Secure the paymaster

A company is assured of repeat business if only it is still in business!

In most cases we have seen companies not exercising what they preach on their glittering corporate statements regarding their customers.

Customers are a valuable asset of any organisation and should, therefore, be treated as such. The way customers are handled before they even knock on the organisation’s doorstep speaks volumes of the way they are treated while searching for information on which organisation to do business with.

Considerations could be the type of tools and presentation an organisation use to communicate about itself and its location. Remember it is not just about throwing the contact details on the website or flyer that entice the customer to pay you a visit but added frills such as free, safe and secure parking that might be a catch for other customers.

For some, it could be their own personal security being offered that will draw them to want to do business with a particular organisation or it could even be safe keeping of their belongings. Often, we have seen sign posts written “parking at owner’s risk” or “goods left at owner’s risk”.

This is rather absurd for organisations that are aiming at creating customer loyalty that will result in repeat business. These kind of sign posts are just a clear WARNING for customers to stay away from doing business with such organisations because clearly they care less about the security of their customers.

All they care for is milking the customer of his or her hard-earned money and without giving a hoot about the customer security as part of customer service. Organisations that care for their customers make an effort to provide security for their customers.

Security measures are a part of customer service and are meant to provide a sense of security to customers while they are transacting. Suppose it is a restaurant where one must sit for at least an hour to get served and enjoy their meal, that person will not likely go to a place where “parking is at owner’s risk” or “goods are left at owner’s risk” because as a diner, considerable time will be spent at the joint hence some form of security should be guaranteed.

It is nauseating to spend so much money in an organisation only to find your vehicle gone or your belongings stolen whilst they were in the designated parking lot or parcel counter or getting robbed while in the middle of conducting a transaction. Investing in security tools for your customers goes a long way in attracting and retaining customers.

On the other hand there are some organisations who are taking customer security seriously much to the delight of their target market. Some shopping centres in Harare such as Kensington Shopping and Sam Levy Village, have security personnel all over the place with some operating in guard rooms pitched at sky high levels in parking lots so that they can have a bird’s view of what will be happening in the car park.

At Joina City, they have installed electric boom gates as well as surveillance cameras. On top of these security measures individual shops at these mall also have their own security systems. These tools are meant to make the customer feel safe and secure while they are going about their business at these malls.

In fact, customers must enjoy their shopping experience with a guarantee that their valuables are safe when they put them in parcel counters or parking lots.

Sadly in our country, most organisations take for granted the bargaining power that customers have over their brands. In spite of the country being open for business, most organisations in the country still lack that tenacity to compete on the global stage in terms of how they handle their customers’ security needs.

Organisations should feel obligated for their customer overall security and compensate where there is negligence on their part.

Thus, if Zimbabwean companies want to attract both local and foreign customers they must up their security game because it is one of the determinant factor used in selecting a company or country to do business with.

Putting appropriate security systems at your business premises will protect the customers as well as give good reputation to the organisation.

Customers love to feel secure when doing business with any organisation, it makes them feel important. Serious organisations make it their mandate to protect their customers from undesirable harmful elements that may make their shopping experience less pleasant.

Once a place is considered a security threat, customers tend to avoid that place as much as possible and are likely to warn other customers not to do business with the organisation or to do it at their own risk. When such happens, the customer base shrinks and this will surely be one-way ticket to the organisation’s downfall.

Thus, customers are important and their security is equally important. Gone are the days when organisations act as monopolies, today’s customer is savvy and can easily get information on which places have the best and worst security services for their customers. Prosperous organisations always strive by all means to beef their security game and use that to lure customers to their bases.

Lastly, an organisation that values any customer’s money should also make it a priority to secure the customer’s safety when transacting. Customer security should always be a necessity that should be guaranteed all the times by any organisation!

Have you had a consumer experience too good or too bad to share? Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me on [email protected].