The Sunday Mail
Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba
Your Money Your Call
IN the highly interconnected world that we currently live in, when there is a network outage, people feel like it is the end of the world.
They also feel like having been marooned on a deserted island.
A fortnight ago, a digital storm swept through Zimbabwe from Thursday up to early last week, when one of the biggest network service providers experienced some challenges, leaving mobile phone users stranded, disconnected and furious.
Calls were silenced and transactions halted.
Recharging credit became a nightmare.
It was painful.
The crisis really showed how lonely we can become without our phones.
Friends stood by their silent phones, wondering if they had been stood up.
I, too, felt disappointed. Was my friend cancelling our appointment? Had she deliberately switched off her phone? The uncertainty gnawed at my patience.
And then an apology finally arrived, and it was from the network provider.
“We apologise for the inconvenience,” it read.
But when apologies become all too many and too frequent, they become hollow, meaningless and even insulting.
They lose their essence and sincerity.
With the network glitch persisting, frustration turned into resignation.
We adapted, moved to the competitor as a coping mechanism to bridge the gap left by the network provider.
Failure by a mobile network service provider to provide the expected service is the very definition of poor customer service.
Customers depended on these providers for essential communication, data access and connectivity.
When disruptions occur due to technical glitches, outages or any other issues, it directly impacts their daily lives and productivity.
You see, customers expect seamless service, and rightfully so, especially when they are paying for it.
Any deviation from this expectation inevitably leads to frustration and disappointment.
When a provider fails to meet these expectations consistently, it erodes trust and damages the customer-provider relationship.
Network outages affect various aspects of users’ lives: missed calls and appointments, delayed messages, interrupted work and, worse, stalled transactions.
That reliable communication is crucial for personal, professional and emergency situations is obvious. However, how a provider communicates during service disruptions matters.
Timely updates, transparency about the issue and estimated resolution times can mitigate frustration.
Lack of clear communication actually exacerbates the perception of poor service. Consumers need reassurance and a sense that their concerns are heard.
But most often than not, some service providers do not feel obliged to explain the reason behind their wretched services.
They cannot be bothered.
It is time consumers refuse to be taken for a ride by greedy, unresponsive and uncaring service providers and demand the service they rightly deserve — and pay for.
The struggle continues!
Did you know? The Consumer Protection Act recognises the concept of deficiency in services. This refers to situations where a consumer does not receive the expected quality or standard of service from a service provider. The Act, however, provides a path towards justice for those who suffer loss or injury due to deficient services.
*Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing enthusiast with a strong passion for customer service. Do you feel you have been cheated by your service provider? Please get in touch on: customersuccessconsultancy @gmail.com or 0712 979 461, 0719 978 335.
