CLIENTFRONT: We Dressed-up for the existing customers; but will they encounter that smile accruing from the ‘busuuti”,” kanzu” and "gomesi” next week?

The first week of October, every year, has now become widely accepted in Uganda as Customer Service week, following a tradition that began in the United States, almost four decades ago. And like the trend goes, employees of many organizations, especially banks, use the week to attire themselves on specific themes as well as giveaways and cake cutting, as a way of celebrating their customers.

This practice of dressing up in fancy attire however, would go down the drains, if a corresponding change in the quality of service isn’t matched with, the week after.

The beautiful pictures shared on all social media platforms by organizations in this customer service week mood, ranged from traditional attire, sporty attire, cow-boy style, professional attires, to suiting up like never before, all in the name of meeting the customer with a glittering look and therefore, offer a “wow’ experience. The existing customers enjoyed this service. Question is, will the potential client still find that “busuuti” smile the week after? Or, will the current client have to wait for another 365 days, to next October, to get served with Cake? Or get to have a feedback call answered as promised? How do we move on from here and not let both the potential and existing customers think that may be, it was a case of ‘all that glitters isn’t gold’? Self-reflecting questions these.

Sometimes, it’s so easy to get caught up in the process of converting new customers that we forget that our best customers are sitting right in front of us. But are we ready to let it sink in that the gentleness we showcased as we donned the “Kanzu’ to serve this week’s clients, accompanied by the respect that attire commands, is something not be treated as a “one off”?

For these are your existing customers. You’ve already won them over with your products. But did you also know that keeping customers loyal comes with a wealth of benefits? It’s easier to convince them to buy products from you again, and the longer they stay with you, the greater their lifetime value becomes. In addition, once you’ve built a solid relationship with your existing customers, they’ll refer their friends. So, they’ll become powerful advocates who can bring new customers your way!

It’s important for ?organizations to bring to the fore the need for good customer service ,but it’s more important that organizations go beyond festivities and dressing up, for the Customer Week.

So, if you were the best dressed frontline staff, or head office staff, or even field staff, and your social media platforms are filled with “How we nailed it in the Ganda gomesi to welcome our customers today”, let this smartness carry on with you, in your words and actions , once the veils are dropped off and the ‘kikooyi” loosened from today and the weeks to follow.

This wasn’t a one week off. Customer Service is a 24/7 game. That way, we build up on greater Customer Experiences and therefore add onto our businesses.For if we managed to meet the clothing ?standards, as determined by the ?Customer Week Trend, employees then, have no room ?to partake in inappropriate treatment towards that customer that walks in starting next week.

[email protected]