Customer relations expert, Edem Adjaho has urged employers to invest in their frontline employees by taking them through customer service training. Commenting on the impact of poor customer relations on corporate Ghana on Multi TV’s current affairs show PM EXPRESS, Ms. Adjaho said it is high time employers realized that customer service has gone beyond having physically attractive employees serving as front line executives of companies. Concerns have been raised about the appalling nature of customer service in the country prompting consumers to demand for value for money when purchasing goods or services. Ghana for a long time has been extolled as a hospitable country with its people being very warm and receptive yet, the country has no clue about good customer relations and how to attract and/or retain customers. “I think that things will change if only some employers will invest in some form of training” Ms. Adjaho said adding that “customer service is not just the smiles. You could be smiling but your heart is not there.” The Chief Executive of Spec Consult says the lack of awareness of the potential loss to the company is at the heart of the problem of poor customer relations in the country. “Employers must invest in training their sales person”. The Head of Consumer and Public Relations at the National Investment Bank, Jerry Nathaniel Halm who was also on the show said “what customers demand is what you give them and customers are now demanding for good service.” He noted that “monopoly is now dead and people have a choice and so customer relations must be basic”. According to Mr. Halm, it is within a customer’s right to ask for good service. Thus service providers must begin to treat their customers as 'kings'. He stressed that the times when sales persons and service providers took customers for granted with lackadaisical attitudes as if they were doing them favours should die down because there is now competition in the system. Mr. Halm believes the increase in consumerism and rising competition will soon make people become “non-negotiable”. Edem Adjaho was also quick to point out that the poor customer relation culture in the country is due in part to the attitudes of Ghanaian employees, explaining that because people think they are not the owners of a particular company, they could just behave anyhow. “Complacency is also to blame because we lose sight [of the fact] that every pesewa counts” adding that “it costs more to get a new customer than having an existing customer who is satisfied with you”. Ms. Adjaho stated that lots of businesses are profit-oriented to the extent that they lose sight of the customer who is bringing in the money. Mr. Halm thus urged service providers to take care of their internal structures and add good customer relations to retain clients. He said the employee must be happy to provide quality service. He also mentioned that telephone etiquette is very vital for good customer service thus employers should pay particular attention to how one “picks a call, greets, and says farewell.” Story by Adwoa Dansowaa Awuku/ Multi TV/Ghana