Some days ago, I had a discussion with Charles Ifedi, a Nigerian technology entrepreneur, on how my organization has managed customer expectations and maintained positive experience during the coronavirus pandemic.
Aside from relating how our 28-person call centre has coped at this time, both by working remotely as well as within the office premises, we also discussed his own experience over several years of navigating technology and people.
One notable lesson for me is the need to focus on giving value. Whether as an SME or an established corporation, your relevance is tied to the value provided to your customers. Even where your offering is an innovative product, it has a better chance of succeeding once your customer base realizes the benefit they would derive.
A case in point is the introduction of automated teller machines (ATMs). It was going to be a complete move away from how Nigerians normally sourced for cash, and many wondered whether it was practicable. Would the public adapt to this new system? Would there be adequate ROI? But as time went on, people realized it saved them a lot of time in entering into a banking hall to make withdrawals. A few years later, this technology has become a part of our daily lives.
Summary: Focus on offering value; your customers would eventually come around.
Dayo Adewoye 