Q. Many Nigerians have been complaining about the poor after sales services
rendered by some sales personnel especially that of electronic products. They
say most of them refuse to honour agreement on the warranty leaflets, mostly in
the area of repair and refund in case of damage. What do you think is
responsible for this? Is it because of the economic situation, or ignorance on
the part of the customers?
A. Consumers should be careful in selecting the outlets where they buy their
electronic products. If you are going to spend tens or even hundreds of
thousands of naira on a product, it is better to choose either a known dealer or
big importer where at least you know that they may honour the manufacturer’s
warranty. Big dealers are expected to honour such guarantees as part of their
exclusive distribution deals with the manufacturers although many of them choose
not to. Unlike some of the small time dealers in Alaba and other electronics
goods markets, it may be unfair to expect a refund or exchange from them because
the goods may have passed through the hands of several middle men before getting
into their shop, and so they are not in a position to honour such warranties
because those higher up in the distribution chain would not do the same if they
returned such goods. The onus is therefore on the customer, to ensure that he
buys from big importers such as Tino Electronics or from any of the dealers in
the various shopping malls springing up, their prices may be higher than market
prices but at least their customer service guarantee will give the customer a
peace of mind.
Q. What can be done to put an end to this?
A. You have to understand the nature of the Nigerian economy, at the moment the
seller is still king. Because we do not have direct presence of the big
electronics brand manufacturers in Nigeria, the local representatives do not
care so much about the damage they are doing to their brand reputations by not honouring such warranties. The customer should for now choose carefully, rather
than paying for a cheap brand that will pack up after one week, it is better to
pay slightly higher for a brand that has been around for years, of which quality
and durability have formed part of their brand equity.
The Consumer Protection Council should also look into this by working directly
with the electronics goods retailers association if there was such an
organisation to prevail on their members to at least introduce an exchange
policy for defect electronics products. Asking for a full refund may not be
feasible but still because we still have a caveat emptor situation in the
Nigerian market system, the buyer should always beware.
Q. How important is after sales services?
A. After sales service is very important in the sales function but we should
also not forget the other components of good quality customer service such as
giving customers good information and advice, providing in-store conveniences
i.e. parking, toilets etc. There is no doubt that a satisfied customer would
always come back and will also serve as an unofficial brand ambassador helping
to spread the good virtues of the brand or firm through referrals and
word-of-mouth.
Q. Your advice to the consumers, does it matter where they buy their goods?
A. The place you buy your electronics goods is very important, consumers who
prefer the fly-by-night cowboys that hawk their electronic products on the
expressway should really not complain about the quality of such products. I have
noticed some people buying mobile phone handsets, pressing iron, fans etc from
street vendors, how sure are such consumers that the sellers will still be at
the same spot the next day should something go wrong with the products? This is
why the big Cash and Carry shops are still preferable to some of these market
store traders. Unless the item in question is not so much of high value or
importance.
Q. How do we improve after sales services in Nigeria?
A. There is no universal formula to achieving this objective; it will vary from
market sector to another. Several key stakeholders in the transaction process
are important in this process; most importantly the customer should know his
rights and demand same individually or collectively through the consumer
council. The government should pass and enforce consumer protection legislations
which guarantee the customer after sales and other customer services. The media
should help highlight the unscrupulous acts of sellers just like the BBC
consumer protection programme – BBC Watchdog. Of course we can not exonerate the
sellers or manufacturers themselves, they should know that their actions and
inactions directly impacts on the perceptions the customers have about their
brand, therefore if they treat the customers right, the customers will come
back, remain loyal and attract family and friends too through word of mouth.
Segun Adeosun (segunadeosun7@yahoo.com)
