Just before you roll the drums back in

By BOSEDE OLUSOLA-OBASA

Take a moment and remember the man behind service! Whenever we celebrate the Customer Service Week annually, we often applaud the frontline employee who smiles at the customer, answers the phone, attends to complaints, or delivers the product and that is truly great.

But before you roll in the drums till next year October, have we paused to think about the person who created the platform on which that service happens? Think about the entrepreneur who takes a risk, invests hard-earned money, employs people and opens a business because someone, somewhere, needs a solution.

In Nigeria, that decision to create a platform for solutions-based service can demand extraordinary courage. In fact, Dr. Olumide Emmanuel often says it this way: “If you are an entrepreneur in Nigeria, you are a miracle worker!”

It means navigating unstable electricity, rising operating costs, limited access to finance, unpredictable demand, infrastructure challenges and the constant pressure to remain afloat. A 2024 PwC MSME survey identified inadequate access to finance (35%) and poor infrastructure, including unreliable power (21%), among the leading challenges reported by surveyed businesses.

Now imagine the business owner who has not paid himself in months but ensures his employees receive their salaries. The woman who borrows to replenish stock because customers are depending on her. The entrepreneur who loses sleep over a failed delivery, a damaged reputation or a business that may not survive another difficult month.

Let us consider the business owner who wakes up to a customer’s complaint because a team member has delivered a poor service and the customer is angry, the organisation’s reputation is at risk, and the leader must respond. Perhaps the employee was careless. Perhaps the process was faulty. Perhaps the person lacked the training, tools or support needed to do the job properly. Whatever the cause, the leader cannot simply point at the employee and walk away.

Think of the entrepreneur who apologises for a failed service, refunds a dissatisfied customer, investigates what went wrong and still has to find money for salaries, rent, electricity and the next day’s operations. Think of the leader who must correct a team member without destroying their confidence, enforce standards without becoming insensitive, and protect the customer without treating employees as disposable. These are difficult balances; they are not merely business stories. They are stories about people creating platforms for service. Every service platform begins with somebody accepting responsibility for making something possible.

And in Nigeria’s business environment, where entrepreneurs contend with financing constraints, unreliable power and rising operating costs, the pressure can be substantial. FATE Foundation’s 2024 State of Entrepreneurship in Nigeria report identifies limited access to finance, poor power supply and insecurity among the challenges confronting businesses.

This is not to suggest that every employer is selfless or every business deserves applause. Customers and employees deserve fair treatment, and business owners must be accountable for their decisions. But perhaps, as we celebrate those who deliver service, we should also recognise those who create the opportunities, mobilise the resources and carry the risks that make service delivery possible.

So, although the Customer Service Week has ended, spare a thought for the person behind the service. The person who creates the opportunity to serve is also part of the service story. He makes service possible. He should remember to ask and acknowledge.

To every great service platform provider or initiator out there, I see you. Take your flowers, well deserved! The Customer Service Week came and is over, but service allegiance only just started!

Enjoy the rest of your week.

I am Bosede Olusola-Obasa, Character Development Trainer, Corporate Culture Strategist and Best Service Attitude Advisor.

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