been stupefaction when perceptions brand
owners have taken as gospel truth have
been deconstructed.
Brand and marketing professionals need
to disabuse themselves of the common
notions that: fathers are poor decision
makers for household products and
services; well-dressed professionals that
look sharp and cut out for the corporate
boardroom are more trustworthy than
rough and tumble agricultural types;
unaccompanied customers of the female
species at social places of high repute are
on a hunting spree; young people are poor
decision makers all out to grab whatever
looks glitzy and shiny without working
hard for it; all persons that are plus size
are lazy and not endowed with wit and
smarts; and that persons who make use of
the public transport system and are not jet
setting around in mean machines do not
amount to anything in life.
The attitude adopted by those handling
and serving customers should be one
of openness and really listening to the
voice of the customer, and not only being
acutely aware of, but lifting the prejudicial
veil. Every single customer is deserving of
great service.
Negative stereotyping is a disease that
Keen awareness of
stereotypes and placing
customers in different
brackets is
not a taboo, however,
letting the virus
of stereotyping ravage
service provision
needs to be placed
under express directives;
that we should
wash away customer
inequities, mask up
and keep out intolerance,
and sanitize
our organizations of
any imbalanced service
applications.
needs to be wiped off the corporate plate
in the same way and with the same effort
that the world is currently making to
find a solution to the Covid-19 menace.
So yes, keen awareness of stereotypes and
placing customers in different brackets is
not a taboo, however, letting the virus of
stereotyping ravage service provision needs
to be placed under express directives; that
we should wash away customer inequities,
mask up and keep out intolerance,
and sanitize our organizations of any
imbalanced service applications.
We need to be armed against any internal
prejudicial attacks that may leave our
customers gasping for the dignity of their
breath, and more importantly, we need
to take the knee of any type of customer
differentiation oppression, off our
customers necks and let them breath the
fresh air of being handled with courtesy
dignity and respect as they so rightfully
deserve.
Carolyne Gathuru is the founder and
director of strategy at LifeSkills
Consulting. She has several years of
experience in customer experience
strategy development and training.
You can commune with her on
this or related issues via mail at:
[email protected].