Customer experience low in Nigeria — Experts
Business leaders and service-excellence experts have identified poor organisational mindset, weak processes and inadequate understanding of customer needs as major factors contributing to low customer experience in Nigeria.
The experts spoke at an e-Access Hub conference organised as part of activities marking Customer Service Week. They urged organisations to move beyond celebrating customers and instead develop systems and cultures capable of delivering consistent, high-quality service.
Managing Partner of e-Access Hub and organiser of the conference, Charity Babatunde, attributed the problem partly to what she described as a mindset of “anyhowness” in the way some organisations approach service delivery.
According to her, many businesses fail to recognise that service excellence requires deliberate planning, structured processes and effective systems.
“The truth of the matter is that it is low simply because there is a mindset of any howness,” Babatunde said.
She stressed the need for organisations to change their approach to customer service, noting that improved experiences cannot be achieved by simply wishing for better outcomes. Instead, businesses must establish processes that make quality service consistent.
Babatunde also highlighted the role of technology in improving customer experience, but cautioned that organisations must understand how to deploy technology effectively rather than adopting digital tools without a clear service strategy.
She, however, noted that customer awareness was increasing, with Nigerians becoming more familiar with service standards in other markets and demanding better experiences from local businesses.
“Yes, we may be lagging behind, but there’s a lot of awareness. The customers are also getting very aware. They know what to expect, so they put pressure on the organisations,” she said.
Also speaking, Remita MD/CEO Deremi Atanda said service excellence should be treated as an organisational philosophy rather than a one-off initiative.
He said businesses must recognise that customers have different expectations and continuously seek ways to meet and exceed them.
“Technology will not deliver excellence. Technology is a means to an end,” he said, stressing that service quality ultimately depends on organisational culture and leadership.
Atanda said leaders must make customers central to their business strategy and ensure that even non-paying customers are treated with dignity, particularly when service failures occur. He added that technology could help organisations anticipate challenges, respond quickly and recover more effectively when problems arise.
Founder of CWG Plc, Austin Okere, identified another challenge: businesses often assume they already know what customers want.
He argued that companies should first understand customer needs before developing products and services, rather than creating solutions and subsequently trying to persuade customers to accept them.
“What does the customer say is important to him? And that should inform the customer’s promise,” Okere said.
Using the airline industry as an example, he noted that some customers may value reliability, such as consistently arriving and departing on schedule, more than additional features.
Okere urged businesses to measure customer experience, keep their promises and use feedback to improve operations.
He linked customer satisfaction directly to business performance, noting that stronger customer relationships can translate into increased sales and revenue.
The experts consequently called for stronger leadership, customer-focused cultures, effective processes and purposeful use of technology to improve service delivery and build lasting customer loyalty in Nigeria.
to like, bookmark, and comment.
Comments
Join the conversation:
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.