My contention is that while being violent or confrontational has never been a solution to any issue, the passivity and gullibility being demonstrated by Zimbabwean consumers of late leaves a lot to be desired.

We have become too compromising when we should in fact, be demanding our right to the provision of good quality services and goods.
We cannot continue to give excuses for shoddy services and let providers get away with murder literally. We seem to just accept what is put before us even when we know deep down in our hearts and minds that things could be better. We even take this with a smile on our faces and yet we are being short-changed one way or the other.

We are all consumers of goods and services at some point, but do we take notice of the quality of service that we get be it from some mobile phone service providers, public transport operators, supermarkets, wholesalers,  car dealers, hospitals, passport offices or some such?

Poor customer service has reached alarming proportions some stories we hear are almost unbelievable. I have experienced it at its worst, but I feel that instead of just keeping quiet, something must be done.

The Zimbabwean consumer has become less discerning. They buy anything on the market for as long as it is cheap. The dollar for two concept is proving to be quite expensive in the long run.

It may meet an immediate need, but it is costly at the end of the day. The question is: what has happened to the sophisticated and choosy consumer of yesteryear?
Is it about the hyper-inflationary era that left people with no choice, but to grab whatever was available and looking edible?

Why have we not shrugged off that mentality by now to demand value for money?
Only this week we were alerted to the fact that some mineral water we have been consuming thirst-fully is not only dirty, but poisonous!

A few weeks ago I went to a prominent pharmacy along Angwa Street to purchase my cosmetics, but the quality of service I got there left a lot to be desired. When I got to the cosmetics section the woman who was there just lifted her head and proceeded to do whatever she was doing regardless.

After a few minutes, I asked a till operator who was nearby if someone could help, but her equally bored face and body language told a story of its own as she mumbled that I would be attended to.

I am one person who, over the years, has learnt to be patient with people and circumstances, but after a while my patience was beginning to wear thin and the seemingly disinterested lady on the other side of the counter then came to the counter to ask what it is that I intended buying.

As we were talking an acquaintance of hers, judging from the conversation, came to the counter selling sandals. She then left me standing there and began conversing with the guy, trying the sandals, negotiating the price and agreeing on payment plans. After that she then came back to serve me.

The truth is that I ended up not buying anything from the pharmacy.
Only last week, a sister of mine and fellow journalist Beatrice Tonhodzayi-Ngondo was moaning on Facebook about how she lost US$5 worth of airtime she had recharged, without making a single call. She really was far from being inspired as she naturally cried foul.

The airtime just vanished. I have also fallen victim to this as well and as a newspaper we have been receiving numerous complaints of this nature. To my knowledge there has not been an explanation as to why this happens and what is being done about it.

Is it a technical fault or its about a serviced provider taking their customers for granted?
The examples of poor customer service we encounter everyday are too numerous to mention. This shoe company which has been in business for years has all of a sudden begun to produce poor quality shoes. They now seem to be selling “zhing zhongs” and yet for years they have been reputable suppliers of shoes.

Twice in a week, I bought shoes which only lasted two hours at most without having done much walking. They might as well have put a sticker to say that they are for use once within a kilometre radius from the shop.

The first time I thought it was just one of those things and I went back to have a replacement, but it ripped off by the sides the following day. To what did I owe this embarrassing situation? After paying a cool US$35 I would expect to get something that lasts.

Is it about taking customers for granted or some of these companies appear to be getting inspiration from the cheap stuff that is flowing into this country like there is no tomorrow.

Of course we appreciate the challenges industry is facing — obsolete machinery, poor financing etcetera, but this does not justify the kind of quality we are being made to accept.

This needs to change! We need to hold service providers to account. They must not get away with all this cheating. We may not take to the streets, but we need to send the message home that as consumers we have our rights which must be observed.

But where is the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe and the Standards Association of Zimbabwe in all this?
Sometimes I wonder how far or how limited their powers are. Some of the things tat we find in our shop on their watch, are really unbelievable.

Certainly we have had both organisations making some noise, but more needs to be done to ensure this country does not become a dump site. They need to make noise until we begin to see someone being held to account. It is certainly criminal for us to be exposed to the kind of stuff we see on the food, drinking, clothing and other markets.

Sometimes it is sad to note that most customers are actually not aware of their rights except in isolated cases where we have seen such institutions as the City of Harare being taken to court for potholes that damage cases. (Remember the Stanbic former Chief executive Pindi Nyandoro’s case?)

We implore authorities to empower CCZ and SAZ, among such organisations with powers to effect changes that will benefit the consumer.
We have noted serious efforts by such bodies as the Contact Centre Association of Zimbabwe that has been holding programmes and events to raise customer service awareness. The local consumer services week commemorations spearheaded by CCAZ have gained momentum over the past two years.

More and more firms have developed a keen interest to participant in exhibitions and competitions. The annual customer services awards launched last year are also expected to go some way in encouraging service providers to treat the consumer right.

Good customer service is the hallmark of any business success. A customer is not an inconvenience as widely viewed, but is literally your paymaster so treat him as king.
In a competitive environment as obtaining on the globe, superior customer service carries the day. This is supposed to be common sense, but the flagrant disregard of the customer is really cause for concern.

Producers and retailers of goods and services need to have that in the uppermost parts of their minds if they are to make it on the highly competitive markets be they local or export arenas where the consumer has become more discerning and understands the true value of the dollar.
In God I trust!

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