Features
Let’s treat our pensioners with respect and dignity!
A 72-year-old pensioner, using a walking stick, once walked to a bank in Accra which was quite a distance from his house in an anticipation of withdrawing his meagre pension allowance. The old man was acting on a payment scheduled calendar prepared by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) on the monthly pension allowance to beneficiaries of the National Pension Scheme.
Looking tired, weak and frail, the fairly old man got to the bank only to be told that SSNIT had not forwarded the monthly pension to the bank to enable them to authorize payment of his allowance and, therefore, he could not withdraw his money. Visibly confused and dejected, the man nearly collapsed. Just imagine the terrible and harrowing condition in which the old man found himself in at that particular moment.He was disappointed and disturbed, especially in a situation where he had to walk a long distance to the bank. But for some good Samaritans at the banking hall who mobilised some funds to give to the old man, the situation would have been dangerous and the worse could have happened.
DELAYS IN PAYMENT OF PENSIONS
There are other negative instances across the country in which SSNIT, managers of the Pension Scheme, has not lived up to expectation and delayed in the payment of pension to beneficiaries and has failed to communicate or explained to them the reason behind the delay in sending their money to the various banks and as a result some of these old men were placed in a very tight corner because for some of them, their monthly pension allowance has been their only source of revenue for their livelihood since they don’t have any dependants to fall on in times of financial difficulties. In very few occasions, messages are sent on mobile phones in an anticipation that beneficiaries will read and be informed about further delay in the processing of entitlements, but not everyone owns some of these android phones, more so, how many of such old men can access, use or manipulate these phones?
A typical example of the delay in payment of the pension was in the month of February where it delayed for a couple of days. Per the payment calendar issued by SSNIT at the beginning of the year, the pension is paid and routed to the various banks every third Thursday of each month. This arrangement has been duly communicated to the beneficiaries and, therefore, they are aware of the date and have obviously, budgeted for the money. It is that prior notice, that inspires and entices the beneficiaries to go to their respective banks to withdraw their entitlements. If payments are not made at the stipulated date and no communication or proper explanation is given by SSNIT, it disorganises and dampens their spirit. One would expect SSNIT to use the mass media especially, the electronic and print to communicate to them about the change of date and the reason behind it to alleviate any potential problems and sufferings by beneficiaries not to keep them in the dark.
SSNIT MUST SIT UP AND SHOW ADEQUATE FAITH TO PENSIONERS
For goodness sake, it is very important and necessary for SSNIT to show adequate faith to the beneficiaries of the scheme and also keep to whatever promise and assurance in the payment of the pension allowance to deserving pensioners. If for any circumstance beyond its control that tends to affect the date of the payment as stipulated on the calendar, it is wise and necessary for SSNIT to publish it for the beneficiaries to be aware of the new date but that should not even be stretched to the discomfort of the beneficiaries of the scheme. Once this is done, the thousands of old men who troop to their banks which are the only sources of receiving their entitlements, will take precaution and minimise the resultant stress involved.
We need to accord pensioners the highest and greatest respect and treat them with dignity in view of their greatest sacrifices and immense contribution to society and the country in general. Treating them with kit gloves means you are disrespecting them and that amounts to cursing oneself.
WHO QUALIFIES FOR PENSION?
For the sake of my readers let me throw a little light on the pension age in Ghana and who is entitled to pension. Until the debate of the new retirement age of 65 years currently in progress is concluded and adopted in the country, the current retirement age is 60 years in accordance with the National Pension Act 2008 (Act 766) as amended by the National Pensions (Amendment Act 2014) Act 883.
For full pension, a worker must have attained 60 years of age (55 years if working under hazardous conditions) with at least 180 months (15 years) of contributions. An early pension is also available to workers from age 55 years with at least 18 months (15 years) of contributions. There are three main types of pension, the state pension paid by the government, occupational pension (your pension through work) and private personal payment.
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has been mandated by law to administer the pension scheme in the country. Percentage of monthly salaries of public sector workers is paid to SSNIT which holds the money in trust for workers as retirement benefits. The scheme is opened to the private sector workers also.
HOW IS THE YEARLY PERCENTAGE INCREASE CALCULATED?
