SEVEN HABITS OF HAPPY CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGERS

Everyone knows that when managers focus on great customer service the result is not only increased profits but also leads to greater job satisfaction. Understanding customers’ problems and forging strong relationships helps to provide customers with the best possible service and will ultimately bring more enjoyment to your work.

A recent study released by J.D Power showed that in general, individuals are happier when they are successful and as a customer service manager, success is measured by the relationships they develop with their customers. All that is required is a genuine understanding of what it means to deliver great customer service. To help boost your satisfaction in the workplace take a look at our seven habits of incredibly happy customer service managers.

#1 Happy Managers Empower Those Around Them

Rather than micro-manage and try to solve every problem alone, why not share the work with your team members? Empowering team members to make decisions energizes the work place. Let your staff take part in resolving problems, and creating new service strategies will result in happier workers and better customer service.

#2 Happy Managers are Proactive

Often, great customer service and job satisfaction means solving problems before they emerge, and one of the best ways to prevent customer service issues is to give team members more training. It is proven that organizations that provide extensive training programs to their staff have a huge advantage over those who offer limited training. A Gartner study revealed that relevant training with persistent follow-up specific to their tasks results in accelerated productivity and efficiency within the workplace. More training prevents customer problems, lowers staff turnover rates and results in better company-wide performance.

#3 Happy Managers Assume that Their Customers are Well Intentioned 

No one can read minds, and often, customer service team members don’t always consider the why behind customer actions. Simply assuming customers are out to just take advantage of your company only adds extra misery to your job, while assuming your customers are well intentioned leaves room for more creative solutions to client issues.

#4 Happy Managers Turn Setbacks Into Solutions

As Bill Gates once said, “Your most unhappy customers the greatest source of learning,” so don’t let pride stand between your team and a great opportunity to improve service. No one likes an unhappy customer but they can tell you more about how to improve service than anyone else. Client problems teaches you to become a great listener, and do not keep looking for excuses but look for solutions. It will benefit both client and company.

#5 Happy Managers Try to Give to Everyone They Meet

Giving just doesn’t mean service to a customer or a bonus on a staff member’s paycheck. Giving means a smile or words of encouragement or a gesture of politeness, or even simply friendly eye contact. It will help give your customers peace of mind as well as boost morale on the job

#6 Happy Managers Strive to Go the Extra Mile

While quality service should be standard, sticking to a routine could become stale and uninspiring. Why think outside the box and try and go that extra mile for your client. It could be sharing beneficial information or offering a contact that might help them in a different area of business. In today’s world a small amount of time making the client feel good can quickly deliver much more in terms of brand awareness and advocacy. Going that extra mile for clients is a powerful way of letting them know they are valued.

#7 Happy Managers Listen and Learn

Great managers never lose the passion that got them where they are today. They thrive because they care about each individual client. Remember it is the customers who pay the bills and not the employer so pay close attention to every customer you have. Learn about your customers’ lives, how they use your products and make them feel like they are a part of the organization. As Gartner analyst Michael Maoz states, “Customer service and support are the central opportunity for an enterprise to demonstrate ethical behavior”. Demonstrate you’re appreciation by listening attentively. Today’s small customers could be tomorrow’s biggest accounts.

Written by Amy Clark

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ROLE OF A CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER

A Chief Cus­tomer Offi­cer rep­re­sents the cus­tomer in the board­room and actively man­ages cus­tomer engage­ment poli­cies and pro­ce­dures across the orga­ni­za­tion. CCO’s embrace cus­tomer advo­cacy and strive to strengthen cus­tomers’ emo­tional con­nec­tions to the brand using tar­geted ad cam­paigns and new ser­vice chan­nels. The key role of a Chief Cus­tomer Offi­cer is to learn what cus­tomers value about the com­pany and how cus­tomers feel about the level of ser­vice cur­rently being pro­vided. A Chief Cus­tomer Offi­cer then takes that data and exe­cutes change to close the gap between cus­tomer expec­ta­tions and actual experiences.

Chief Cus­tomer Offi­cers have the abil­ity to form multi-channel, multi-department teams to closely mon­i­tor and proac­tively adjust poli­cies and pro­ce­dures to max­i­mize cus­tomer sat­is­fac­tion. When customer-centricity is pro­moted from the top down, an orga­ni­za­tion will see rapid adop­tion across all man­age­ment lev­els and a result­ing increase in brand advocacy.

