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Tuesday 13 May 2014

Spend money to make money

   
             One day I went into a big beauty centre in Yaoundé to get information about training services offered. The manager was absent and so I was received by one of the apprentices.  She responded very nicely to all my concerns and said I should wait a for the manager to give me an information sheet. I told her I was really in a haste and was satisfied with the information she gave me.

            Just then, the manager returned and they handed me a sheet of A4 paper with all the information on types of courses and prices.  The prices per year ranged from 250.000frs to 400.000frs. I was satisfied with the information sheet. I thanked them for their service and bid them goodbye. 


As I turned round to leave, the student said, "Madam, the information sheet is 50frs". I looked at her in disbelief, short of words. For heaven's sake, this is a business place that needs customers. They want me to pay 50 FRS for a poorly copied sheet of paper? The print was very illegible.  I didn’t have any coins on me so I copied the phone number directly into my phone and handed back the paper.  Sometimes it is better to not talk at all, than talk and say things you might regret.

              By the way, a photocopy costs 25 FRS all over town. So why would I pay more for the lower quality? Later on that day I recounted the incident to a colleague who turned out to be a regular customer there. I told her to tell them that it is so disgraceful to give potential clients a piece of paper and ask them to pay for it. Jeez. They should invest even a little to get more customers and more profit! Do you agree with me? Pls leave a comment. And your name. Thx!



                     







           

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jeez! Cameroon really has a long way to go to be at par with other French speaking African nations and worse still it's English speaking counterparts. Sad for a nation with arguably the best high school systems and one the world's highest literacy rates. The potential is enormous! The private sector leadership, much like the nationwide leadership, is wanting.

T! Ntemgwa said...

Nkeng Alemanji, thanks so much for sharing. We will get there someday!

IRepCamer said...

OK you have to pay to get information at a place of business?? Talk about being cheap!Businesses need to learn that in the fast paced world you have to keep your customers informed...so this buying of info no make sense at all!

Anonymous said...

Merde! It's just the poverty mentality.... May God help us