ARE YOU BEING SERVED?

ARE YOU BEING SERVED?

If you are in Africa then chances are that you are not, standards of service in Africa vary so much that it is hard to guess what you are going to get. Rwanda in particular suffers from really bad service, and by that I mean bad, really terrible. The irony is that everyone complains about it, and yet nothing gets done. Even restaurant owners complain about the standards of service and yet nothing is ever said to the staff. The Rwandese are very like the British in that respect; they hate to complain, but if they don’t then things will stay the same. My favourite TV show is Fawlty Towers; it is a case study in the English character. In one of the best episodes a brash and loud American arrives late in the night and demands a dinner; however the chef is off duty or drunk and Fawlty has to improvise. He demands a Waldorf salad, which Basil is not familiar with, so the usual farce ensues. The genius of this comedy is that it works on two levels; Americans laugh at the poor level of service, while the British laugh at the fact that the Americans had the temerity to complain.


The British are almost incapable of complaining; quite the opposite, they moan. I will explain; they grumble and mumble behind the back of their hand. You could serve a British person a mud-salad and all you’d get is a slight grumble; they would grumble and not come back. In service you get what you accept, you accept what you are accustomed to, it all depends on your aspirations. Unless you are exposed to higher standards then you are never going to expect better; likewise if you never have competition then you are never going to serve better. The first problem with Africa is our attitudes to service, with such high levels of unemployment most middle-class people can afford a servant. Servants are sometimes treated well but are often treated with disdain and even callousness depending on the person employing them. This attitude often extends to staff in the service sector; and this attitude is reflected back by the staff. The first rule is to treat staff with respect and they will respect you; do not see their status as a reflection of their character.


When I first went to the UK I had a shocking experience; having lived in Africa for most of my childhood I was used to myth of White people being superior beings. I wanted a meal so I went to a nearby restaurant; I had a measly £10 to my name but was well-received in this establishment by a man in his 40’s who was referring to me as “Sir”. I was shocked by an older man calling me Sir; pulled a chair for me, placed a napkin on my lap and generally made me feel like a king. I wondered why he was treating me so well when there was so much racism in society; but I realised that he was talking to my money. That is the basic rule of good customer service; don’t think of the person, think of the money. People in Africa often confer service on the general status of the person when in reality service should be standard; it is the only way to make it second nature. If people have to think of how to give good service then they are doomed to fail; it is like a soldier doesn’t think about discipline, it is drilled into his nature.


Customers should start to demand higher levels of service; there is a saying that “in life you get what you accept.” Customers have to know their rights as the reason why the place is in business; if there are no customers then there is no business. The Americans believe that the customer is king; therefore they have very high standards indeed. Americans will complain at the slightest problem with service and demand a lot for their money; therefore they receive more. This is determined by the high level of competition; if they do not receive good service then they go elsewhere and they do not go quietly.


It is one of the biggest shocks for a foreigner or Rwandan from the Diaspora to see the shocking levels of service in some local establishments; even the President has said that something needs to done about the issue. I met my brother for a meal and the waiter was picking his nose while scratching his testicles; my brother didn’t even notice it but I was shocked. I was in the bank and was leaned up against the counter when someone managed to squeeze in and engage in what can only be called inane banter. “Ko wa buze? Ko wanyanze?” How come you’re lost? Why did you reject me? This went on for a while; Rwandans are the World Champions at idle-talking. Hours can pass without anything of value being said; they can say “Bite se?” for hours, back and forth. I eventually got my money.


When I complain about the level of service I am seen as either too westernised or dragging my country down; but is that so? Rwanda has made massive steps forward because our leaders have decided that certain standards had to be raised. Kigali is one of the cleanest cities in Africa but it was not always this way. Rwandans were content to live in filth until the government and the Mayor made a conscious decision to clean up the city; now it seems as if it has always been that way. To change the service standards in Rwanda will be a mammoth task but it has to start on a management level. A friend of mine once ordered meatballs, when they arrived he noticed they were dripping with blood inside; he asked to speak to the manager who munched on one then put it back on the plate and claimed they were fine.


The management level exists in order to direct change and maintain standards; they are crucial in the fight for higher standards. It would be impossible to train all the waiters and waitresses in Rwanda but we can train managers and they can pass on the training to their workers. The Ministry of Commerce and the Private Sector Federation have to make it compulsory for all public service firms to train their managers in basic customer service. Customer service is a strict discipline and not something that can be done without proper training; it is a series of steps and procedures that have to be drilled into the mind of the service provider.


There are certain factors that affect customer service.

Culture – Whether the culture in stratified or more egalitarian affects the expectations and delivery of service.

Competition – This is required to drive up standards; more competition means better service. However it requires a higher standard to be established first; then when a monetary advantage is gained then all the others copy.

Training – This is necessary to raise standards and is clearly needed in Rwanda.

Pay - People in the service sector need to be paid better so it can be seen as a viable employment choice and not just something you do because you do not have a choice. Tipping would be a good way to introduce performance related bonuses to the service sector. If you feel that you have been treated well then you add a little bonus to the bill, this would make it essential for workers to treat you well. There isn’t a culture of tipping so it would be hard to force people to do so but it will come soon. Maybe adding a service charge would be good.

Promotion and career development – Waiters need to see the prospects of career development in service, training should be provided to help people achieve personal development.


The one expression the drives me mad is “This is Africa!” this is used to cover up any inadequacy that exists. I was in Kampala and saw human shit on the pavement, “this is Africa!” was the refrain. I saw a goat eating rubbish in town, “This is Africa!” I was in Kigali and saw the poor level of service and was told the same “This is Africa!” Since when did African mean to be stupid, unprofessional, lazy, dirty, and corrupt? I am always told never to complain about stuff I see around; everything is judged in the context of where we have come from, this was country where bodies were piled high as hills. So bad service pales into comparison; this is a country where a high sacrifice was paid for what we see here, nearly a million innocents, many of our finest died to liberate this land. Any complaint is seen to be disrespecting all those who died but we cannot improve if we cannot criticise.


It takes a while to learn the language and tone to use to criticize, because Rwandans are sensitive and you have to tell them gently in a very subtle way. The best way is by setting an example; instead of complaining you should set up a good establishment to show the way, it is very easy and the competitive advantage would make it profitable. Soon everyone would be copying you and standards would be up. We have a lot of our East African cousins come here to set up businesses and they have brought with them higher standards in service, they are going to drive Rwandans out of business but the locals will soon learn. One day “this is Africa” will be a positive statement.