One particular issue that needs to be clarified by SSNIT is how the yearly percentage increase to pensioners is calculated. At times, one sees the percentage going up to as far as 18 per cent increase while in some instances, it comes down to as low as 10 per cent. This situation creates a bit of doubt and anxiety among beneficiaries, thus making them to assign political connotations to the payment procedures. It was time SSNIT came out to educate pensioners about the method used in calculating yearly percentage adjustments in order to set the records straight.
TREATMENT GIVING TO PENSIONERS IN ADVANCED COUNTRIES
It is important to state that in some foreign jurisdictions across the globe, it is the pensioner who enjoys most. Everything is subsidised for them to enjoy because they are considered people who have sacrificed for the betterment of their countries. They enjoy tax rebates when they visit various shopping centres malls to purchase commodities. Pensioners are held in high esteem, in the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Germany, China and many other advanced nations across the globe. However, in Africa especially our own country, Ghana, pensioners are looked down upon and treated with disdain. This does not augur well for our democratic advancement.
PENSIONERS ASSOCIATION MUST BE PROACTVE
The leadership of the Pensioners Association of Ghana needs to be proactive and fight for the interest of its members not to sit aloof while pensioners are taken for a ride and giving a raw deal by SSNIT and its collaborators, otherwise that confidence reposed in them by members will be lost. There are a number of pensioners who are yet to join the association because they don’t see the vibrancy of the association in coercing SSNIT for that matter the government to address the problems of members.
We need to know that pension is something that nobody can avoid as far as public sector worker is concerned. That is why it is important to provide the needed comfort to pensioners as they relax in the comfort of their homes to enjoy the fruits of their labour. It is equally important for public sector institutions to provide their workers with good and better salaries because pensions are worked on individual monthly salaries of workers. Pensioners in this country deserve better than what exists now!
Contact email/WhatsApp of author: ataani2000@yahoo.com
0277753946/0248933366
Features
Fix It Fast or Lose Them Forever: The Ever-Rising Importance of Service Recovery in Competitive Industries
Yes, in literature and in practice, differences exist regarding customer service, service failures, and service recovery.
But have you ever considered the latter (service recovery) and its potential impact on service experience, brand building, and sustainable growth?
Well, in today’s fiercely competitive service economy, customer experience has become one of the most powerful determinants of business survival and long-term success.
Across industries, from aviation and banking to telecommunications, hospitality, healthcare, retail, and digital platforms, customers now expect fast, seamless, and reliable service delivery at every touchpoint.
Yet despite technological advancements and operational improvements, service failures remain inevitable.
Systems experience downtime, deliveries are delayed, reservations are misplaced, payments fail, customer inquiries go unanswered, employees mishandle interactions, and digital platforms experience disruptions.
In the midst of these, what increasingly separates successful organisations from struggling ones is not whether failures occur, but how quickly and effectively they recover when they do.
Service Recovery
Simply put, it is the process of fixing a service problem and restoring customer confidence after a failure has occurred.
Examples of service recoveries are; an airline offering compensation after a flight delay, a telecom company restoring interrupted service and providing bonus data, a restaurant replacing a wrongly prepared meal at no extra cost, a hotel upgrading a guest’s room after a booking problem, and finally a bank reversing an erroneous transaction and apologising promptly.
As competition intensifies and customer expectations continue to rise, service recovery is rapidly evolving from a routine customer service function into a critical strategic capability.
Businesses are discovering a hard truth of the modern marketplace: fix customer problems quickly, or risk losing them permanently.
Customers are More Powerful Now Than Ever
Customers now possess more power than at any other time in business history. Digital technology, social media, online reviews, and mobile connectivity have fundamentally changed customer behaviour.
Consumers now easily compare competitors instantly, publicly share negative experiences, switch providers with ease, and influence the purchasing decisions of thousands of others online.
This evolution has made customer loyalty increasingly fragile. A single poor experience can quickly damage years of brand-building effort.
In highly competitive sectors where products and pricing are often similar, customer experience has emerged as one of the few sustainable competitive advantages.
Modern customers no longer evaluate organisations solely by product quality or pricing. Increasingly, they judge businesses by their responsiveness, reliability, transparency, empathy, and effectiveness in resolving problems.
Why Service Recovery Matters More Than Ever
Failures are no longer viewed as isolated operational incidents, especially in competitive service sectors. They are moments that directly influence customer trust, brand perception, and future purchasing behaviour.