86% of con­sumers quit doing busi­ness with a com­pany because of a bad cus­tomer expe­ri­ence, up from 59% 4 years ago. Source: Har­ris Inter­ac­tive, Cus­tomer Expe­ri­ence Impact Report

Most com­pa­nies have been mon­i­tor­ing cus­tomer sat­is­fac­tion, but not many have been act­ing on the results. To effec­tively increase cus­tomer loy­alty and the result­ing rev­enue – orga­ni­za­tions must employ an exec­u­tive who can quickly iden­tify unmet cus­tomer needs, rec­tify sat­is­fac­tion issues regard­ing pol­icy and pro­ce­dure, and most impor­tantly, man­age the cus­tomer experience.

WRITTEN BY RACHAEL MILLER

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ETISALAT HOSTS CUSTOMERS AND CELEBRITIES TO THE SCREENING OF HALF OF A YELLOW SUN

According to acting Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher “Etisalat is pleased to be identified with this unique work of art that places Nigeria proudly on the world map and promotes the country’s movie industry. At Etisalat, we believe in pushing boundaries and expanding the frontiers in our product and service delivery to our customers. This movie with its stellar cast, all round quality in production and poignant story shares this same attribute”.The event was branded to the latter of course and had signature personalities and officials of the brand; Chairman, Etisalat Nigeria, Hakeem Bello-Osagie, Nollywood screen diva and Etisalat EasyflexAmbassador, Genevieve Nnaji, and OC Ukeje who also starred in the movie also had the prescence of some high valued customers.

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5 WAYS TO KEEP CUSTOMERS NUMBER ONE

Whether your small business is well established or in startup mode, one of the biggest challenges faced by many business owners is keeping customers as the top priority. This can be a real struggle with so many aspects of business ownership placing demands on your time and attention. However, the quality of your customer experience is arguably the most important aspect of your entire operation.

Here are five powerful ways to help you stay focused on priority number one—creating and maintaining an optimal experience for your small business customers.

1. Find the right frequency of communication

Is there anything more annoying than signing up for an online service, only to be bombarded with email? Don’t make the mistake of assuming your customers want to hear from you constantly. Overwhelming them with email or Tweets is the quickest way to turn off your customers and lose subscribers.

The opposite side of the coin, of course, is that you don’t want to ignore your customers either. Each business is different, but in general, follow the “less is more” principal. A good communication frequency is once or twice per month, and a newsletter is a smart, simple solution. It gives you an opportunity to summarize what’s new and exciting at your company and highlight the benefits of your service for your customers. Be sure to include a link to a more detailed article or blog post for each story. This keeps each communication relevant and newsworthy, helping readers to stay interested in your business.

2. Know what your customers want

Do you really know, with precision and confidence, exactly what your customers want? If you’re like most business owners, you realize the importance of listening closely and carefully to what your customers are telling you. But have you baked the ongoing gathering of input into your processes? If not, it’s time to start. Use SurveyMonkey or another simple survey tool to conduct regular emailed surveys of your customers. And, set up a virtual focus group. Get a group of 5 of your customers to agree to a one-hour monthly call to provide feedback. If you want to give participants a discount or some other perk for being part of the group, that’s fine. But, you may be surprised to find that many of your customers would be willing to provide input without any incentive, other than helping you provide a better service to them.

So don’t assume you already know what customers are thinking or feeling. Interact with them as much as you can. Listen attentively and be sure to take action based on their input.

3. Make it easy to do business with you

Revisit your own experiences with a physician, accountant, dentist or other service provider. Did you have to spend 30 minutes filling out paperwork even before seeing anyone? Was your appointment time kept, or were you delayed due to overbooking or some other problem? What about booking your appointment? Was it a simple process or a bit painful? All of these customer contact points, if not made smooth and easy, can become sources of friction that reflect poorly on the customer experience at your business. Whether you offer a product or service, run a retail operation or online store, make it easy for people to do business with you. This is a key factor in ensuring customer satisfaction even before the service is provided.

4. Make each customer feel special

No matter how many customers you have, each and every one of them want to feel valued. After all, they’re spending time and money with your business, so the quality of their experience really counts. Do you see your customers in person? If so, greet them warmly, make eye contact and reach out to them with a handshake. Remember their names—and use them—the next time you see your customers. Each customer is more than a source of sales revenue. They are unique and special, and smart business owners know that lasting businesses are built on making and maintaining good relationships.

5. Turn goodbye into another hello

Rushing a customer out the door is good way to ensure they’ll never come through your door again. When an appointment has concluded, use the moment as an opportunity to gain feedback and build rapport. Don’t rush the goodbye. Talk with your customer, ensure they had a good experience, and tell them you look forward to seeing them again. When you’re genuinely interested in your customers, they’ll know it and they’ll appreciate it.

Whatever you make, market, solve or sell, it’s your customers that keep you in business. That’s why it’s so important to give them a good experience. So, use these 5 tips to ensure you are keeping customers as priority number one – because they are.

