JUST GIST: CUSTOMER SERVICE IN NIGERIA

So today, I called a bunch of numbers belonging to a transport company that I lifted off their website in order to make enquiries about sending a package (envelope size) from Abj to PH. I wanted to send some items to PH.

Whenever I take crochet orders, I ask the client to pick whichever transport company they want me to send it through to make it easy for them to pick up. She chose this particular Transport Company.  

I googled them and found their website.

I called 6 numbers in all. 

After calling these 6 numbers, I decided to stop wasting my hard earned money and just told my client to pay a flat rate that if there was any change left over, I would send it back to her. 

The first two I dialed which were supposed to be for terminals in Utako and Mararaba were SWITCHED OFF. 

This, is what happened with the remaining four...

 ONE

The first person I spoke to told me that he's in Benin (I found the number under PH terminal) and that he would text me the number of the person in PH. The noise in the background was deafening and he had to shout into the phone the whole time. I made the call at exactly 5:04pm, It’s been over 8 hours and I’m yet to  receive that text message.

TWO

Since the number under PH terminal had linked me to Benin, I decided to call the number under Benin hoping it would link me to PH (hope you get my logic)

The 2nd person I spoke to told me that he's in PH but that he's not in "courier" meaning that he doesn't know how much it costs to send an envelope to Abuja. 

I asked if he knew the phone number of the courier department, instead of giving me a direct answer, he told me to come to their office to have it weighed.

I told him that I’m in Abuja that it wouldn’t be possible. He then said I should send the lady in PH, apparently he didn’t understand what I was asking. When I tried to explain, he told me that there was nothing he could do to help me.

I was amazed at this because just a couple of weeks ago, I’d called another transport company and the man that answered told me he's in motors but he gave me an idea of the price and I was able to send that package.

End of that chapter.

THREE

The third person ended the same way. No response. Lack of understanding in just simply telling me how much it would cost to send a medium sized brown envelope from Abuja to PH. It wasn’t Rocket science.

FOUR

The last person I spoke to made me write this post. It was their Zuba terminal in the FCT

This is the conversation we had

Man: "Hello"

BB Anne : "Hello Good evening”

Man: "Good evening”

BB Anne: "Please am I on to **** in Zuba?"

Man: "Yes!"

BB Anne: "Okay, please I’d like to send an envelope to PH, I want to find out how                                             

                    much it will cost"

(I repeat! This is not the first time I’ve sent items out of Abuja. I've called a lot of transport companies and they've all been very responsive)

The next thing I hear is

Man: "Thank God you're a woman!"

BB Anne:  "sir?"  ( I didn’t really understand what he meant by that)

He shouts into the phone again

"I say thank God, you're a woman!...you know why i'm saying that? Because it is only a woman that will price market that she has not yet seen! Ehn!-"

At that point I cut him off because I realize that he is just wasting my credit. 

It was rude of me, I know but I’d just bought 500 Naira credit and when you spend 30-45 minutes to crochet one cap and sell it for 500 naira because most people think 800 for a handmade crochet cap is too expensive, you will understand where I’m coming from. 

(In fact, I recently had someone tell me that 500 was too expensive sef. Imagine that!)

Mini Prayer: Abeg God bless my hustle. Please help me bless potential over pricing/under paying customers plenty money during the time that they order from me so that they won’t even think twice about the price I give.

Sorry. I'm straying from the gist

So I  sha hung up on the man...

And you know what happened?

HE CALLED ME RIGHT BACK

oh yes! that's what he did.

I pick up and immediately he says

"I say thank God you're a woman!! You understand me?  You want to price something -"

I had to interrupt him because obviously to me he didn’t even understand what I had asked about sending an envelope.

"No” I said to him “I want to send an envelope to PH so I want to find out the cost"

He pauses for a minute and then he’s like "oooooh okay, is it document? "

I say "yes" because I couldn’t even begin to imagine how to describe baby booties and caps to this man on the phone 

He goes "is it photostat or original?"

BB Anne : "photostat" (I try not to laugh)

Man: "Ehen! It’s around 2000-2500. Are you hearing me?"

BB Anne: "Yes sir"

Man: "okay! If it is Photostat. It is 2000 or 2500 and if it is original, it is more 

              expensive”

BB Anne: “okay. Thank you, sir. Bye!”

Please how much is bus to PH o that I will send a medium sized brown envelope for 2k-2k5!!

email: bbannesworld@gmail.com 
twitter: @bbannesworld