RE- Why I Am Porting From Mtn To Airtel

I wrote a short piece which was captioned as above, when I was denied basic service in the Tamale MTN office.

This short piece was to voice out the frustration that many Ghanaians go through in accessing basic services from banks, GES, hospitals, VRA and telecommunication offices inter alia and not just MTN.

I am writing this rejoinder to clarify that the main intent of the article was to voice out the feelings of the voiceless and to perhaps let management at the top level of every company whether public or private know how some of their junior staff can cause them a great deal.

It was not my intention perhaps to have heads roll. I want to believe that if I were to stand to educate the customer care providers at the time on effective customer service and care they would have perhaps called the security personnel on duty to order me out. But at least publishing this piece was intended to educate all service providers that their customers should be their top priority and that they should not judge their customers by appearance, language or any other thing.

I submitted the piece for publication on Friday (11th November) evening and was wondering if people will read it at all since it was going to be published during the weekend. I must acknowledge that the publication attracted attention from many people including top management of MTN Ghana.

I therefore wish to state categorically that my intent was not to dent the image of MTN nor to promote any network but I was only saying the truth that many people do not treat customers very well. It would be wrong for me to just tarnish the reputation of any individual or company like that without any basis which perhaps has been built over decades.

But as I stated in my first piece, I believe in the truth and I only said what I saw or went through at the Tamale Office.

However, reaction from top management of MTN Ghana perhaps has drawn my attention that not every MTN outlet or office is the same.

I sent the piece for publication on 11th November (Friday evening) and by Sunday 13th November I have had several calls from readers including some personnel of MTN thanking me for exposing an attitude which pervades in our society and stems from our deep seated socio-cultural norms that if you are educated and you sit in an office you are bigger than any other person who appears before you. We must know that we are supposed to touch the lives of people especially the ordinary people in the best way that we can with our education but not to look like “karaches” over people. Let’s not forget that things are changing and “waakye” sellers who know how to please their customers are now even landlords/landladies accommodating bank, VRA, and other public servants. With this emerging trend if one does not think critically you may wrongly conclude that education is not important these days. Meanwhile education is rather to help us address some of these deep seated misconceptions that we have harboured from generations to generations in this part of the world.

I want to categorically state that I do not regret the publication but I want to acknowledge and let readers know that I received an apology from Mr. Ebenezer Twum Asante, the Sales and Distribution Executive for MTN Ghana on behalf of the company (MTN) as well as the Branch Manager of the Tamale MTN office (Mr. Kwame) and even Mr. Mohammed the service which I had the encounter with equally rendered an unqualified apology. There were also calls from MTN Kumasi office among several others expressing regret for the incidence.

This immediately gave me the impression that change can happen if we customers or ordinary citizens let management know of the ordeal that we go through rather than shying away or thinking that those giving us services are important than us. The apology from MTN at that top level is an indication that not every MTN office is the same just as not every VRA, hospital or bank outlet are the same. I want to believe that there will be a great change in customer service in Tamale MTN office following the publication and the actions thereafter.

To conclude, let me categorical state that I am giving MTN the due acknowledgement that it deserves from me for reading my publication and apologizing and acting accordingly. I am not out to tarnish any company’s reputation after all if I travel back home to Nandom, specifically to Dondome Yir the borehole that my people are drinking from, of which I will also drink from was dug by the MTN Ghana Foundation as part of its corporate social responsibility to its subscribers but that does not prevent me from letting people or MTN know about what some of their staff are poorly handling their customers.

After all if services are improved perhaps from a borehole we could now be talking about a mechanized water system rather than having the company (MTN) collapse because of excuse my language the arrogance of a few staff.

In conclusion I thank you (MTN) for your quick apology and reaction. I whole heartedly accept the apology and plead that those countless Ghanaians who cannot voice out their feelings whenever they are mishandled by your staff would be extended same apology. With the unqualified apology rendered although I had intended to port I have however declined with the expectation that better services lies ahead for me in MTN or else……

Improving customer care and attention is what many citizens are yearning for. Thank you.

Isang Sylvester

Applisa2000@yahoo.co.uk

0243220592/0209800466