Esther-Esetere

In our daily lives we come across events, situations and incidents that cause us some dissatisfaction, disappointment or make us upset/angry.

It’s as common as going to the store and buying food that is expired, or realizing that you were not given your full change back. It can be more severe, like witnessing a parent verbally abusing their children or a crime in the neighborhood – maybe you even know the culprits.

All of the above are depictions of a day in someone’s life – but, for whatever reason, some people will shy away, “unsee”, “unhear” ( is there such a word) or be mum. It’s usually the nonchalant attitude of ” it’s not my business”, or “it’s not my place”. In other scenarios like obvious crimes – some people are more afraid of the possibilities of being harassed by the perpetrators. It’s fear. Then, there’s the discomfort and maybe even laziness of getting your refund for failed service delivery or an expired frozen fish…( Hake 🙃). We don’t want to cause drama, others are simply not confident in getting any justice and even feel guilty for getting someone else in trouble.😑

A few months ago, I went to the store to get a quick light lunch meal. So I bought the cooked food already packaged – I realized that there was hair in the meal and went back to show the chefs and ask for something else. The main lady on duty, would not so much as give me attention – I asked another person – the guy who was working in the kitchen. He showed ms.onduty who seemed unimpressed and disinterested. I was annoyed by this poor customer service and arrogance -I mean really…what is this?! 😦Anyway…🙂mycolleague who was with me and witnessed everything, saw my frustration and annoyance with ms.duty and spent his time walking about and around the store🤣😅 Finally, I got redress. The male chef on duty sorted it out and was guided by ms.duty not to dish out too much starch – pap. Ssssssshhhhh….the audacity. This kind of behaviour is unnerving.

Talking to my journalist colleague, I shared that I should have actually just gone to the manager of the store. We’ve met and shared brief banter, I’m not a stranger. It’s my customer right. I wouldn’t be wrong in this, but my colleague felt that it was a bit too much, infact – he went as far to say ” think about what will happen if she lost her job”. Of course, that was none of my business – as heartless as it seemed, I asserted that it’s my right as a customer to raise any form of dissatisfaction with service – is that not my right? Ms.duty chose to be rude despite the fact that she woke up that morning to be at work and commit herself to quality service. We have all had better days, life happens while doing our 9 to 5’s, or 2 to 7’s, or 24/7.

This got me thinking….my colleague’s cultural and respect for elders – got in the way of fair practice. Even in the face of the obvious. Call it sympathy,,empathy, respect whatever…it’s none of the above.

There are people who would rather live in discomfort than speak up for what is truly their right. No one should ever feel guilty for speaking up for the truth and for what is right. Sure, there could be backlash – it’s to be expected, but that is never a reason to cower. Be bold. Be kind. Speak up!❤️