Written by Bob La Loggia

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UNDERSTANDING CONSUMERS BEHAVIOUR FOR INCREASED PATRONAGE

A clear knowledge of the preferences of clients is required to make a company’s product attractive enough for the clients and, consequently, enable the business to be profitable.

The role of a marketer is to find out the needs and wants of consumers through research because they are the reason why the business exists. Their request will determine the kinds and quantities of products and services offered in the market.

 Market research

In order to optimally fulfill the needs of consumers, changes in their consumption pattern should be identified on time. A comprehensive market research is needed to get a better understanding of this concept.

Experts say market research is often needed to ensure that we produce what customers really want and not what we think they want.

A change in taste and preferences may also arise, especially since globalisation has been identified as a major factor that contributes to a shift lifestyle.

Moreover, in order to design an attractive marketing message that grabs the attention of the client, a discernment of what motivates a consumer is of utmost importance.

A business consultant, Mr. James Dickson, says research has shown that people purchase products for different reasons, thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. Patterns of behavior of individuals determine what they buy, when they buy it, and how they utilise such products.

An organisation needs to design products and services that give their client satisfaction by considering the categories of consumers they are targeting and their general characteristic.

Experts say the content of the research should comprise the identification of the market where it will be convenient to access the products and the acceptable price range clients are willing to pay. All the aforementioned information will then be used to generate an attractive marketing message that will motivate the target audience.

Determinants of consumer behavior, according to experts are:

 Values

Dickson says the motives for the demand of a product may be determined by the values of the consumers. Values are people’s broad life goals that symbolise a preferred mode of behaviour. By nature, they may be honest, compassionate, or independent and as such these attributes will shape their demands.  Consumers buy products that will help them achieve desired values; they see product attributes as a means to an end.

According to experts, understanding the means-end perspective can help marketers’ better position the product and create more effective advertising and promotion campaigns.

Another example of this is quality; when targeting consumers who value quality, marketers must sell them products that deliver and support their values.

 Income

The Chief Executive Officer, School of Success International, Mr. Seyi Olawunmi, says consumers of high social status that earn a lot and have extra cash at their disposal will likely be more able to afford expensive products that have high quality than a middle income or low income earner.

Experts say that one of the central considerations for a consumer in deciding their purchasing behaviours is their overall income level, and, thus, their budgetary constraints. The higher the income, the higher the purchasing power – although other factors may likely influence their choice.

For consumers who don’t care about the quality of the product but are concerned about the price, Dickson says marketing strategies that are channeled at making the price attractive to them will do the trick.

Offering pricing and discount opportunities attract new customers looking for value and entice old customers to try your new products or services.

Promotional messages that focus on a price reduction with increased quantity and value.

Also, offering free services have been shown to be effective in motivating patronage.

 Brand

Experts say for a business that is just starting out, the best option is to target clients within its reach, but gradually, with the right marketing message, others will be won over.

According to Olawunmi, an example of this is in a corporate world where formal mode of dressing is required, executives in an organisation may already have a brand of shirts and suits they favour and may not show interest in others. Therefore, for upcoming fashion designers, their target audience should be new recruits who do not have a favourite brand and can easily be convinced by a new brand.

Similarly, there are strong brands that have made their name in the market place and, hence, represent quality. Consequently, they are more preferred and even though some clients are unable to afford them; they will find ways of acquiring them.

 Lifestyle

Experts say lifestyle is a pattern of living that determines how people choose to spend their time, money, and energy and that reflects their values, tastes, and preferences. It has been discovered that consumers often choose goods, services and activities that are associated with a certain lifestyle.

Analysis of consumer lifestyles is important in producing insights into consumer behaviour. For instance, lifestyle analysis is useful in segmenting and targeting consumer markets. But the lifestyle of a consumer can be influenced by a change in income level, geographical location and relationship with other people.

Written by Ife Adedapo

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ARIK AIR FIXES APRIL 17 DEADLINE FOR EXPLANATION ON "FLIGHT FROM HELL"

The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has fixed April 17 as deadline for explanation from Arik Airline on the alleged inhuman treatment of passengers on its delayed New York bound flight WT3107.

The CPC Director General, Mrs Dupe Atoki, disclosed the deadline in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

She said that the flight billed for March 31 was delayed for about one hour and 30 minutes.

The Airline was reported to have kept the passengers of the flight on board for about one and half hours under suffocating condition due to the breakdown of its air conditioner.

Atoki said the council would not rely on a publication to draw conclusion on what had transpired, adding that she had demanded for a full brief of the incident from the Airline.

