wrong temperaments? Is it that companies do not have in place, policies that ensure right treatment of its customers or they just don’t bother to implement and enforce those policies?

Whatever the reasons, I think it is about time we tried to make a difference in the way customers are treated. Be it a mallam’s kiosk, a fish seller’s stall, a huge bank, an architectural firm, government agencies – It MUST be ensured that those who have any reason to interact with customers, do so with a ready smile, treat those customers with utmost respect, attend to their needs efficiently and joyously.

Take sterling bank for example, I haven’t been to the bank either before or after this their “one customer bank” campaign. But in my mind, that is one bank I would like to place my measly money with and when the time comes, transact my heavy businesses with. This is because they have succeeded in placing themselves within my psyche as one bank where I wouldn’t have to deal with some silly individual who doesn’t understand the importance of his/ her role. Who thinks he/she has a right to talk to everyone anyway they deem fit for reasons I don’t understand. Who doesn’t realise he/she is just one person in this universe.

Please and please, customer service representatives, If you are in a foul mood, it should be part of your training to keep work related stuff separate from whatever personal issues you might have. If you are one of those people who claim to have been born with a ready frown (i.e that is how my face is), you have to adjust to the life of service. When you get off duty, you may resume your gloomy outlook.

Haven’t you observed that a cheerful person who knows what he’s doing, can make you part with more money than you budgeted? Buying stuff you didn’t plan for? This should be a cue for the smart ones amongst us -who want to get others to part with their hard earned money or other things of value- to be attentive and courteous to people who patronise us.