Given the plethora of options consumers have in virtually all product and service categories, I sincerely struggle to find any good reason or reasons why one should remain loyal to brands operating in the Nigerian marketplace, when those brands do not treasure you in return.

From internet service providers to telecommunications networks; from cable service providers to neighborhood retail outlets; from the schools your children attend to the bukka or restaurant you order your lunch, and even the banks you keep your hard-earned money, the treatment of the ‘customer’ in Nigeria borders on utter disdain and it leaves very vile bad taste in the mouth.

Though some might see this as a rant of a displeased customer, I concede to both categorizations: I am highly displeased, and this is really a rant. But a genuine rant nevertheless.

For upwards of ten days or more in this month of November, I had a most difficult time getting on the internet, because of what my provider of choice termed technical upgrade. An excuse I was only told by their supposed customer service operator after I put a call through (and was charged for the call) after a week of troubled service.

Needless to emphasize that it was a most frustrating period for me because I work and live online these days. The difficulties affected my work schedules as I couldn’t meet up on postings and placements of contents for the clients I represent. And on more than one occasion, I had to ‘travel’ to Ikeja from my Surulere base just to be able to ‘connect’.

After realizing the problem, I visited the Surulere service point at the Adeniran Ogunsanya mall on two occasions, and a certain gentleman staff always pleaded with me that the issues will soon be resolved. Of major concern to me was that my monthly subscription was soon due, to which he mentioned that the network had a plan in place to compensate us customers for the usage denied us. So stoically, I endured the hardship and looked forward to a considerate palliative measure from my network of choice.

Thankfully, the issues seemed resolved before the end of Saturday November 11, 2017, which incidentally was my due date. The network seemed back to ‘functional’ and given the expected compensation, I wasn’t worried a bit.

However, I woke up on Sunday November 12 to realize I couldn’t get on the net. At first I thought the network issues were back, and on Monday morning, I visited the service point only to discover that the network was o.k. but, I have been disconnected.

Really?

Unbelievable!

Now: I do the unlimited bundle subscription charged at N20’000 monthly. And if I was denied for more than a third of the allocated days, I rationally expected to be either given a sizeable number of days extension on the network or a sizeable bundle of data in gigabyte as compensation. But to be yanked off at the expiration of my subscription is absolutely irresponsible.

And I am not smiling.

So the network genuinely expect me to pay another N20’000 just like that after not getting service for the ‘just-ended’ period. Quite some nerve.

And most annoying was the million and one “sorry” repeatedly mouthed by their staff, which was adding insult to the injury instead of having any kind of mitigating effect on my angst. Stop telling me sorry as if I am a child that just lost his biscuit to the school bully.

This to me is unacceptable. You cannot deny me service and not make recompense, while believing that saying sorry will make me ‘smile’.

This is one injustice too many. And I have had enough of such:

Enough of bad service;

Enough of poor customer service;

Enough of taking me for granted;

For goodness sake, I pay for the service I expected to get

Enough of one-sided relationships with brands or individuals

If I have stayed committed to your brand for more than 3 years, I do not expected to be treated as if I do not matter.

Enough of blind brand loyalty.

I’m walking away. I have options and I am taking them up.

And it is the same for all other patronage.

The same reason I walked away from a bank that was so condescending and made me feel unimportant in spite of being famed for excellent customer care.

The same reason I stopped patronizing the bukka where their service delivery border on atrocious and customer relations is contemptuous.

Nigerian brands at every level and in every category need to do better at service delivery and customer care.

Your network upgrade cannot be at the expense of me not getting value for the service I paid for in full. The payment I made is a contract and when it is violated (especially to such extent as in this case), I strongly believe my provider should at least respect the contract and make recompense.

In other climes, this is strong enough grounds for litigation and some giga or mega compensations.

So I will not be taken for granted.

With the abundance of choices we have in the market today, the era of foolish loyalty to unprincipled brands should be over.

The customer-brand relationship should no longer be one-sided or one-way traffic.

Customer care should not be about just having a desk to listen to customers and have someone tell them ‘sorry’ when they have been genuinely aggrieved or short-changed.

Customer care should start with customer appreciation.

The products and services we patronize should value the money we spend and value our commitment to them.

I am definitely not renewing my subscription; I’ll take my chin-chi-ni money elsewhere till the new brand disregards me and I’ll move on again. And again…

I know the brand wont miss my paltry N20’000 monthly, but I would rather not endure being made to feel that I was being done a favor in a transaction where I fulfill my financial obligations.

There are times when that small sum is a lot of money to me. It doesn’t come easy.

And this is the way I think we consumers should treat wayward brands that thrive on blatant disrespect and disdain for the customers.

You might not see the crown on my head, but I AM KING!

And now… I am smiling!