Research across service industries consistently demonstrates that customers are often willing to forgive mistakes when organisations respond quickly, communicate honestly, show empathy, and resolve issues effectively.
Conversely, poor recovery experiences frequently create stronger dissatisfaction than the original service failure itself.
For many businesses, the greatest reputational damage does not arise from operational errors, but from delayed responses, poor communication, lack of accountability, and unresolved customer frustrations.
This has elevated service recovery into a central component of customer relationship management and competitive strategy.
Speed, a Competitive Weapon
In the modern service economy, speed is no longer merely operational efficiency; it is a basic customer expectation.
Consumers increasingly expect: immediate responses, real-time updates, fast complaint resolution, and proactive communication. Delays are often interpreted as incompetence, indifference, or organisational inefficiency.
Consequently, organisations are redesigning their service recovery frameworks to prioritize rapid intervention and customer reassurance.
A cursory assessment revealed that some businesses now operate dedicated customer experience teams, 24/7 support systems, AI-powered service platforms, automated escalation systems, and real-time issue monitoring dashboards.
The ability to resolve customer problems quickly is now a major source of competitive differentiation.
Technology Is Transforming Recovery Strategies
Technology is fundamentally reshaping how organisations manage service recovery. Across industries, companies are leveraging artificial intelligence, customer analytics, chatbots, predictive monitoring systems, and integrated digital support platforms.
These tools allow organisations to identify service failures earlier, monitor customer dissatisfaction, automate responses, personalize engagement, and accelerate resolution timelines.
Some organisations now proactively contact customers before complaints are formally lodged, using analytics to identify service disruptions in real time.
This means that the future of service recovery is increasingly preventive rather than purely reactive.
Service Recovery as a Brand Strategy
Forward-looking organisations are now treating service recovery as part of brand management strategy rather than operational damage control.
The logic is straightforward because, acquiring new customers is expensive, dissatisfied customers influence others, and loyalty is increasingly experience-driven.
Businesses are therefore measuring customer satisfaction, response times, complaint resolution rates, customer retention, and net promoter scores more aggressively than before.
In many industries, service recovery performance is now discussed at executive and board levels because of its direct relationship with profitability, reputation, and long-term growth.
A call to action
As industries become more digital, interconnected and customer-driven, service recovery will likely become even more important.
Therefore, organisations that succeed in the future will likely be those that respond rapidly, communicate transparently, empower employees, leverage technology intelligently, treat customers fairly, and place their (customers’) trust at the centre of recovery strategies.
Remember, customers now have more choices, less patience, and greater influence than ever before, a clear message to forward-looking organisations that when service breaks down, recovery is everything. Fix it fast or risk losing customers forever.
Writer: Mohammed Ali
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you are trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved. Last week we looked at three and this week is the remaining four steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
4. Find common ground
The best way to handle workplace conflict is to start with what you can agree on. Find common ground between the people engaging in conflict. If you are directly involved in the conflict, slow down and focus on results instead of who’s right.
If you are the mediator for conflict resolution between coworkers, observe the discussion and help point out the common ground others may not see.
5. Collectively brainstorm solutions
When deciding how to handle workplace conflict, it can be tempting to problem-solve on your own. Sometimes, it feels easier to work independently rather than collaboratively. However, if you want to achieve a lasting resolution, you will need to motivate your team to get involved.
Brainstorm possible solutions together, and solicit input from everyone involved on the pros and cons of each option until you settle on a solution that feels comfortable to everyone. This will help all team members feel a sense of ownership that can help prevent future conflicts.
6. Create an action plan
Once you have created an open dialogue around workplace conflicts, it is time to resolve them. Just like any other work goal, this requires creating a concrete plan and following through.
Create an action plan and then act on it. It does not matter what the plan is, as long as you commit to it and resolve the conflict as a result.
7. Reflect on what you learned
All conflicts offer an opportunity to grow and become a better communicator. Identify what went well and what did not.
Work with your whole team to gather learnings from the conflict so you can avoid similar situations in the future.
News3 days agoGhana’s Chris Koney participates in high-level dialogue at Africa Forward Summit 2026
- News1 week ago
Isaac Adongo defends BOG Governor, says Ghana “in safe hands”
- Features3 days ago
Fix It Fast or Lose Them Forever: The Ever-Rising Importance of Service Recovery in Competitive Industries