She explained that the brief would enable the council to take an informed decision on the case and further ensure that consumers got value for their money.

According to her, the council has taken up the complaints of the affected passengers and that the full brief from the Airline will enable it to take an informed decision on the case.

“In its quest to ensure that consumers gets value for their money, the council has written a letter directing Arik Airline to provide full report on the case on or before April 17, 2014.

“We will not want to draw conclusions from media reports.

“The Arik Air flight WT3107 billed for Lagos to JFK New York was delayed in Lagos from a scheduled departure time of 11.50 p.m. till 1.20 a.m. on April 1, 2014 under suffocating condition.

“The suffocation resulted from the failure of the flight’s air conditioner thereby leading to some passengers of the plane to remove their clothes due to unbearable heat,’’ she said.

Atoki, however, expressed the determination of the council to ensure adequate protection of the nation’s consumers of all products and services in the country.

She said that providers of goods and services must exhibit best ethical practise in all their interactions with consumers. (NAN).

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NESTLE UNVEILS NEW TASTE OF MAGGI CHICKEN

Consumers can now experience the new taste and packaging of their favourite chicken seasoning in style as Nestlé Nigeria plc rolls out new look and taste of the new Maggi chicken cube to retailers and consumers across Lagos metropolis.

The re-branding is in anticipation of consumer need and in response to rising demands for a rich, tasty chicken seasoning. The new product is part of ongoing effort to constantly improve Nestlé products and make them tastier, healthier, affordable, with better nutritional value.

The entry of the new Maggi Chicken cube into Lagos markets and surrounding neighbourhoods is the first of many steps taken by Nestlé to launch the new product into the Nigerian market.

According to Emeka Nwodo, brand manager, Maggi Flavours, the new seasoning enters the market in a strong position, “with a vibrant, intense and rich chicken flavour, Maggi Chicken not only gives consumers a wider choice of Maggi tastes but also ensures that we satisfy the taste and need of every woman in the kitchen, which is to create meals worthy of celebration by her family and friends.

The launch of the new Maggi Chicken cube will commence with colourful and exciting activations that will hold at major markets in Lagos; namely Ojuwoye and Mile 12, Agege, Ikotun, to name a few. The markets will be agog with the new taste and the celebration that is known to be associated with the brand. 

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WHICH BANK OFFERS THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE?

I've been to some banks where I got a good service and for them I'll give a thumbs up. I've also being to some banks, albeit, on on a wakapass mission but what I got was a bad service. Truth is, some Nigerian banks truly offer a good csutomer service and they do it much better than others. Which are your best Nigerian banks in terms of customer service?

Good customer service is what every right thinking bank customer would prefer from their bank wherever the bank is located and that includes Nigeria.

We have over so many banks in Nigeria and quite frankly, based on my experience,some of them just don't offer good customer service.

What does good customer service entail? Well, first of all it begins with the customer service desk, one of the first places a prospective bank customer would go to for making inquiries. The CS desk is also the place existing customers go to get details about their accounts such as making updates or requesting for special services.

It is essential for businesses to offer good service to their customers in order to remain in business for the long term and this is because businesses cannot exist in isolation and need to patronage of people in order to remain successful.

Good customer service may involve a lot of factors all geared towards making the bankwin the approval of their customers because there is a common business saying "The customer is always right". So, if your customer is satisfied with the service they get from their bank, that bank is said to have rendered a good customer service.

Some Factors that influence customer satisfaction
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1. Queuing time: Waiting at the bank is not something a lot of customers would want to do. Many will prefer a quick in quick out access to service. If getting service from a bank takes more time than necessary, customers would not approve of it in the long run.

2. Simplicity of operations: How simple or complex is it for customers to access your service? Some customers may prefer it to be simple while others may prefer it to be complex. You need to understand the level of your customers and adjust your service to suit them well. Customers will feel more satisfied with operations they can easily carry out.

3. Transparency: If a bank is introducing new charges, increasing current charges or setting a new policy, it's good for banks to be transparent to their customers and keep them in the loop. People are less likely to trust banks that have hidden charges. Customers feel more satisfied with banks that are honest and transparent.

4. Respect: In Nigeria, every bank customer wants to be at least respected. Bank employees would do well not to treat customers differently as everyone deserves some level of respect. Customers would feel less satisfied when they are treated as lesser human beings.

5. Environment: The banking environment should be comfortable to customers. It should not be repulsive or disorienting. People are more likely to patronize businesses when the environment in which they operate is suitable to them.

