As Nigeria Decides

Good morning people.
Today is another opportunity to show forth the virtues and perfection of He who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light.

Today is Election Day in Nigeria. If you reside in Nigeria and have collected your Permanent Voter's Card, please go out and vote. When you are done voting, I recommend that you go home. If you choose to stay back and 'defend' your vote, please stay at least 300m away from the polling unit. Obey instructions. Do not take laws into your hands. If you must take pictures or film videos, please do so from a safe location.

As you go out to vote, let the Holy Spirit guide you. Do not be profane like Esau, who for a MORSEL OF BREAD, mortgaged his future. 

As we vote, we need to let God guide us to choose leaders that will make policies that will result in economic growth; leaders that will be discerning enough to recognize open doors and traps. I pray that we will elect leaders that will know which international treaty to ratify; which bilateral agreement to enter into etc
In other news, some have predicted that it may be a rainy day so I'm wondering if you can protect yourself with an umbrella as you vote? . Seriously, please don't use any party emblem or logo.

It just occurred to me that inspite of the 'economic shutdown', some will still get paid today...Think of building a business that can still run when there is an 'economic shutdown'.

May the Lord bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES

"From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do..." 1 Chronicles 12:32a

 

I'll like to talk a bit about having an understanding of the times we live in.

 

We learn in the opening verse of the sons of Issachar who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. Thankfully, that priviledge was not reserved only for the sons of Issachar. We have the Holy Spirit who tells us what to do at each point, so we ought to have an understanding of the times too.

 

One crucial aspect of understanding the times is understanding how things work in our day.  If you will impact your world meaningfully, you need to use social media to propagate your gospel. Businesses that will survive these days have to make their presence known online somehow. If you'll make an impact in your career, you NEED to know how to use your online presence and technology to your advantage.

 

I know there are 'dangers' associated with the internet and technology in general but I also know it's not all gloom and doom. Evil prevails when good men (women) do nothing. 

 

Technology is God's gift to us in this era. It may very well be the only 'talent' we've been given. The servant that was given only one talent hid his because it was not enough (in his opinion); he was punished for it. We have the priviledge of connecting to anyone we may need using various easy to use media - emails, social media, online professional networks etc. Joining up is free for most of these media. I think it is unacceptable/unbelievable that you can sign up on Facebook/Twitter (add your own) yet you don't have an email address. I know you won't believe me but I've met at least one person who didn't have an email address till now. Someone asked how you hope to get an employment letter mailed to you without an email address.

 

Anyway, I hope with these few words of mine I have been able to convince and not confuse you on the need to brace up and get with the program, lol. We have ALL been given the 'talent' of technology. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH IT?

 

PS: A dear friend and I are thinking of organizing an online course that shows you how to use various electronic and social media to your advantage. Please let me know what you think about it and how much you think is fair to charge for such a course.

 

Have a blessed and productive day.

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Customer Service - The Deal Breaker?

Good day people. This is the post I promised back in January about the different types of customers. I'll also be giving customer service tips. I had a most hilarious chat with some sisters yesterday and hair salons were unanimously voted as the most customer unfriendly sectors of the economy. I'll be quoting Chioma Nnani (www.chiomannani.com) where applicable. She is many things - a blogger, a writer, a ghost writer etc. She recently released the Fearless Story Teller Online Course. Please check the blog for details of the course. There will be a discount up till March 13, 2015.

I'll start with some of the funniest customers I've encountered. There was a young man that asked me to supply 2 crates of egg. I actually placed a fresh order primarily because of his request. I didn't look closely at the supply enough to realise that the Egg Company had started including the Best Before date on the eggs (positive development, yay). As I got the eggs to the man, he went on to inspect the eggs. He said the BB date of the eggs was too close for him. I asked him if he planned to consume the 2 crates by himself and I don't think that was the case. He asked me why I didn't check the BB date before receiving the eggs. The eggs are usually supplied really fresh. I have many customers that pay more than the price because of the freshness of the eggs (no woman does that, though, lol). He went on to return one of the crates because the BB date (28 days) was too close for him. I thought it was a positive development to have the BB date but see 'wahala' o. I knew I had matured when I collected the crate back from him and I was about to leave. Someone else called me back and bought the crate from me immediately.

I have too many stories of people online that ask for more information about an advertised good or service, waste your time, are uncourteous and eventually don't buy anything or bring in other people to patronise you. I think I have learnt the signs to look out for to determine time-wasters. What I've done now is to include as much details as possible in the advert. Then I have saved on my phone the standard first response that anyone that contacts me. It is composed based on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and updated when any new question arises. It saves me too many back and forths.

