Letter of the Day | Managing the customer-service experience

THE EDITOR, Sir:

After a series of bad customer-service experiences, it dawned on me that although we have made leaps with customer-relationship management, we are still lagging behind.

For the month of September, I was rudely chased off the lawn of The Mico University because I had parked there in ignorance. The University of the West Indies has added charges to my account erroneously, and each time I send an email asking how the matter could be handled, it takes days or weeks to get a response. I called the customer care representative of JPS, who told me that I had to visit the office for assistance. Two and a half hours after arriving at the Spanish Town office, I was told that I could not be helped. While waiting, I had a few ideas on how to reduce the wait time and thus went to the customer-service representative and asked to speak to the manager. After waiting 20 minutes, the manager did not come, and after further checks, I was asked if "I didn't get through already?" I left.

This is not about pointing fingers and calling names. These are simply a few of the many experiences that customers have when doing business in Jamaica. The reality is that if we are to use the companies mentioned as a yardstick, then their service standards are excellent in comparison to many other businesses, especially the typical wholesale and shops. It is rare that we encounter a local business that consistently offers good customer service in Jamaica. It is one of the many things that hinder our growth and productivity.

CAPABLE OF MORE

The world has got smaller, and most businesses encounter at least one international client, so why are we so far behind international standards? Jamaica is unique, and our culture is one that many crave to experience and to understand. We are capable of so much more, but until we decide to treat each and every customer in a kingly way, then we are acting as our own enemies and limiting our growth potential.

Let's go forward, Jamaica. Businesses need to decide what the customer experience should be and then make it happen. Customer-service training is an investment that every manager should be prepared to make. In the long run, the profits will by far exceed the sacrifice made to train staff.

Janielle Todd

Head of Training - The A+ Generation

janiellet@gmail.com