The Sun newspaper -- no not THAT Sun newspaper, getcher minds outta the gutter, this is a Sun with a Sun Girl you’d be proud to take home to Mom -- recently ran an article by Mr. Bisi Olaleye discussing customer care service.

“The advent of Global System for Mobile Communications over nine years ago gives no room for doubt that life would become much easier,” he writes, adding that however, just as the subscription base of telecommunication operators increases, “the age-long weapon was abandoned: customer care service.”

When prompt attention was not given, he notes, “many of their subscribers became wary of their services and others bore the neglect in pain and silence.” Tell us that doesn’t sound familiar.

Customer care involves helping out customers in clearing queries, giving instructions, providing support, trouble shooting, guiding them if there are any problems with the product, and such other services, Olaleye said, adding “unfortunately, before now a subscriber is kept on hold for more than 10 minutes and thereafter refers such subscriber to the Web.”

But there is hope, as he shows: “It seems that operators, particularly Code Division Multiple Access, are now out to outdo each other when it comes to customer care service. And that was the way it ought to have been, because any effort to make life of a customer simple and easy is referred to as effective customer service, or customer care.”

Olaleye correctly notes that in today’s business, “competition has reached tremendous proportions due to globalization and liberalization. Many global players have entered the markets increasing the competition in the market place. Attracting the customers by satisfying them at lowest cost has become increasingly crucial.”

And recently, as he claims, “two CDMA operators Visafone Communications Ltd and Starcomms (News - Alert) Plc, have now redefined what customer care service should be. Visafone on its own sent out a press statement signed by Mrs. Lynda Amechi, Head of Customer Care on this new product noting that it has introduced a Multi Language Interactive Voice Recorder Customer Care service that comes in English Language, pidgin, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo languages.”

Adding that, the service, is totally free of charge and it provides any subscriber an option of speaking to an agent when selected. The call, she stressed would be immediately routed to an agent with the specified language skill chosen.

“If a subscriber selects the Yoruba option, the call will be routed to a Yoruba speaking agent who will communicate with him/her effectively in Yoruba language.”

Now that, friends, is good customer service.