Now to the 'juicier' part of the post. I've had horrible customer service experiences but I think these ladies have seen more than I can..I have actually created scenes in banks due to poor service. The most recent poor customer service experience I had was at a salon where the stylist kept using a small-toothed comb on my natural (virgin) hair that I'm nurturing. I politely asked her to use a comb with a wider tooth and she claimed there was none in the salon. She kept torturing me with the small-toothed comb while making snide comments about my virgin hair. When the pain became unbearable, I collected the small-toothed comb and seized it from her. When she realised I wasn't going to give it back, she 'miraculously' found a wide-toothed comb in the SAME salon! Smh!

I told my sisters that inspite of the painful poor customer service experiences I've had (pun intended, lol), I'll still go back to a store that sells good cheap products except the customer service experience is dirt-low crappy. They decided to share some of their experiences. Please let me know which of them is your favorite.

 One of my sisters said she went into a shop once and something she touched fell. The shop attendant was so rude. The same shop attendant told my sister's husband that she can't open the door to him because she's scared of thieves. She says "A lot of sales girl are illiterates that don't have a clue what it takes to establish a business. They believe they are doing you (the customer) a favour. That is why we don't have service companies last."

This one had me in stitches - "You walk into a shop and the sales girl or boy is relaxed on the sofa and is waiting for you to greet first then swings his/her arm: check there." For real???
She continues "I called a bank asking why I was charged 1 naira more and I heard them giggling in the back. Troublesome customer looking for 1 naira. When they saw my email, hmmmm..."

Chioma Nnani says a market woman that sells fish and swears like a sailor is better at customer service than the person she got clothes from. Ewo! She says the clothes and shoes are very lovely but she'll rather direct anyone that asks to where her supplier bought them from than direct them to her.
Chi-Chi continues "You're spending money and they think they're doing you a favour. With your own money, oh! And when you don't return, but choose to go to their neighbour; they will start doing unnecessary binding and casting. Accusing their more business-savvy neighbour of witchcraft.
"That's how one GT Bank staff was forming and I told him plainly, 'I am your employer as long as I have an account here. Even if my account balance is one Naira. By the way, as long as you showed up for work, don't kid yourself that you've anything better to be doing than attending to me!' The guy was just looking at the 'mad customer from London' in shock. I don't mind being known as difficult as long as I get what I want. Nigerians don't like being known as troublemakers, except on social media."

She advises that one way to know if a supplier/vendor will give you headaches with their service is to check their referrals. Do they have any? Or are they just blowing their own trumpet?
"Nobody will tell you that their service is terrible but if they don't have even one customer that agrees with their "I am the best at what I do" claim; they are lying."

 Another sister says it's the big salons she detests the most. Most of the girls that work there are just so rude that she'll rather call someone and pay for home service. She says she won't pay for some rude person to insult her, no matter who else you make hair for.
Hear her "Whenever you insist on having things done well you're tagged impossible but I can't be bothered. I keep changing you till I get what I like.

 A sister notes that a lot of business owners don't take time to educate or train their staff on simple etiquettes and how to treat customers.

Business owners, it's up to you now. Let's hear from you. Is it so hard to please customers here in Nigeria? Or are there real operational challenges that make it expedient for you to subject your paying customers to such horrible experiences?

I'll like to balance this by saying that I've met wonderful suppliers and vendors. I can't say that I've met wonderful service providers, though their businesses will benefit MORE from referrals by satisfied customers.

Please feel free to leave a comment here or join the conversation on Facebook page at www.facebook.com/adenikethetentmaker
#Tentmakers

Fearless Storyteller Course

Great news!

Recently, I launched an online writing course called "Fearless Storyteller Course" on Siminars. Some people have already signed up!

Here's what a previewer had to say about it (BEFORE it was launched):

"It has been a privilege to preview the 'Fearless Storyteller Course'; I've learned a lot. I love your work"

Now, you can see what they're talking about. Remember I'm offering Lifetime Access to the course for 32% off, for subscribers who take advantage of the offer by 12th March, 2015. That means - today, you can get Lifetime Access to the $99 course for just $67.32!

You just need to order the course at http://smnr.me/nkq4hn and put in BR32T at checkout.

I'd also like to offer you (or someone you know) an opportunity.

In the mean time, you can let your friends, family and employees know about the course discount - http://smnr.me/nkq4hn & put BR32T at checkout.

Be sure to take advantage of the discount while it lasts (through 12th March, 2015). If you know a writer, blogger or student who would benefit from a writing course, please don't let them miss out! The discount is time-limited and as soon as 13th March arrives, the price of the "Fearless Storyteller Course" will go back up.

