Africa-Press – Eswatini. It is with profound pain and anguish that I write this article today. When visiting a sick elderly church member some time ago, I asked her why she had not gone to the hospital sooner. Her reply broke my heart and still lingers in my mind. She said in her small quiet voice: “Mnguni bayatsetsisana etibhedlela”, translated to mean ‘they scold us in hospitals’. I have chosen to use the word scold because I feel it best describes what is actually happening. The words mean ‘to reproach or rebuke angrily and abusively,’ whereas scold implies rebuking in irritation or ill temper justly or unjustly. It is a word usually used angrily like when scolding children.
Now can you imagine a former nurse who has served her country and had been promoted to a superior in her field. How many retired people are rebuked and scolded like a child by people younger than their own children? I was reflecting on this during my birthday last week, Sunday, October 20, as I went through a similar experience of very poor customer service in one of the local hardware stores. I was actually very angry and realised that as I approach retirement age, I must do something about it. It is not for me but for the thousands of elderly who get abused daily as they try to do things on their own.
All my children have grown and the older ones have their own homes and the younger in university. We find ourselves alone with my wife, having no one to send even for the smallest things. Yes, we may have helpers and relatives, but they may not be around all the time, especially in the city dwellings that we live in, where everything costs money. One may park the car and walk around town, only to find disrespect at every shop.
Abuse by shop assistants
Moving away from just the elderly, the customer service in Eswatini is very bad. It is so bad that I believe the government must do something about it. Unfortunately, most shopkeepers across the Indian-run stores, the hardware stores, restaurants, the hospitality industry and all government departments except the Eswatini Revenue Authority, do not read newspapers. This government tax department is very good and highly professional except for their rundown public money collection and payment offices. I guess this is where they interact with the general ordinary liSwati and feel they don’t deserve the top-notch service they give the business and corporate clients.
I digress; let me come back to the terrible customer service given out to emaSwati daily. This is important because the business owners never read newspapers and most of them employ young girls mainly and leave. They are almost always away from the business. They wonder when sales drop and blame the economy or Tinkhundla. These young ladies become the boss and they do as they please to the customers. Somehow, we the customers have been indoctrinated to believe that we are doing a service to the shop owner by buying at his shop. We have become beggars to this great businessman or woman. We seem to believe that they can do without us. This has somehow translated to the shopkeepers who then treat us anyhow; after all, they are doing us a favour.
Kenya experience
One of my friends was talking about Kenya. He said the customer service was so good that he was sure all the extremely beautiful shopkeepers, receptionists and secretaries were simply in love with him. He thought they all wanted an intimate relationship with him. When they told him, it was just good customer care, he could not believe it. They were so friendly asking him personal stuff like who cuts his hair and what aftershave he used, with bedroom eyes and all that. EmaSwati have travelled around the world and know all kinds of dishes be it Indian, Chinese, Italian and many more. It is so depressing to walk into an Indian or Chinese restaurant and the waiter is scolding you on your order. Telling you what and what not to eat condescendingly, like to say emaSwati don’t know these things. To give friendly advice on the menu is allowed but politely.
Local business dying
The emaSwati-owned businesses are dying and everyone is blaming the economy and the political elite when the real problem is customer service and business neglect by business owners. Most emaSwati start a business and leave it to the hired staff and never bother to find out what the general public thinks of their business. People are abused by shopkeepers daily. Young ladies who seem to want special attention start acting out when they don’t get it. Personal anger issues from home are taken out on customers. There is this feeling that these ladies are ashamed to be working there, but due to circumstances she is temporarily there. At least that is what she portrays and needs to show customers that she is better than this job. She will not beg anyone if you buy you buy, if not that is OK with her.
Maybe the wages are too low and she feels she cannot put in 100 per cent effort. Maybe she has special relationship with the owner. If one asks to see an item and asks to see another, they face the wrath of the shopkeeper. Are you buying or not? – will be the question that will follow with an angry face. Whatever the case, the customer is suffering and someone needs to do something. Businesspeople love the idea of owning a business, but lack what it takes to make a business work. They deliberately choose not to have a relationship with their customer as if customers are beneath them. Businesses are starting and closing every day.
The principal secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture said there are 500 feedlots on paper but less than 200 operating. Almost all grocery shops are now owned by Asians and they stay at their shops day in and day out, but emaSwati are too proud to sit behind a counter. There is a need for government to train everyone, particularly the hospitality industry and the local shops, on good customer care.
Source: times
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