Elizabeth Morgan | Ease of doing business in Jamaica?

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IMPACTS PRODUCTIVITY

I have been following the discussions about turning the Emancipation and Independence public holidays into a long weekend to improve productivity in Jamaica.

If I recall correctly, this proposal was first broached by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports (MCGES) back in 2020. If I am also not mistaken, that ministry paid for the poll which was done. So, it is not only the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) which should be answering questions about this proposal.

There are many questions to be raised, and have been, in this public holidays and productivity discussion. It seems to me that if there is a productivity issue, it would be necessary to reconsider most of the 10 public holidays now legislated, such as Ash Wednesday, Labour Day, and New Year’s Day. Christmas and Boxing Day could be two days in the week, for example, on a Tuesday and Wednesday.

To me, there are bigger issues related to productivity and they include customer service and customer satisfaction. In this article, I am looking at the ease of doing business in Jamaica in the context of customer satisfaction. In this regard, from my perspective, it is very difficult to do business in Jamaica and customer satisfaction is actually low.

POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

I have found that it is very difficult and frustrating to get things done in Jamaica, both in the public and private sectors. There is a lot of complaining about the public sector – too much red tape, inefficiency, corruption, churlish behaviour, poor maintenance of buildings and equipment, lack of access for the disabled … and the list goes on.

The Government has a customer satisfaction programme and surveys are done with very high ratings. Those of us who have to call and do business with various government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), from personal experience, have our doubts about these high ratings for various MDAs.

We know that we have called, sent letters, emails, even WhatsApp messages, numerous times and gotten no response, and if a response, no action at all. Some local government departments are notorious for inefficiency. I will not touch communicating with certain members of parliament.

But, customer service in the private sector is also extremely poor. The bad attitude, churlish behaviour, and inefficiency, from both management and staff, also exist in the private sector.

The doctors’ offices at which appointments are made and the actual consultation with the doctor could be five hours later. It can take forever to get the results of medical tests, as the laboratory is understaffed or has equipment malfunction.

In the stores, the approach to the customer is quite often indifferent and disrespectful – female customers are addressed as “madda, auntie”, and males as “dads”, and it could descend to “ole bwoy” depending on the situation, in the business environment.

Service in some restaurants is also below standard, as the order takes a long time to be filled; the wrong dishes are presented (mixed up orders); sometimes the food is stale, and the waiter leans across the customer to serve the food.

Of course, this brings to mind the unsanitary conditions at some street food locations. These, though possibly informal, are small and micro-enterprises. Mark you, one has to wonder about the sanitary conditions in some formalised restaurants and supermarkets. They are all also part of the tourist industry – an export.

At some business establishments, to request information can become a journey through a maze, with several staff members giving different information or omitting sections of the information, causing unnecessary return journeys and time wasting by the client/customer. Do not get annoyed and raise your voice, as that is considered a personal affront.

There are also some businesses with incomprehensible policies, and in which their general policy is “we tolerate no complaints from customers”. Completion dates for custom work can be a moving target. Do not ask about a cash refund, as that is not possible in many businesses.

There are places which one phones, sends emails and letters in the private sector and there is no response. If the phone is answered by a receptionist/telephone operator, be assured that the manager/supervisor to whom you wish to speak will not be available, will not return your calls, and, these days, they are working from home and cannot be contacted.

The banks are another story. Apart from the fraud epidemic, it takes ages to get things done, such as changing names on accounts. There is unlikely to be any response to correspondence. Besides the call centre, it is now very difficult to speak directly to a staff member in the bank by phone. The computer system will also be down or have crashed completely at the time when you need critical information or money from your account.

And, they are scandalised and call the security when customers/clients become frustrated and resort to boisterous behaviour.

TRAINING OF STAFF

Several years ago, a report was heard on radio which informed that workers in Jamaica’s private sector were among the most undertrained in the hemisphere. It was implied that Jamaica’s private sector spent very little on human resource development. Over 80 per cent of Jamaica’s workforce is employed in the private sector and especially in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

In September 2023, Senator Aubyn Hill, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, called on business operators to provide access to training and certification programmes for their employees. The minister said that investing in human capital will create a more skilled, adaptable, and resilient workforce that can respond to global challenges and opportunities.

Customer service training should be a requirement for staff both in the public and private sectors.

So, to increase productivity, the private sector needs to improve customer service, invest in training staff from the lowest to the highest levels, and aim to improve customer satisfaction both at home and abroad.

Elizabeth Morgan is a specialist in international trade policy and international politics. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com