Features
DStv, Telcos vs Consumerism
Have you ever paid for an item, got home only to realise that item was defective? Then you took it back and you were told once you took it away, nothing could be done about it and you felt dejected.
You bought power from our own Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and suffered a power outage half of the time.
The experiences enumerated above can be very frustrating, not so? Or you went to a spot and asked for a bottle of Coca Cola and the steward brought you a Pepsi Cola instead.
In their minds they are all Cola, no? Then you send your ward to the butchers to purchase mutton and they bring beef home. You go to have the stuff changed only to be met with insults.
Service providers who you paid upfront will deliver a below-par service and get you angry and frustrated. We suffer in silence because many of these are monopolies who do not care about their clients/customers.
You will understand this if you subscribe to DStv bouquets. All that gets to you when you are watching your favourite channel and cumulus clouds gather.
The signals go off and you scratch your head in utter dismay until the clouds dissipate or after the rains have come and gone. DStv will not compensate you for the hours of lost signal.
What comes on your screen is, “There is no signal. This may be due to bad weather or faulty connection in the installation.”
At a point, I called their Customer Service and the lady I spoke to was frank enough to tell me they have no technology to avoid this occurrence. I cannot fault the poor employee, but this does not make any sense. In New York where rain clouds are darker and thunder claps seem to blow your eardrums, satellite television signals do not get interrupted when it rains.
Thunders do not clap in our parts; they only rumble mostly and are not as severe as in the temperate regions, yet satellite signals drizzle once weather itself drizzles rainwater.
The simple answer is that consumer rights do not work in our parts and we do not get angry with service providers enough, especially since some of them do not have competition in the marketplace.
Multichoice, managers of DStv, do not seem minded to invest in technology to keep their clients served irrespective of whatever the weather condition is.
The responsibility of protecting television sets from lightning must rest with the individual owner, not the service provider.
Every Ghanaian seems to own one cellphone or another. This undoubtedly makes life a lot easier for us. But then it is worrying to call a number and the response is that the number you are trying to reach is either switched off or is unavailable.
Many hours later you get through and the person tells you their phone was never off. What accounts for this must be explained by the Telcos.
You call an MTN number and you hear, “The AirtelTigo number you have dialed cannot be reached at this moment. Please, call back later.” AirtelTigo, when you dialed an MTN number? I have a number of MTN numbers especially, and at times I call one from another and I am either told the number cannot be reached or that the number does not exist. How come, when the two phones sit on my table near each other? Can our Telcos explain this?
Methinks the agency responsible for communications should come up with a legislative framework that makes it mandatory for every call to come with identification so as to eliminate scammers in the mobile telephony system, except perhaps numbers of national security interest. In other jurisdictions even calls to landlines come with the Identity of the caller.
Also, numbers patched with the Ghana Card must of necessity reflect when the bearer makes a call. This has the potential to eliminate fraudsters.
It beats my mind that numbers I have not acquired could appear on my Ghana Card as mine. Now with Artificial Intelligence making the waves, only goodness knows what tomorrow may bring.
So far, it is only the Glo network that registers incoming calls even when the recipient’s phone is off. I have not noticed this with the others.
Another annoying phenomenon is when you buy an item, paid for it and after having your receipt, it is stated at the bottom that goods purchased are not returnable. I wonder who came up with this stupidity. I do not think this can stand a test in law, unless there is a bold display of this edict that cannot escape the attention of the customer so that they are aware before making any purchases, otherwise they have a right to return goods they are dissatisfied with.
Having stated all the above brings me to Consumerism in Ghana. Attempts have been made to form consumer groups but those charged with the responsibility of legislating on consumer concerns do not seem to know what to do or are just indifferent. I was a member of a Consumer Protection Movement of Ghana in the late 80s but no matter how hard we tried, our efforts fell on deaf ears.
Consumerism is a big thing in many countries the world over, but it looks like our leaders here do not have a clue as to what Consumerism is all about. The fact that Ghana has a Standards Authority must be the impetus to couch legislation to protect consumers.
In many jurisdictions almost every product is covered by warranty, except perishable consumables which are themselves covered by standards. So, what sense does it make for me to buy an item here only to read that once I have purchased and paid it cannot be returned? How about if the product turned out to be defective?
But can they be blamed? If those elected to take care of us and protect us from capitalist cheats are looking elsewhere, who would not take undue advantage of us? This, of course, is no reason for corporate laxity.
Consumer satisfaction must be the driving principle of goods and service providers because, after all, without consumers no enterprise can flourish. Monopolies must not make a fool of their clients and our government owes us a duty to protect our wellbeing at all times.
*Writer’s email address:*
*akofa45@yahoo.com*
By Dr Akofa K. Segbefia
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. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
