This matter lingered for close to three months until I decided to make use of this foremost platform with unparalleled reach to get someone to listen and some did listen and I’d to state that the issue has been resolved. In my opinion, this is the kind of platforms that brands should support.

It is, indeed, a huge shame that Telecoms or IT brands will ignore platforms like this and prefer placing adverts on gossip blogs, yet expect platforms like these to be run professionally, as if the folks behind these online news portals do not need income to survive and grow.

The need to ensure platforms like Nigeria CommunicationsWeek continue to grow is extremely important for the entire industry. In any case, that is a story for another day, which will come soon.

For this post, I will like to focus on my recent experience with MTN regarding the Visafone SMS issue, which I complained about less than two weeks ago on this platform. I wish to state that the issue has been positively resolved and I am glad that it was resolved less than a week after the piece I wrote went live.

Quite frankly, what is most instructive for me is not just that it was resolved, but the quality of customer service that came along with it.

Two months into the issue, I made up my mind not to pick any calls coming from MTN customer service or number but I saw a particular number that was persistent in calling, yet, I ignored it because of how pissed I was and, then, the guy pro-actively sends a text message asking when he can call back. Well, I also ignored the text message.

The following day, he researched and found my other number and gave me a call, I decided to pick and after apologizing on behalf of the brand, he broke the good news that the issue has been resolved.

Of course, the first question I asked him was, why it took that long to resolve the issue, did I need to write publicly for someone to take action?

Let me say this, I am indeed impressed by the quality of customer service that followed even after the call.

I taught that since the issue has been resolved, the MTN contact would simply bid me goodbye, but alas, I was wrong. He respectfully requested if he could pay me a visit. I accepted the offer out of curiosity and later, that same evening, I got a call that he was in my vicinity.

Long and short, he came by and we spent over an hour chatting. It then occurred to me that this guy has successfully given me that WOW experience which is what brands must seek to do for their customers, however highly or lowly placed they may be. Every customer deserves to get value for money at all times.

From our discussions, I can deduce that moving around to hook up with select clients, is part and parcel of the brand’s new strategy to discourage customers from porting. I thought that was a brilliant one from a brand that some Nigerians regard as proud. We all hate adversities but the reality is that they have a way of helping us re-think our strategies and re-engineer our processes, I believe that MTN’s recent travails has injected a fresh blood into the brand and I hope it stays that way forever.

Let me state, without fear of contradiction, that customer service is what will make the difference in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry going forward.

This one reason I wrote the piece ‘After Data WAR, What Next for Telcos’ Customers’ (http://www.nigeriacommunicationsweek.com.ng/e-business/after-data-war-what-next-for-telcos-customers) published on this platform earlier in the week. I suggest you read it the earliest you can, I clearly stated:

“The relationship between a telco and its customers extends all the way from pre-sales research to in-life usage as customers look to purchase new services, upgrade existing ones, and add new features throughout their lifecycle. To secure the customer relationship in the face of disruptive competitors, telcos must stay with the customer through every step of their lifecycle”. Please, pay attention to this, “Telcos need to be accessible, responsive, consistent, and effective.”

Kudos to Samuel Okoh, the MTN bright guy who pulled this one off and made me forget that this issue lingered for three months and of course, to all those who worked behind the scenes to get the matter resolved. Thanks everyone.

Thumbs up to the team Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, for working hard to develop this unparalleled reach within the industry; Keep up the good work guys!

As for me, you bet I am super-excited!