Prof Adei calls for new shift in Ghana’s customer service culture

On Nov 27, 2015

Professor Stephen Adei, former rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has called for a top-led transformation of the customer service culture in Ghana.

He said that while the importance of good customer service cannot be overemphasized, and while customers are central to the success or failure of business, a coarse cultural setting in Ghana, compounded by monopolies for some services, is fostering poor customer service right from the top – politicians.

“The customer is the person who pays every one’s salary and this notion must sink into the head of every business and service provider and every politician,” the professor of economics said. He was speaking at the 5th Ghana Customer Service Awards by the Organization for Customer Service Excellence in Ghana themed “Putting Customer Service First: A key to Business Growth and Sustenance”.

The professor shared this quote from American businessman and founder of Walmart, Sam Walton: “There is only one boss and whether one shines shoes for a living or leads the biggest corporation in the world, the boss remains the same – it is the customer.”

He added that a survey of why customers leave, showed that one per cent die, three per cent migrate, five per cent develop other relations, nine per cent leave for competitive reasons, 14 per cent because they are dissatisfied with the product or service and 68 per cent because of rude or discourteous behaviour.

Mr Hector Wulff, Executive Director of the Organization for Customer Service Excellence said a poor customer service renders business an exercise in futility.

“Business is customer service and customer service is business,” he said.

Awards for excellence in customer service were given to the following businesses and individuals.

Aviation – Africa World Airlines

Hotel (foreign) – Paloma Hotels

Indigenous Restaurant – Ashanti Home Touch

Most customer-focused organization – Starlife Assurance

Mobile Telecommunications – Milicomm Ghana Ltd. (Tigo)

Life Insurance – Starlife Assurance

Food Chain Sector – KFC

Oil Marketing – GOIL

Hospitality – Best Western Premier

Aviation (foreign) – Ethiopian Airlines