Towards a customer focussed business community
Customers are truly the bedrock of any thriving business enterprise. Businesses that really appreciate this do all they can to ensure that they listen to their customers and satisfy them. However, the perennial disdain for customers or consumers in the Nigerian business environment is alarming and disturbing.
The Nigerian customer rather than be the King is a Yeoman used when convenient and dumped at will by producers of goods and services. This trend may not be unconnected with the trend of short cycle of products and brands in the market. It appears that in this environment consumers are courted with all care at the initial life cycle of a product or service, and kicked away when they feel the product/service has gained entry. But as consumers detect that the quality of products or services drop they switch over to other alternatives. This continual disregard for the continued satisfaction of customers is the the undoing of many businesses and a constant irritation to consumers.
The constant recourse to sales promotions without a commitment to quality of products or services or consumer satisfaction is not a strategic way towards building lasting clientele. But unfortunately this is the refuge strategy of Nigerian businesses.
It is not enough to keep hurling accusations against governments about multiplicity of taxes and other issues that are unfavourable in the business environment. Businesses should be strongly built on the foundation of serving customer needs at all times. There lies the recipe of longevity of businesses, products and services.
At one time, it was thought that only public sector organisations that operate in purely monopolistic markets or are not profit making ventures that treat customers shabbily, but even private sector institutions in competitive markets are not remarkably different in the manner customers are treated.
It is noteworthy that as markets become global and consumers become more sophisticated in their choices and are open to varied choices, the survival of businesses will be hinged more on customer-centric approaches. Businesses that seek to play hide and seek games with customers will pay the price of short term relevance.
There is a litany of products and services in the Nigerian market that never responded to changing consumer needs that are currently out of the market or are struggling to exist. Businesses that seek to operate on a long term do not operate like guerrilla warriors, relying on a hit and run approach. Rather they constantly use market research to source information from stakeholders on how to maintain relevance.
Business associations and lobbies should include in their agenda customer-centric issues that would assure business growth and market expansion. Consumers’ satisfaction should remain prime in the pursuit of businesses. To deride the well being of consumers is to shoot your business down.
Consumer protection agencies should step up their efforts by going beyond addressing complaints from aggrieved customers and go on educating the producers of goods and services on how to be customer-centric in their operations and relationships. The current reactionary approach to consumer protection is inadequate and would always put the protectionist agencies behind the producers of goods and services. The regulator should always be ahead of operators in thought and actions.
We all are consumers. Let us join hands to ensure that our satisfaction is guaranteed at all times.