Kind regards,

Chioma Nnani

Business Tips For Perishable Goods Vendors (2)

Good day people. I'm here for Part 2. You can search for and read the first part on the blog.

I got a text message from the supermarket on a Friday asking me to deliver some cartons of eggs the next day. Apparently, they had tried to get me on the phone but I wasn't picking the phone. I tried to call back but the network signals were really poor. I immediately sent a text message reminding them of the 72-hour policy and asked them to confirm if they were still interested so I could place the order with my supplier. I kept trying to call the supermarket that day but the calls did not connect. I practically forgot about the order and life continued.
On Monday, I got a call from the Procurement Manager of the supermarket and he sounded very annoyed that I hadn't responded to his text message. With the benefit of hindsight, considering the events that played out, I suspect that he was really playing smart so that I would not impose the 72 hour requirement. I quickly told him I had responded but perhaps the network decided to swallow the sms. He said they were out of stock and needed me to supply them immediately.
I didn't have enough eggs in stock to cover the order immediately. I asked him to allow me discuss with my suppliers to see how I could accommodate their request. I immediately called my suppliers. That's when the story began to truly unfold.
Apparently, the supermarket had tried to renegotiate their prices with their existing supplier and they had my proposal as proof. The supplier insisted on the Recommended Prices that the Egg Company had developed but did not share with me despite all my attempts to get it. Of course, they couldn't reach an agreement. I suspect the discussions took place between Friday and Monday and the impasse must have been reached on Monday just before I received the call from the supermarket.
When I called my supplier to order the eggs, we discussed details. I requested that the eggs be delivered straight to the supermarket instead of delivering them to my house and then I'll go to make the delivery in the evening when I return from the office. As I mentioned the supermarket's name, I was told that I couldn't supply them because they already had a supplier. I told my suppliers that the condition of not marketing to a store/supermarket that already had a supplier was strange to me. I was expected to get them new stores. I was like 'See sufferhead marketing work o'...A key lesson learned for me is to rigorously and aggressively ask for and receive the supplier's policies.
I told them not to bother with the supply. I quickly called the supermarket and told them that I will be unable to supply the eggs and told the Procurement Manager the real reason. I refused to pick my supplier's calls as I was fed up with them and their extra-curricular policies. I planned to stop the business and just look for something else to do.
I finally decided to write a letter to counter the proposal I submitted initially. Interestingly, the day I decided to see the Procurement Manager to discuss my cancellation letter was the same day the supermarket's supplier decided to come around to discuss with them. I heard what he was talking about so I knew he was the supplier.
After a lot of discussions with the manager, I was able to convince him to accept my cancellation letter. He threatened to stop patronizing the Egg Company and actually gave me the business card of another company that had approached them for supplies. I'll probably search out the other company soon but I'm not yet ready (and may never be) for any business that involves strife and making someone else cry. I'm a more Isaac-like business person unless I'm led to fight... Lol.

PS: I still found the brand on the Supermarket's shelf when I shopped there last, lol. And I still sell the eggs on a smaller scale...

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DNV PHAST TRAINING LIVE IN LAGOS, NIGERIA

Course Code - SA-01

Duration: 2 days

Description

The course introduces the concepts and models within Phast 7. It will cover all areas of consequence modelling within the software, including  discharge, dispersion, pool formation and evaporation, fires, explosions and toxic effects. You will be required to practice and apply your new knowledge of the software through extensive hands-on workshops.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, you will understand and be able to use the theoretical and practical aspects of Phast. You will be able to create a range of scenarios from scratch, modelling the effects of releases of hazardous material from intial discharge through dispersion to final flammable and toxic effects. You will also be able to review and understand results and view these in tabular and graphical form and on maps in order to assess the effects of hazardous events and mitigate their consequences.

TARGET GROUP

Users who need to carry out consequence modelling calculations in the process industries including safety analysts, operators, process design engineers, regulators and legislators, insurance companies, engineering contractors and consultants, or users who need to understand the output of a consequence analysis performed with PHAST.

PRE-REQUISITE

The course is suitable for new users and for more experienced users who have not attended a formal training course or would like a refresher course. A basic understanding of hazard analysis and the concept of consequence modelling is required as is some experience of the process industry.

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Date: March 23-24, 2015

Venue: Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, lagos

Course Fee: 250,000 Naira per attendee (Discounts for group registration of 3 or more)

Limited Class Size

Payment closes by March 20, 2015.

WhatsApp: 08172860826

Email: kneekey2@yahoo.com