02.04.09 Do You Know Your Customer? (Orig Ng 30)

30. The ‘Customer’ Song and the King Fish

The word ‘customer’ is common especially amongst the environs of those hoping to make some money from others.  Next time you get a craving for fresh King fish, take a stroll to the Kivukoni Fish Market and you will hear a myriad of vendors calling out “welcome, my customer” in friendly yet competitive, and even aggressive tones.  If you were to look beneath the surface of their so called ‘hospitality’, you may well discover that the financial pressures of life could be the hidden inertia that drives them to echo the word ‘customer..customer’ hoping that by so doing, you, the ‘customer’ will eventually grace their kiosks, with your presence, and needless to say, with your much sought-after shilling. 

A longer observation will reveal that these ‘welcome customer’ songs are selective.  Some persons are honoured by those welcome symphonies, indicated by louder volumes and frequencies; while for others the ‘singers’ cum sellers stay aloof, as they are not convinced that the buyer deserves the song.  Interestingly, the market guests do not also just march to anyone’s song, however sweet the vocals may sound.  They do not simply buy from just any stall; rather they walk around carefully, making critical judgment – not of the song, but of what the singer has to actually offer, over and above the other singers. 

The search ends when the market guest meets the right and well-deserved singer – a seller who has stocked the king fish that provides exactly what is being sought after; and for the singer cum fish seller, a buyer who has the right shilling.  Smiles, exchanges.. some fraternity phrases and the deal is sealed.  Buyer goes home to roast the King fish acquired from the discerning seller, and fish seller cum singer goes to the bank or wherever the shilling is kept.  A miracle has just taken place, through the ‘customer…customer’ song, the needs of the two parties have been met!  And both are happy. 

As the following week progresses, the seller reminisces over the treasured shilling that was brought by his valuable new-found buyer, so much that he determines that early Saturday morning, he will stock the King fish in line with the new buyer’s specifications; just in case she gets a relapse of a desire for King fish.  Luckily for the fish seller, the taste of the freshly roasted King fish still sizzles on the buyer’s tongue; she purposely makes sure that in her handbag is the exact amount of shillings that the fish seller expects.  The following Saturday, the buyer is back at Kivukoni Fish Market ; but unlike last weekend, she shies away from enduring the long search for King fish.  She goes straight to the one that won the singing competition last week, the newly-found King fish seller.  A customer-supplier relationship is established. 

This obsession with customers and suppliers has a long history, in fact, dating back to our great forefathers who first set foot on this great planet.  ‘Customer-supplier relationships’ have existed since then; and are here to stay.

Everyone is a supplier of something; and therefore has customers in life.  This plain but valid fact had never dawned on my special friend Jamillah, who works for a certain organization.  “Me? Having customers?” she marveled, almost quizzing me.  Her beautiful dark face looked rather puzzled, her big eyes saying it all.  Her confusion was understandable.  As a public servant, ‘customers’ was synonymous to ‘profit-making’ transactions.  Therefore, my assertion that ‘public servants have customers’ sounded not only strange, but misplaced.  Until I explained rather simply, that ‘a customer’ was anyone that interacted with her directly or indirectly, expecting to attain something valuable or beneficial from her (Jamillah).  That person would have a particular need that Jamillah would be perceived to have the potential to address. 

The advent that anyone who interacts with her is considered a ‘customer’ was mind-blowing for Jamillah.  To send the message home, we made a list of the people that she interacts with; that is, her customers.  First on her list was her husband Okeyo, then her two sons, her parents, sisters and brothers, house-girl, neighbors, relatives, bosses, office colleagues, clients, visitors, members of the public…!  Moreover, all these people expected her to care for them, whenever an opportunity arose.

To be cared for is a human need; and everyone yearns for, and is impressed by it.  The fish seller showed care for the buyer, thereby guaranteeing long lasting business for himself.  Likewise, we agreed with Jamillah that she needed to show care for the persons in her life; at home, in the office and in her community.  Caring required that she always aspires to provide what her customers considered to be the best.  This could only be done if she determined to learn the ‘kind of fish that her buyers preferred’.

Just before we parted, we set a standard for the services that she would provide at home, office and in the community.  We agreed on ‘Excellence’. “What does that entail?” she asked with renewed enthusiasm.  I explained that ‘Excellence’ is providing what Jamillah’s customers have never dreamt possible.  As we hugged and said our goodbyes, she looked at me straight and declared “I can do this”. And since our talk, excellent customer care is a lifestyle that she has adopted; a personal brand to which she has subscribed.