Some examples of a good customer service in Nigeria
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- Being welcomed into the bank as you walk in.
- Having little or no long queues
- Having seats available for people
- Spending less than 10 mins at your bank to get a service
- Customer service attending to you almost as soon as you get there
- Air-conditioning service

I've been to a bank that doesn't have air conditioning working and this is Nigeria. If you ask me, that is bad customer service.

Question: Which bank in Nigeria do you think offers the best customer service?

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BUILDING CUSTOMER LOYALTY THE HARD WAY

 If you want to build customer loyalty, start by making a decision: Are you willing to put the customer at the center of everything you do: at the center of your company or department, your daily routines, the way you hire, the way you design your webforms?

Don’t say “yes” too automatically. Putting the customer at the center is a more complicated, subtle, and arduous adventure than it sounds. But it’s worth it: At every great company I consult for, purchase from, or use as a case study in my books and keynote speaking, somebody, or somesomebodies, have made this decision.

If you’re willing to make this decision as well, we can get down to business.

Once you’ve made the decision

Just how do you go about putting the customer at the center of your operation? Waving your hands around, chanting “oh holy customer, thou art at the center of my universe” isn’t going to be sufficient, or advisable.  What you need is to appropriately direct your resources and your employees to a framework that can dependably, repeatably satisfy your customers.

The framework for building satisfied customers

Do this by making sure you’ve covered the four elements of a satisfactory customer experience.

1 A “perfect” product or service

…perfect being defined as “designed and tested to perform perfectly within circumstances you can reasonably foresee.”  (Not the snowstorm of the century, not the city-wide lockdown in Boston during the marathon terror manhunt.

2 Caring delivery

…no product is perfect in if it’s presented to the customer in a way that doesn’t appear to be “caring” to the intended recipient. No matter how delicious the food, no matter how safe the jet travel, if it’s presented in a way that doesn’t show care for the customer, it’s not going to be a hit.

3 Timely delivery

…a perfect product or service, delivered on a timetable that doesn’t match your customer’s expectations, is a defect. And customer expectations in the area of time have recently ramped up astoundingly.  Factors that range from amazon.com to the smartphone revolution to global competition to customers with complicated work schedules have led to a ramping up of what customers expect in terms of timeliness in nearly industry.

4 An effective problem resolution process

…because you will, sometimes, be late/uncaring/imperfect. An effective and complete problem resolution process includes documentation and other oft-overlooked steps, but most importantly starts with an emotionally resonant apology–what I refer to as the “Italian Mama Method” of comforting a customer (more on the Italian Mama Method in future posts).

Beyond satisfaction: building brand ambassadors

A satisfactory product or service, delivered successfully time after time, is a lot of work to pull off. Worse, nobody ever shouted “Yeehaw, that was a really satisfactory experience I just had with your company.”  It’s nothing to holler about or to jump on to Twitter to describe.  To bring your service up to the level beyond satisfaction, where customers are engaged, loyal, advocating for you, requires something else.  What I call “homebuilding.
 as in, you’re creating an environment/product/process/service that “feels like home” to your customer.

Now, if you think about it, customers don’t actually want the place they do business with to “be like home”– dirty dishes in the sink, deferred maintenance up the yin yang.  So I use this “home” term advisedly and with some apprehension.  What I mean by “like home” is what Horst Schulze meant by “like home” when he created the Ritz-Carlton brand:  an experience that is like being a kid in the home of a caring parent: your preferences are attended to (there’s food in the fridge that is to your taste), you’re missed when you leave and sincerely welcomed back when you return, the maintenance is done without you even noticing.  This is what “just like home” means to a customer and what can turn a customer into a loyalist and ambassador for your brand.

There’s a lot involved in creating a true loyalty-building, “homelike” situation for your customers, and I’ll be exploring it over the course of these columns. But I hope the homebuilding metaphor will give you a place to start: When you conclude an interaction with your customer, let her know that it matters to you that she come back soon (I’m assuming here that you’re not a surgeon or an undertaker). And when that customer returns from an extended absence, let her know that she’s been missed. Most of all, work on fulfilling, in that great phrase of The Ritz-Carlton, “even the unexpressed wishes” of your customers.  Customers shouldn’t have to draw you a diagram to get across what they want from you. Figure it out yourself.  It’ll be worth it.

Credits:FORBES

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MY THOUGHTS ON THE ARIK AIR DEBACLE-BANKY W

Recently, footage from a camera phone has surfaced online about the dire circumstances that passengers suffered prior to take-off, on board an Arik Air flight from Lagos to New York; I was one of the passengers.

For anyone who has not seen the footage, it’s available on YouTube and various News websites and blogs. However, for purposes of this write-up, I will recount what happened.

