FACE TO FACE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, HOW GOOD OR BAD IS IT?

So We have been discussing customer service via phone and online for some time now. Amazing responses from you all. We appreciate it so much, let’s keep it up and help good customer service prevail.

So I had some questions in mind about how other professionals including those we have spoken about handle customers face to face. Would it be any different from over the phone and online?

I visited a number experience centers one weekend to have an experience.I have not seen too much traffic in the various locations on most days but this time it was quite full to capacity with customers who needed assistance.

First stop was MTN office which had some customers standing (first thing that caught my attention). There was a lady right by the door who I believe is to welcome customers and find out what they were there for and then direct them accordingly but she was not doing that. She was busy chatting with a man standing by her rather than attending to customers.  I did not see a smile on her face or any cheerful look as she attended to all the customers that came in. Most customers were rather greeting her and asking where to go for their issues to be resolved.I had to stand because all the seats were occupied. No word from anyone by way of apologizing or explaining why customers should stand whiles we waited for our turn. And I spent more than 15 minutes on my feet till it got to my turn.

In Tigo I was greeted at the door by the security who directed me to take a seat. The center was almost empty here but it took a while to be attended to since there was no free Agent. There was no smile from the Agent and he did not seem to be interested in me (zero rapport) and just kept to giving attention to my issue. It almost felt like I did not exist. I also felt the atmosphere was very dull and boring and nothing was done about it. I am not sure if it was because there were no customers but I believe something to keep the place lively would attract customers in.

The Vodafone shop on the other hand was not too busy and there were seats available. The smiling faces were not many but there was some compared to the initial ones I visited. The attendants were rather slow and customers spent longer time with each of them. This of course meant the other customers waiting would spend longer time waiting in queue. Things were a bit orderly here comparing experiences but the Agents were quite lackadaisical and there was no urgency in getting customers issues resolved.

I was greeted warmly at Barclays bank by the security who opened the door for me as I entered. There was no one available to talk to so as to direct me to where I should go. I stood for some time with the hope of getting someone to approach but no help came. I had to choose where to go myself. I sat in front of a lady but had to wait as she attended to someone else. When it was my turn she was helpful, nice and friendly. She gave me additional advise and helped me with my issue. This actually made up for my initial experience and I left a happy customer.

The questions I asked my self - was it because it is a weekend that is why events turned out this way? Is it that some people are just bad with people (human relation)? Is it the case that employees are just tired? Or Ghanaians are only nice to foreigners and people perceived to be of higher status being measured by the cars they drive, clothes they wear and other possessions?
What is your take on this? If you are not in Ghana does it happen where you're at?
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If service does not go too well when people are not seen, I believe it should be better via face to face. Ghanaians are known to be respectful, shy and friendly as observed by most visitors who encounter us. How come this cannot be said about our work practices too.
The call is to You and I to make things right. We should insist we receive the best of services and give out same.                                 

I am Ivy Zelda A. Yeboah, a graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from UPSA and Social Media Marketing  from Northwestern University. I have lots of experiences in customer service, Marketing and Social media. I have a passion for Advertising and Branding and have studied around those areas. I am a manager in a contact center and I am currently looking forward to new challenges in the same field or other fields of interest. Feel free to contact me 
LinkedIn on http://bit.ly/2fVXNlY (Ivy Akosua Yeboah)
Twitter handle @Zeldayeb (Ivy Akosua Yeboah)
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