Always prepared to go the extra mile 

by Chris Premeji (Head of Operations)

In our industry, all the ancillary and supporting components of our product offerings are just as important as the product itself. Before you are even our customer, customer service of the highest level is expected.

When we launched our 800km fiber route a few years ago, I made the statement, “there is no use having the best speed and capacity at the lowest latency, if the service is unstable”. The same principle applies to customer service, there is no use having the best speed and capacity, at the lowest latency, if the supporting structures behind that service are poor.

When you enter our premises, is the person at the door friendly and welcoming? Were you promptly directed to the appropriate department to receive the assistance or information you needed?

When you call in to our various contact numbers, or reach out via social media and online contact methods, was it easy to get through and receive the assistance or information you needed? After signing up, is the actual product or service you have subscribed to performing as promised? Did you receive your invoice on time, and was it simple to pay your bill and continue enjoying your service?

Most importantly, when an issue arises, how easy was it to get in touch with our team, get support with the issue, and if not immediately resolvable, were you kept informed of progress and challenges?

When you tally the answers to these questions, what you get is a tale of your journey as a Paratus customer. This journey should be one that is enjoyable, satisfying, and something you should be able to relate to others with a sense of confidence that they too, will enjoy this journey, if they are not already on it and enjoying as well.

When someone asks, how can I be of assistance? This question should be sincere and backed with the intention to actually be of assistance, to provide service with a smile, whether in person, over the phone, through email and so on. Just reading an email from someone, one should be able to envision the expression on the sender’s face. Were they smiling and had your welfare at heart when writing the email? Was the first line, “Dear valued customer” sincere? 

Even when delivering bad news, or informing you of a delay or an issue, the way one composes a message or provides a telephonic update means alot. Ultimately, when a service interruption inevitably happens, a regularly updated customer is in a much better position than one that was left in the dark.

So, the bottom line is, “service with a smile”, does not only apply to in-person interactions. Engage with your customer the very same way you would want a supplier, service provider, shop assistant, teller, official to engage with you. Whether on the phone, via email, through text, over social media, be professional, friendly, honest, and empathetic.

I am confident enough to openly proclaim that each and every employee of Paratus is a customer service champion in some form or another, always prepared to go the extra mile. Our entire staff compliment are prime examples of disciplined, dependable, passionate and committed individuals, who, as a team, are courageous enough to go above and beyond to provide a level of service excellence that is the Paratus promise.