The flight was scheduled to take off at about 11:50pm on March 31, 2014. Boarding was completed on time, and all the passengers settled in their seats and prepared for the flight to begin. However, there seemed to be a delay in operations because although the ground crew had exited the aircraft and the cabin doors were shut, we weren’t moving.

The pilot announced that there was a small delay in the ground crew operations on the plane, and that we should be patient as the flight would depart ‘in a few minutes’.

The problem was, the air conditioning was not turned on. Midnight soon passed, and there was still no A/C, neither did it feel like we were going anywhere, anytime soon. Passengers were vigorously fanning themselves, asking for water and ice from the crew, and doing whatever they could to stay cool and hydrated. The reality was that the heat in the plane was quite frankly unbearable.

It’s hot enough in Nigeria these days, and then you couple that with a cabin whose doors have been shut, and a bunch of people locked inside that enclosed space… suffice it to say it escalated from bad to worse very quickly. The Captain made another announcement about how he’s ‘sorry for the delay, but it was due to the ground operations’, and that there was only one engine on and that was why the A/C could not be turned on yet. By now it was well past 12:30 and people were becoming extremely frustrated.

Parents had begun taking the clothes off their children, children were crying, one lady looked like she would faint. Still, there was no further update on when we would take off and when the A/C would come on. Almost an hour into this debacle, many passengers became justifiably irate. We were all drenched in sweat, burning hot, and it was hard to breathe properly. Now, let me interject here to say this… I believe that up till now, it was actually Arik’s policy to not turn on the A/C on their Aircrafts until take-off.

I’m not sure why, but I’ve flown on many of their local routes within Nigeria and 100 per cent of the time, this is always the case. The difference though is that usually, once boarding has been completed, it only takes a few minutes before take-off begins, and the A/C comes on pretty quickly, so while it’s unacceptable, it has been… tolerable. In this case however, we had been on board for well over an hour, and now passengers that had surged up front into my section actually said people were fainting, and more people were going to pass out. It was disastrous, to say the least. Just before the passengers surged into my section up front (I was in seat 1A), I actually saw the pilots pull one foreign air hostess into the cockpit and lock the door behind them. I suspect that either the A/C may have been on in the Cockpit, or that he was concerned for his and her safety because the shouting from the back indicated that people were in a state of panic and riot.

Either way, I thought his actions came off as incredibly ignorant and prejudice against the Nigerian staff (who were doing their absolute best to try and calm people down), and against the very Nigerian passengers who he was employed to take care of. As the people surged up front and started banging on the cockpit door, the Captain made yet another announcement that people should be patient for a few more minutes, and of course it had been well over an hour so none of the irate passengers were having it. He also said that if people did not go back to their assigned seats, he would have to call the police.

Of course this did nothing but provide further incentive for people to be angry, frustrated, irate… you name it.

By this time, the entire section around my seat was filled with screaming passengers, banging on the cockpit door and yelling at the Nigerian Staff who were still pleading with us.

I actually feared for the safety of the Air Hostesses, and for the equipment on the plane; the captain was not saying anything to calm people down, and would not dare show his face, and was not hearkening to the cries of people that he should open the cabin doors and let us out until they were actually ready to take off.

I feared that more drastic measures were going to be taken by the irate passengers, which is why I stood up at that point to try and calm them down. My reasoning was that I’d been on enough Arik flights to know that this was their policy, so I didn’t feel like the plane was not fit to fly. I suggested that seeing as we’d already waited that long, we give them another 5-10 minutes, because if we disrupted the flight or caused damage, they would have to kick us off and begin the entire process from start.

Some of the passengers calmed down after I spoke, while some were just intent on fighting or doing something drastic to express their displeasure… (one very short angry man actually tried to take out his anger on me, but I felt bad for him so I didn’t let that escalate). In any case, soon after that, the Captain announced he was beginning take-off procedures, and I felt the A/C come on.

This further helped me make my case to the passengers, and most of the people started going back to their seats. What further shocked me at this point was that the Captain actually started taxiing the plane on the runway, while people were still making their way back to their seats. This seemed to be both dangerous AND illegal, in my opinion.

To be fair though, it did motivate people to quickly rush back to their seats. Including our short and topless irate friend who at this time was screaming at the top of his lungs. After this though, the rest of the flight went on incident free, thank God. Many news agencies, upon seeing me in the footage online, have contacted me asking for details of what happened, and my opinion on the incident. My thoughts are as follows: it was an avoidable disaster, and one that could have ended up much worse for the staff and equipment of Arik Air.

This policy of enclosing passengers within a cabin with no A/C is senseless; I suspect that it saves them some money because they don’t need to rent/buy ground power units to power the planes while they finish their operations, but it is unfair, cruel and inhumane to the clients of the airline to subject their comfort and even health to such conditions, all in the name of cutting costs.

