MEET THE STAFF SERIES

Accurate Billing is the First Step to Successful Marketing_ Bashar Muhammad Gado

CCD: Please can you briefly tell us about yourself?

BMG: Yes, my name is Bashar Muhammad Gado, I am a Customer Service Representative. I am currently assigned to Argungu 33KV feeder.

CCD: What are your Primary Roles?

BMG: My Primary role as a Customer Service Representatives is to market the Company’s product (electricity) within my cluster. In doing that, I also provide the customers with valuable information regarding our services, address customers’ complaints and respond to inquiries. Above all, I ensure that all electricity users within my cluster are documented and pay their bills as at when due.

CCD: How do you manage your customers at Argungu 33KV Feeder?

BMG: Argungu 33KV Feeder is the longest and widest 33kv feeder in Kebbi Area Office and most of the customers are from rural areas but, I apply about three strategies to manage the customers:

Reduce Response Time: Good communication is vital and customers hate waiting. It’s not possible to solve every problem immediately, but customers don’t expect that from you, what they do expect is for you to give them some kind of quick magical response all times. As such, I ensure that I respond to customers’ complaint/enquiry as quick as humanly possible.

Have Information On Your Fingertip: When I receive a customer request, I will of course, put all effort to resolve it as quick as I can and preferably, in the first reply. But the hard truth is that not all customer’s request can be resolved straight away. They can be complex and require several follow-ups. The goal here is to reduce the number of theses follows- up.

I Make Sure The Request Ends Up In The Right Hands: Another way I manage my workflow and solve customers’ request with speed and accuracy is to make sure that they come up not only at right time, but also get into the right hands. I am going to give you a familiar scenario: you receive a request and you are not quite sure how to solve it as you do not have the knowledge or information you need to respond. The best to do is think fast to find out who amongst other colleagues can help resolve it, while your customer is out there waiting for you to come up with solution. It’s impossible to know everything. What you can do though, is make sure that the request goes straight to someone who knows how to solve an issue.  

CCD: You Have Recently Seat for Job Knowledge Quiz (JKQ) can you share with us lessons learned?

BMG: I have learned a lot from JKQ test because it actually helped know my deficiencies, thus prompted me to acquire more knowledge to prepare myself for the future. It encouraged me especially when the result were released. It is a great achievement. 

CCD: How does your role add value to Kaduna Electric?

BMG: I always put my job first, so no doubt as far as I in particular am concern, my role as CSR will add value to Kaduna Electric. I deal with Kaduna Electric customers selflessly and accurately. For example, I can never ever try mistaking a customer on C1 class for R1. So every customer shall be on appropriate tariff class, every electricity user is billed accurately and every customer billed respond to payment. And I always ensure our customers are given the best customers’ service.   

CCD: How Can we improve our customers’ loyalty/positive response?

BMG: We can improve through quick response to customers’ complaints/enquiries, ensure more efficiency in service delivery, intensify awareness campaign and customers’ engagement. For example, using our Facebook page and other social media platforms as a means of educating people, constant staff training to mention these few.

CCD: Do you have any advice to the Management of Kaduna Electric?

BMG: Yes, AlhamdulilLahi Kaduna Electric have done well so far by providing almost 80% of the materials we use like Ladders, Kits for Engineers, Vehicles, cell phones for metering, laptops for other departments, but should do more on staff training and capacity building, this will be a good improvement for our staff.

CCD: In every work environment/situation, there are some challenges, what are the challenges you have encountered or being encountered?

BMG: I actually do have some challenges as I am dealing with customers, some are rude and hostile towards me; some of my colleagues have had similar experience, but I am use to it by now and know my ways of dealing with any type of customers to make them paying customers.

CCD: How can you curtail such customers’ hostilities?

BMG: We need the Company’s support/encouragement; we need to be provided with all necessary working materials like laptops and others. Sometimes the use of direct radio communication gadgets e.g. Walkie-Talkies might be of great importance.

CCD: In your on view, what is the problematic issue in commercial services department?

BMG: Billing issues

CCD: How can we solve such problem?

BMG: The Billing staff should be re-trained and at the same time liaise with AO offices to have comprehensive and accurate database for all the customers in order to put them in correct tariff class.

CCD: How do you spend your leisure time?

BMG: I usually spend my leisure time with family and friends, with my Computer and do some exercise for my health.