Hi Folks,
I hope you have not gone weary of keeping safe and staying indoors.
While the rays of hope is getting brighter, with the advent of herbal remedies from different quarters in Africa; the new source of worry may not be the virus but the ensuing economic hardship.
New organizations are already springing up, new skill sets are being developed; but the existing businesses don’t seem to be implementing the new paradigm shift that have come upon us.
As a result of the Covid-19 invasion of our lives, we now have to resort to taking numbers/tallies ahead of transactions while we remain under shelters that can barely cover half the population waiting.
One would expect that the banks would have been thinking on their feet and figure out ways of attending to customers while staying safe. I was at a bank branch recently and it was a harrowing experience. To have a clear understanding of the situation, I decided to carry out a transaction which kept me in the bank vicinity for six hours. Some of the transactions on speaking to the waiting customers, could have been resolved over the phone by simple explanations.
Customers who came in to pick up their ATM cards, should have been contacted via phone to let them know if the cards were ready for pickup. A customer told me he was asked to return to pick up the card, only to be told to return another day.
Those who wanted to carry out transfers could easily have been provided forms and have the transactions facilitated, we were all made to wait endlessly; those who have one minute transactions and the ones with thirty minutes transactions alike.
My expectations from the banks and other organisations will be design thinking, critical thinking and on the spot troubleshooting and resolution of issues. True that Covid-19 didn’t inform anyone of its onslaught but there has been epidemics that took on a similar approach and we could have taken learning from such.
Delivery services seem to be gathering momentum in Nigeria and possible across Africa, but there are areas of improvement. Protective gears are still not maximally utilized.
Transportation is far behind in the area of decency and hygiene, passengers are packed together without consideration for passenger comfort.
Covid-19 has further reinforced the need to work remotely as some businesses have actually recorded profits during the Covid-19 lock down.
Remember to make someone smile today with your acts of kindness. Stay safe.