Life is full of experiences all which in one way or the is both good and bad, yeah life experiences can either be an advantage or disadvantage to us in so many ways, let me share more light on that...
Life experiences can either break us or make us, there are some challenges life throws at us and in the process it breaks our self esteem, courage, determination and resilience and there are some challenges life throws at us which makes us more steadfast, determined, motivated, courageous and tolerant of what is happening now and what will happen in the future...
Among this challenges and experience is where customer and seller comes in, i have experienced a lot of hardship in this area but instead of me allowing it to break me, i found courage and hope to continue doing my best in whatever i do...
It is a known fact that our reaction and response towards our customers will determine the growth of the firm or company because at the end of it all, customers are always right no matter the situation or happening that may occur, we should never Indulge in any rude or inappropriate act that will sway the customers from our goods....
In a personal opinion and views, in cases like this I have seen a lot of customers abuse and misuse this right given to them because they know that at the end of the day, we are the one gaining from them and without them there wont be growth or improvement to look forward to not to even talk of gains and profits
I have experienced this issue about two times, back then I was working in a SUGAR FACTORY, a company that sells and produces icing sugars and many other things, in this case I am the one offering the service and I knew the customer was wrong at the same time but because of the word customer is always right I apologized with all form of sincerity and made sure even my anger did not show on my face while apologizing to her because at the end we are the one providing the service and we need them more than they need us because whatever we sell to them is always available in some other store and if we start loosing one customer everyday, there will be no company or salary to look up to because of this issue...
In life we have to be humble if we want to gain something because grace is given to the humble says the holy scriptures and while dealing with our customers on daily basis we should never forget they are always right and we have some pain in the a**s customers who are ready to take you to the end of the world to prove a point...
My second experience was when I was a LOAN COLLECTOR, this was the most painful event for me because I was insulted and rubbished by customers while claiming what is rightfully ours, they didn't stop it until I was smiling and apologizing and making pranks just to make sure they don't quit collecting loan from us and not only that, they wouldn't elope with our money in their possession all because of a single statement I will utter, I was forced to apologize by the word customers are always right..
But the fact was that they misused and abused that power given to them and they will never see it as something wrong as long as they remain a customer to us...
I am going to share a particular event that took place some months ago, I already gave a preamble of the experience but I will like to share more light on what happened and transpired between me and my customer that day which lead to all what she hurled at me...
SHE WAS WRONG BUT MADE RIGHT..
I have had a lot of encounters with my customers in the past on one or two situations where they seem to be wrong but they claim to right and I didn't have the power to change it because I was bound by a lot of things all which will determine the progress and growth of my firm...
Because one wrong step or approach from my side could prove either as an advantage or disadvantage to my company and I always want to be known by my ethics for respecting the customers are always right protocol..
I started my job as a loan collector around April 2021 and I was already familiar with all my customers in just two months of learning and working my way around things, I was loved by many and unloved by few but that is expected because while doing my job, I don't smile constantly especially when you take me for a fool or try to act smart with me...
My boss saw how well I was doing in handling tough customers and Making them pay up and he decided to change my location to another side to see if I can bend them to pay up as well..
A lot of customers has run away with our money times without number but they never miss the wrath of God because we helped them in the time of need only for them to pay up in due time and they dissappeared, in this case we don't go after the customer but after the guarantor and make sure he or she pays up for the person they introduced to us and they can find him/ her and get the money from them...
I was eventually introduced to my new location for work and I was happy because that place was a market place and I see most of them as someone who makes sales daily because they sell varieties of things, so I was wondering why my colleague was switched with me even when she should be the one generating more loan returns to us..
She became the Least in collecting back our loans from them and me being the only guy amongst all the loan collector I was ordered to work there for the meantime and I started working immediately and I studied all of them for weeks which lead to a month and I saw what happened and the reason why my colleague was always making less returns for the company...
After studying and observing the market and traders for weeks, I realized they needed a strict hand because they are making sales often but because of the loan collector assigned to their side is always soft, most of them took her for granted by paying half of their supposed daily payment everyday, I saw this and moved with the flow for weeks and then I decided to make a change, it was at this Moment I became strict with whoever wants to play on my intelligence and friendly to whoever is paying back well..
The following week I started a Do or Die mission which was either you pay me or I don't leave your shop and since most of them are very conservative about their reputation, they started paying up and whenever they do that I smile and make gests with them and pray for them Wholeheartedly..
