We still haven't forgotten the mix up yet and Zain is bought and we
the Customers of Zain are to be rebranded again to AirTel?
While business commentetors have had only good words for this move,
this seems to be very clear and vivid: Buy a company, Squeeze as much
as they can get from it. Put it in trouble resell it Cheap. Pure
business the reseller makes profit(good for him), the buyer(good for
him) what about us(the customers?)
I, a customer, I like Celtel. I used to boast Celtel has the best
services. Zain came it had its own style. To maximise profit, they
change customer care into marketing team. I wonder how we can be this
blind(CAMA?). Technically legally they would justify themselves about
the move since they have an automated menu but its the story in local
folk tales where a hare taking care of the lions children eats all the
meat and smears some blood on the mouths of the little lions and the
mother lion thinks that everything ok till she sees some malnutrition.
Despite the automated menu available, the menu itself hasn't been
accessible for so long.
Here is a situation: companies can make business decisions. And can
indeed exploit its customers. What laws do we Malawians have to
self-guard the consumers? Mmh CAMA? And what laws concerning how
international companies like Zain Operate? We might be running out of
forex but the problem may not be too far(we have opened door to
foreign servises which are expensive). Yes(Minister of Finance) we are
an importing nation that is why we have more imports than exports. The
proper decision is not just to sit and watch, but turn ourselves into
self servicing for a start and then start exporting. We produce raw
materials in bulk and buy the processed products. If the west bought
and processed our products and sold them back to us, should we wonder
why we are not developing?
We the customers, though not highly regarded, also needs stability of
the services we buy. The services providers changing ownership just
like that is really inconsiderate for us consumers. We have preference
also. We should not be taken for grunted. I believe there are or
should be laws which say a company should operate for so long before
being resold. What would stop me from buying a company squeeze a lot
from it, resell it to my brother to rebrand it. My brother squeezes a
lot from it resell it to me to rebrand it(marketing brilliant! so many
promotions and bonuses to the marketer). But what about us consumers?
What of the laws for international companies? Isn't the west
capitalistic? Does it not fight for democracy? Does it not push for
liberalising the economies of us little nations? How many of its
"democratic" ways are to find business for themselves? Yes laws, while
laws are bendable eg. Even in football it is said two yellow cards
before a red one. The coach encourages cripple the stricker and then
we will substitute you. Everybody says good decision for the coach. I
would love to punch and cripple the aggressor even if I am give a red
card by the "law". Laws can be used on an ignorant to exploit them.
I like Mugabe's decision today and would love to boot these foreign
investors like Zain (or is Celtel? or AirTel?) out. It wears a name
like a suit. What do we call it? It has no name, really.
Consumer Association of Malawi(CAMA) you should be able to find a lot
of business for almost every company is in the business of exploiting
its consumers. Its time you got to work.
Aside:
I understand Arsenals problem: it does not give a coach pleasure to
put his own kids in a hostile environment where laws of football don't
even protect. What's with the cup if someone loses a life over it. If
it were war defending one self, I would say fight to the death. But
its play and some people try to put violence in it.
--
Sent from my mobile device
Accept The Challenge God Will Guide.