Spread the SMEDA

Here in Pakistan, there’s not much value for a small fry. Neither do most organizations have the slightest clue about what good customer service is.

Thank god for SMEDA (Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority) then. I could almost spend the afternoon doing that, because these guys actually mean well. That’s saying a lot these days. Sure, they don’t always decide to go ahead and finally pick up the phone, and then it sounds more like the you mistakenly dialed someone’s home number, but when you do get down to business, they’re really quite friendly.

And that’s because they’d really like to help you. They give you the information you need, and even try to get some extra information into your thick skull that’s useful to you in a really nice polite way.

Well, this country depends on SMEs. I won’t miss a beat in recommending SMEDA to anyone who’d like to find out about starting their own business. They even have a great website with well documented helpful information that’s a real gem in my favorites list. You can also call them on 111-111-456.

Feroz in legal services is definitely one of the good guys here, even if he speaks too fast.

Exemplary computer stores

This excerpt has been taken from the popular blog ko.offroadpakistan.com:

Written back in 2004, the writer later updated his post in January 2007. Things are pretty much the same, if not worse.

“Walk into any computer store in Karachi. The likelihood is:

• The person behind the counter doesn’t know much about computers.
• He (and it’s definitely going to be a he) doesn’t really use computers.
• The price will be as high as they think they can get away with.
• Does not realize that he can make his life much easier using the same computers he’s selling to automate much of the mindless software installation and troubleshooting they keep doing.
• Has never heard of automated installs and imaging.
• Customer support… ( no no no )
• Everything will be scattered about in a way to make even the simplest task take at least half an hour.
• Everything will be connected to a single overloaded stablizer, causing all the monitors to flicker like mad.
• There will only be a single phillips head screwdriver in the whole shop, which will be borrowed periodically by someone next door.
• Has never wondered why most of their customers come to him with the same issues over and over again.

The consumer is also to blame, for they are looking for the cheapest possible bargain. As shops mature and improve with time, their prices naturally go up and people shift on to the next crap store around the block. Of course, this being Pakistan, often times as computer shops get ‘established’ the prices start creeping up and the service down.”

Read the complete article here.

A lack of character

Here’s one for the likes of Yahoo! and even our favorite Google.

Why do you allow users to enter more than 200 characters when you don’t allow any more than that?

Average guys like me have to take it to the word editor and bang their heads before reducing their life story to a couple of sentences.

I’ve learnt my lesson the hard way over and over again. I guess I’m just too trusting to believe that the four sentences I’ve put into that text box will be less than 200 characters.

At least its not just Pakistani businesses that can make customers like me go red in the ears a bit. It even includes companies that don’t be evil.

Here in Karachi, we’re all tough customers. I don’t mean that we’re always complaining. Quite the opposite, in fact. We’re all tough customers because no one treats us right!

And like all beaten, hardened and weathered things, we’ve even stopped realizing it. So when the salesperson completes the sale, the tough customer like me is the one who says thank you.

Well, its high time one of us tough customers blogged about how it makes knots in your stomach when the one shop selling the thing you want asks you if you’re planning on buying before being bothered enough to take it off the shelf for you. Or how you wait twenty minutes on the phone for administration to pick up – and the then the staff member shuts the phone on your face mid-sentence.

And I’m still not complaining, really, I’m imploring someone to raise the bar just a little bit, so that us tough customers can maintain some dignity and self-respect. That, and realize that there’s plenty of space for improvement. So if you’re on my side of the counter, then hopefully you’ll realize some tough customer’s going to turn his/ her back some day. That may be your walk-in customer, your college student, or even your employee.

So whenever you’re kind enough to help me with a post, give me your worst customer service ever! Let’s hope you go on to hear from someone else then, how you really don’t seem very educated about customer service, Mr. Bad-service-provider…

Trust me, I’m only trying to help you.