A few years ago, I took this flight route on Arik Air for the first time, primarily because I needed to be in NYC as quickly as possible on business, and they were the only carrier that went directly with no layovers. I was very impressed by pretty much every aspect of the flight. It was convenient and clean; the seats were big and comfortable; the staff was friendly and courteous; I was so impressed that for a short while, I stopped using my usual international Carriers. The one downside at the time, was that the food wasn’t quite the best, and there was no frequent flier mileage program. I remember filling out a suggestion form at the time, along with some other passengers, and we all commented that the food could be better.

Shortly after that, I was beyond impressed to find that they had changed their menu and food supplier, and stepped up the quality to the point that it was as good, or better than most other carriers. It felt like they were really responding to the needs and expectations of their patrons, and I thought this was a great start for the Airline.

I’m a proud Nigerian… and I’m a fan of all things good that are Nigerian. We have many issues as a country, but I’ve always been of the opinion that we have to fix ourselves. We have to police ourselves, and play our part in changing Nigeria and making Her better. As such, whenever possible, I try to support Nigerian owned businesses. My suits, for instance, are made by Mai Atafo; he has impressed me so much that I now refuse to buy suits from anywhere else in the world, because of the quality of his craftsmanship; and it is a source of pride for me when I’m asked by colleagues, clients and fans around the world where I got my suit from, and I’m able to tell them that it was made by a Nigerian Designer.

Arik is currently our only airline that flies to international cities like London and New York; however instead of being a source of pride, they’ve allowed their standards to drop over time. There are 24 seats in my section, about 10 of them are not functional and have not been in months.

The entertainment system is a joke; there are only a handful of TV shows and films available for viewing, and they are the same exact films/shows that were available years ago when they started flying to NYC. They literally have not changed the movies in YEARS. They just flat out refuse to upgrade what they have, and seem content to let it deteriorate. There is still no frequent flier program, even though for years they told passengers to hold on to their boarding passes, as it would soon commence. ‘Soon’ has taken an eternity with no end in sight.

Attention to detail is crucial, and very often, it is the difference between greatness and mediocrity; between growth and decline, success and failure. I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out some of the positives that the airline still has. For one, I’ve found their Nigerian staff to be very polite, courteous and helpful. The food quality is still great – I have no complaints on anything I’ve tasted so far, other than the fish pepper soup – yuck! The duck however, was fantastic, as well as everything else I’ve eaten on board.

Generally speaking, their cleanliness standards have not dropped either, thank God. And lastly, the direct flight to NYC remains as convenient as it gets for someone like me who sometimes needs to save time spent in European layovers. I’ve witnessed them make positive changes before due to the suggestion surveys passengers filled out; my hope, in writing this, is that they do the same again, fix the issues and give us a Nigerian Airline that will be a source of pride, not pain. – B.W.

PS: Not everyone needs to be in NYC like myself; I suggest to the powers that be, to try and partner with an American carrier, so that once you touch down in NY, you can easily transition to a local flight to take you to your final destination. PPS: I apologize for the extremely long article. I have even more to say but this will have to do….

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FORBES RELEASES BEST GUIDE ON OFFERING GOOD CUSTSOMER SERVIC ON SOCIAL MEDIA

According to Forbes,customers are still likely to ask questions, share success stories, or file complaints on your social media channels.

Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google Plus, or Pinterest, consumers are interacting more and more frequently with brands via social media. Even if your marketing team and your customer service team don’t currently overlap, incorporating customer service best practices into your social media strategy is essential. Here are nine tips for offering exceptional customer service via social media:

