Ever have one of those Saturdays where the sun is shining, your used car is cooperating, not too much traffic, you're just driving through Lagos appreciating life and living. Was fully having one of those days on this Saturday, ran some errands in and around the Lagos Island, washed my car, got my fill of ice cream (what else do you when the sun is shining?) and was appreciative of life. About to head home, I thought different. Decided to go to the mall to absorb some of that escapism and exhilaration that comes with window shopping and people watching, maybe grab some groceries, before I finally head home. Where else do I go - the Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki - one of Lagos Island's premier shopping malls.
Now, it's not like me to give a blatantly bad review of a place, but my experience on what had started as a perfect day has given me cause to call out these folks on their poor customer service.
You see, Malls are historically designed to be a place of escapism, relaxation and fun - such as I was having and wanted some more of when I visited the mall on this day. Nigerian companies are seriously lacking in customer service culture. They want the customers, they want our money, but they don't believe in the little extra that it takes to keep our business. I've always wondered why that is. Capitalism and Customer Service usually go hand in hand. But not so in Nigeria. There's the capitalism and greed, but the customer service culture is missing maybe replaced by an abundance of greed. Who knows?
So what happened on this day?
Once I completed my shopping, spent about 4 hours in the mall, I paid the flat charge of N200, remitted the parking coin and I remember it being given back to me before I headed to my car. Just at the gate I noticed that I no longer had the coin. I probably threw it out with the CD wrapper of the (Linkin Park) CD I tore open, who knows?
I frantically searched for it in the next hour, almost letting my frozen chicken decompose in my back seat as I frantically searched for this inconsequential CD. But to no avail I couldn't locate it.
Then, what happened?
Was charged N5000 for a missing parking coin by the Palms Mall Lekki parking management.
I begged and begged for leniency and they bluntly refused. After paying the N5K, reluctantly I might add, because to tell you the truth, who has N5K to spare in this recession, I called the mall parking management (Balosh Integrated) to complain at their insistence in subjecting unsuspecting customers to this exorbitant charge.
I calmly explained to him that this surcharge to me represents the epitome of bad customer service to surcharge a paying customer for misplacing an inconsequential parking coin. All he did was tell me that the coins are imported (why? I thought there was a ban on imports?) As he explained the cost of importing these fabulous coins, inside me I am thinking, what happened to insurance? Do you even have insurance? Isn't the insurance supposed to cover force majeure situations (Balosh Integrated, ask your lawyer what that means!) like these? Why should the customer have to be surcharged for patronizing your establishment? Do you understand we're in a recession for pete's sake?
I conclude that this is the height of BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE. I vow never to shop there again. Who needs that much hassle when they come to the mall? From here on out I promise that my movies, groceries (sorry @Shoprite_NG), electronics, MAC makeup, etc will all be obtained elsewhere where the parking is free and the management is flexible with the parking rules. Who has N5K to spare for a lost coin? It's theft if you ask me. Don't know why we tolerate this type of shady business in this country. Congratulations you just cost all your tenants a significant amount of business.
The next day I get a call (from a good samaritan) that the coin was located at the mall and that I should come pick it up. I arrive, pick it up and proceed to return to the parking attendant for my refund. I park on the street to avoid being surcharged yet another parking fee for this visit. As I return the coin, here's the kicker, they tell me I will be issued my refund through a bank transfer. Note - I PAID THEM IN CASH. But my refund, when it eventually arrives will be subjected to the 3 - 5 business days bank rule.
Of course I call and give them (once again) a piece of my mind. At this point, they institute an instant transfer for this belligerent customer i.e., me, however, I am wondering, why is this not so for everyone who has been forced to cough up N5K for this frigging coin.
In conclusion, my mall visit instead of being relaxing and fun was a nightmare, as most activities in Nigeria tend to be. Wish we would put a stop all these parking shylocks if you ask me.
My people, I tire oh!