Even if they got angry at me at that moment, I make sure I don't leave without making them smile and praying for them...
That week changed because most of them paid me the full daily payment and it all started turning out well, all the money that was stuck with them were already being collected by me and it was going the way it was supposed to go..
I was loved by many for that act but I was hated by few because I don't hear excuses and that doesn't concern me as long you pay me, I don't care but I try to make them smile because I don't know who is who, we need to be careful while dealing with them...
Those people that don't like me, I spend more time praying and explaining my dilemma to them to get money out of them, but on serious note, when you came for loan, we gave you with ease and now paying back is by force 🤨...
One day one of our best customer collected a loan #300,000 and she is supposed to pay at least #10,000 daily but at most it should be #15,000 daily for 38 days...
We only give big businesses this huge amount of money and not petty traders or motorists, we give you this huge amount after weighing what you sell and the amount you earn, this will determine if you will be able to pay up or not...
We gave additional 8 days because of sales casualties and stuffs, and this wasn't enough for the woman to pay up, she is supposed to start paying the following day after the disbursement..
I went out for loan collection as usual and then I got the woman the first day, she said she didn't have any money to pay that sales didn't move and she just bought goods with the loan she collected and I didn't say anything and I stood and prayed for her and went out to collect the rest and it ended that day..
The following week was Monday, Monday is the day where we are expected to make more money by our boss because our customers are to pay both Saturday and Monday payment on Monday, this has been a laid down procedures for years and it was only 40 percent customers that follows the rules and others ignore Saturday payment and pays for only Monday all because we don't work on Saturday's...
This woman didn't pay any one out of the two( Saturday and Monday), she told me later that is i should go and collect others and come back, I obeyed and went only to come back and find her missing in the shop and I asked after her from her sales attendant and they said she is coming, I waited for 30 minutes and no news and I left to conclude the day's work..
The next day, she paid one which is #15,000 after missing three days which was #45,000, I collected it with joy and prayed for her, the next day I didn't see her again until two days time, she paid #25,000 and I collected it like that and it eventually got the mid month and my boss called me and this was our conversation:
Boss : seyi, how come this your customer has only paid one quarter of this money in the last 15 days??..
Me : Sir, I have been constantly going to her shop, the both and most times she is not always there and anytime I eventually see her, she pays me one or one and a half of the payment sir☹️☹️
Boss : Seyi 😡😡😡, when did you become this unserious with your collection, she has been doing this and you didn't inform me, are you okay at all?, get out of my office now☹️☹️..
Me : Am sorry sir🙏..
He left his office and went out, I went out for collection that day and I was furious and angry 😡😡😡😡😡 but I couldn't show it on my face because I don't want to offend the good customers just because of the bad customers, I faked my smile for the good customers and I eventually got to her shop and sat down with the intention of give me my money or I don't leave your shop, she delayed me for minutes and at the end of the day she gave me #10,000 after missing two days...
I counted it and collected it and I sat down with her and in a short while another customer of hers came with over #50,000 as a balance for her goods and I saw her count the money, I asked her to add more to her payment that my boss is on his way to her shop...
Immediately, She bursted out in anger and said hurtful words at my boss and I and she went on further to tell me that my boss and I will do nothing to her and there is no way she is going to give me out of that money, she started shouting on me, telling me I am rude compared to my colleague, it was at this moment i remembered what my boss said, that I should never exchange words with people from the market and then I shut up and was looking down throughout and then she told me to be careful or she will never have anything to do with our company again and I smiled and ahhhhh Mummy, I am joking now and I prostrated for her and said I was joking and was only trying to be considerate, she calmed down a bit and then I smiled at the expense of my anger and then I smile and prayed for her until I see she was no longer angry and I made her smiled and said she will make sales and I left..
I was pained to the bone and I got to work the next day and reported to my boss and he said well-done and he apologized to me for both the insults and not responding and apologizing to her and he said you just used the customers are always right tactics and my boss said he knows what he will do...
In conclusion, she paid the whole money for 45 days and she came to our office for a new loan and we told her OUR BOSS HAS TRAVELED, no loan disbursement until he comes back and for now and we are only recovering disbursed loans from customers, we just had to send her away before she wrecks our company...
That was how we got rid of that customer until I left and it got better 👋❤️ and at the end it was a lesson I learnt from life, what if I had exchanged words with that woman that day, what would have happened to me is the question...
Never misuse the power and opportunity given to you by claiming customers are always right...
THANK YOU FOR READING ❤️❤️