1. Be fast. Social media moves at rapid-fire pace and functions 24/7. Establish standards for how quickly social media inquiries should be answered. At ONA, we have a company-wide policy of responding to all social media inquiries and customer service emails within two hours during normal business hours.
2. Be thoughtful. If a customer has a question or expresses a concern via social media, a caring, thoughtful response goes a long way in establishing that your brand has both character and personality. Dry, boilerplate responses read as such. They can obstruct an opportunity to build a real connection with the customer.
3. Always respond to problems. Customers appreciate being acknowledged by brands. No matter how big or small the issue is, it’s essential to recognize the person and the problem, and to let them know that you’re listening and you care. You can always move the conversation on to email or private messages if necessary — just don’t ignore an unhappy customer. The interaction also lets other customers know that you’re able and willing to fix problems, and sends a message that they can trust the integrity of your product and service.
4. Send customers to where you want them to be. If it’s an issue that can’t be solved in 140 characters, give customers a direct email address, and be sure that they are responded to as quickly as they would be on social media. If it’s a press inquiry, direct them immediately to the person who manages public relations.
5. Share success stories. Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn. If you have happy customers, share their stories. If a customer shares a gorgeous product photo or has a great comment about your service, let potential customers know.
6. Cultivate brand advocates. If you find that there are people who are constantly interacting with you on social media and always have something great to say, move the relationship beyond social media. Rewarding brand fans with a feature on your company blog, a “thank you” promotion code, or just a note expressing your gratitude for their support goes a long way in building relationships. Happy customers are the best advocates your brand can have.
7. Double-check spelling and grammar. You don’t have a lot of room for error on social media posts: most limit you to a sentence or two, along with an image. People will judge your brand and the competence of your customer service professionals in those few characters, so make sure they perceive you as quick and capable.
8. Be proactive in sharing product and company updates. Do you have a product that’s back in stock after a backorder? Introduced a new person to the team? Are you switching warehouses, or performing inventory counts that will result in a shipping delay? Let your customers know ahead of time, and be prepared to respond with answers to frequently asked questions.
9. Go beyond the product. Be a resource for your customers beyond just the products you sell.  

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IS YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE SOCIAL?

The customer service of any company is there to assist and advice people who buy, use or intend to use a product or service. The customer service is the first contact of most intending clients. This contact captures a prospective customer who is asking all the questions. Good customer service involves developing bonds with clients, hopefully, leading to long-term relationships. However, it is not easy to achieve good customer service. It takes time and requires investment to deliver consistent standards.

 Ideally, customer service representatives need a marketing side to do this; hence the social media expertise aspect is also needed. Companies spend so much on IT infrastructure for the customer service division but times have since changed. Social media channels can work just as well as call centers to up-sell products or capture service-to-sales opportunities; with some added advantages.

One is that social platforms make it easier to guide customers to relevant web pages and other relevant contents. Today, companies that have implemented social media in their division have cut call cost drastically. Social media is free; only some social media supporting software will cost extra.

One of those very rare opportunities of the social customer service is that it helps you connect to your customers on an emotional level. You cannot do that in any other way. There is emotion in social media conversation across different platforms. For instance, Facebook will ask you ‘What’s on your mind?’ Twitter will ask you ‘What’s happening?’ All these are about emotions. Exceeding your customer’s expectations may be easier than you think.

Treat customers like real people and genuinely care about their issues (and fixing them) and you can wow them. Why? Research has shown that:

- 86 per cent of social media customers would love to hear from a company regarding a complaint.

- 71 per cent of those who experience positive social care (i.e. a quick and effective brand response) are likely to recommend that brand to others, compared to just 19 per cent of customers that do not receive any response.

- Only 36 per cent of consumers that make customer service enquiries via social media report having their issue solved quickly and effectively.

- 43 per cent of consumers say that a direct response to their questions is most important at a social media site. Thirty-one per cent expect the social media site to provide direct access to customer service representatives or product experts.

- When companies engage and respond to customer service requests over social media, those customers end up spending 20 to 40 per cent more with the company.

Not every customer will find his or her way to your office to make a complaint. In fact, customers don’t care if you have a social media account for your customer service. Customers expect you to find their complaint and respond to it even if they posted it on their timeline. If your customer service division is not equipped to do this, a single negative customer experience posted in public can wipe out the effect of up to five positive customer messages.

Let us take a closer look at why any company can benefit from integrating social media with its social customer service:

Bigger brand affinity

Social media provides companies with the means to understand truly customers and human behaviour. It gives you insight into your audience. What they stand for, what they want and how they want it. As any social media marketing strategy should focus on what actually matters to people, appeal to their emotions by providing exceptional social customer service.

Since social customer service includes all social channels, use these platforms to leverage your strengths. If a company makes customer service a high priority, customers will automatically identify the brand with outstanding service and build greater brand affinity.

Instant feedback

Social customer service is a great means to receive immediate feedback on new product updates. It is the ideal way for a company to take immediate responsibility and deliver hands-on service. Social customer service allows a company to connect with their customers by addressing and reaching out to them personally and on an entirely new level.

Well-trained customer service representatives are always one-step ahead of the game and create loyal brand advocates. CEOs can jump in on conversations too because they need to come down from their ivory tower, as it were.

Even better customer relationships

Customer engagement and social customer service really go hand in hand. Social media platforms make it a lot easier to develop and nurture direct relationships with prospects and customers and provide them with an excellent service.

Companies should take the time to engage with their customers by replying to messages or posts and participating in the niche communities on each platform. Engaging with prospects and customers on social media sites develops trust and builds better customer relationships.

Take your customer service unit to another level. Go social.

Written by Bankole Adedeji

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