SATURDAY NIGHTS WITH SPARKS

 

My people ooooo....wehdone!!

Amebo don land again ooo...I remember this event when I was in Calabar...so I decided to leave the gist for today as a sharp geh that I am na!!

Soooo...this customer...female...walked into the branch on Friday morning...the counter was crowded thanks to T24... their head been dey touch that period...downtime just dey fly everywhere...

That is by the way sef!! Ehen!! She walked straight to me and asked if my branch was the only branch in calabar...and I said yes!!

Madam provoked!! Ah ah?? What did I do?

She started shouting..."Do you know where I am coming from? All the way from Mount Zion street... all other banks have 50 branches!! And you people have just one!!

Chineke!! See me see wahala oo!! Chicken no dey bounce for night...warrapun?

She continued shouting..."even CBN has 6 branches and you have one!! Someone will be going up and down just to locate your bank...you don't even know that someone is in the hospital dying...and I am looking for sterling bank"

Men and brethren...By this time...I was already getting pissed...when you work in a bank, you breathe eat think emotional intelligence. See me see struggle!! Should I answer her?? Should I keep quiet?? (In my mind I don hold the sister squeeze her mouth finish). Thank God for our desk o...I was tapping my feet under per second billing...my mouse and keyboard suffered that day because I was just hitting them anyhow.

The devil jumped on my left shoulder and whispered, answer her joor!!! Who she be? Give her fire for fire!! You know when someone is deliberately trying to provoke you and the devil wants to play 10/10 with your destiny, I jump and pass!!

This sister was spitting fire, talking and complaining as if I am in charge of branch allocation...I looked up to the heavens...and down to earth....and said.."My father!! My Father!!! I now know why you gave me this job...to teach me patience...tolerance and empathy..." because Andikan 2years ago...u wey know???chai!!!

The angel of light jumped on my right shoulder and said...sisterly forget!! By the time you finish answering her...you will come back to your desk and you cannot login again... your job is gone... 2mins of madness will take this away...

I kept quiet till she finished. Then she met me to check her balance (let me not even go there).....when she was calmer...I asked where she got a cab from...she described the place.

My Calabar people knew she was JJC and used her head to soak garri.. they carried her round and round just to cheat her...I explained to her that 95% of the banks in calabar have just one branch. All the 50 signboards she saw and thought were branches were just deception... I even gave her proper directions to the next bank she was visiting...

What’s the essence of my epistle?

1. Stop that rough play. Emotional intelligence is haaaaaaaaaard!! Learning to accommodate people and their faults takes consistent practice, patience and tolerance. Some of my closest customers started off roughly with me but over time I have won them over by embarrassing them with calmness and excellent service.

2. Be quick to listen and slow to act/talk. If I had given her word for word, it would have been messy. After i explained what the cab guys did and helped her out with her account details, she was smiling. The same lady who left someone "dying" in the hospital stayed an extra 3hrs in the bank gisting with one fine brother, what is my own sef?? Lemme coman be going.

I understand we meet the good, the bad and the ugly daily. Let our experience with a customer not deter us from the good we do, be the best at what you do, be courteous to colleagues and customers.... be indispensable.....

Oya, let’s talk about how you calmed your angry customer... what did you do? Did you enter the rest room and scream? Did you smile at the customer but beat him blue black in your heart?? (I am guilty of this one)........

About the Author
Here is what Andikan Inyang also known as 'Sparks' has to say about herself......................

As a Chemical Engineering graduate, former Immigration Officer and present day banker.....and most importantly, a foodie, I hide behind my pen.......therein lies my strength. I hope to pursue a career in writing and explore the world of poetry. So help me God.