MAL37:20 | Page 68

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 : CGathuru @ life-skills . co . ke .