Features
Ending the year with blessings; embracing the New Year with hope
Gradually, the year 2021 is drawing to an end, and in less than two weeks, the whole world including our dear nation, Ghana, will be embracing the New Year (2022) with pomp and pageantry. It has been a very difficult and tortuous journey to this point, but the good Lord has favoured most of us as we continue to be alive and, therefore, we must continue to give glory and thanks to Him for protecting our lives.
It is a fact that many were those who could not stand the test of time and, therefore, could not survive the year 2021 due to a number of factors including sickness, road accidents, disasters, murders among others. The deadly disease, the Corona virus pandemic with its attendant devastating nature which continues to wreak havoc and having a major toll across nations throughout the world had claimed many lives globally. To those who lost their lives as a result of some of these unfortunate incidents, we pray that the good Lord will protect their souls and grant them eternal rest. We also wish to console the various bereaved families for losing their loved ones.
PRAYING FOR GOD’s PROTECTION AND LOVE
As the year draws to an end, it is imperative for those of us who are alive to resolve ever than before to put our trust in the Almighty God and continue to pray to Him to grant us the needed protection as we strive to enter the New Year. We must kneel before Him and pray without ceasing by calling on Him to wipe out our sins completely.
Indeed, Ghanaians have not found life easy at all this year as the cost of living continues to escalate beyond bounds. The hardships across the country are so unbearable with people struggling to make ends meet. Prices of goods and services keep going high each and every day while people continue to complain bitterly. It is just the survival of the fittest as those who don’t have the means continue to starve due to lack of dependents. It is only just a few in society made up of government functionaries, businessmen, politicians as well as some so-called men of God who use their services to cheat and exploit the innocents in the society who are making it in the society through their ill-gotten wealth.
OUR POLITICIANS AND ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS
Aside all these difficulties being encountered by the citizenry, our politicians especially, the ruling government continue to impose all kinds of ‘killer’ taxes on the already burdened and suffering people of Ghana without justifiable reason. While those at the helm of affairs demand that the people should tighten their belt and face the economic challenges squarely, they (themselves) and their families continue to live affluent and extravagant lives. These politicians who rode on the back of the people to power and the positions they occupy at the moment, have soon forgotten how they came to power and, therefore, continue to exploit and feed fat on the citizenry. They continue to milk the economy and when people talk or complain they become an automatic enemy to the state.
The notion most Ghanaians are have in their minds at the moment is whether it is right to pursue this noble path of democracy which we are all craving for, because we thought that will make life easier and better for us and reflect in our living standards. However, it looks as if they have been disappointed by the very people they gave them their mandate to protect the economy and for that matter their living standards. They have depleted the public purse and are using the COVID-19 pandemic as a cover-up, thereby imposing all kinds of taxes on the people as a means to revamp the shattered economy.
ERADICATING CORRUPTION IN THE COUNTRY
As the year comes to an end, it is the prayer of every Ghanaian that the good Lord will influence the minds of our leaders to show remorse to the people and provide the kind of leadership that will inspire confidence and promote good governance in our dear country. Those who don’t know God or Allah, must begin to know Him now and follow His footsteps. It is our prayer that corruption that has entrenched itself in our economy and having a major effect on the people should be a thing of the past. We also pray that the good Lord will influence the lifestyles of our politicians, especially those managing the economy so that they can live modestly to enable the people to have confidence in them.
ESSENCE OF CHRISTMAS AND THE LESSONS FOR GHANAIANS
Soon, we will be entering into the Christmas festivities which call for Christians to make the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ worthwhile by living good lives. The season calls for the sharing of good news and good things. As we mark the birth of Jesus Christ, let us all in our various capacities, put a smile on the faces of the less privileged around us, a reason Jesus Christ came to us.
Christian or the muslim religion should factor God or Allah into governance and work for justice and peace. The government must work assiduously to bring back the good times. This can only be done through respect for the rule of law, justice and accountability.
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. A time for us to understand the lessons from Jesus and reflect on them. Jesus, we are told in the scriptures, brought new religion based on love and vision of a God who is full of compassion and forgiveness, a vision of doing everything with a positive mindset and from a place of love. Therefore, the essence of Christmas is love and that is why God gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
My prayer is that our days will be merry and bright because the radiance of the King of Kings has filled our hearts causing us to mediate in purity, rebirth, unique and eternal presence in our world.
ENTERING THE NEW YEAR WITH HOPE
As we prepare to enter into the New Year (2022), it is important for us as Ghanaians to change our way of life and thinking and chart a new path in our journey towards success. We must shake ourselves from the negativities of the past years, especially 2021, which have put our economy in bad light in international circles so that we will continue to be cherished by the outside world. Our political leaders need to wake up from their slumber and provide effective leadership that will touch the hearts of many including Ghanaians in general.
WE NEED PEACE AND TRANQUILITY TO FORGE AHEAD
For goodness sake, we need peace and tranquility in our dear country and the only thing that can bring about this crucial requirement is for our politicians to embrace dialogue and consensus building to resolve their differences. Constructive criticisms are necessary in democratic practice, however, they must be followed up with tangible solutions instead of confrontational stance which serves no useful purpose whatsoever. Let us remember that politics has come of age in this country and, therefore, there is no need turning backwards because it will not help anybody or particular groupings.
Let me use this medium to wish my numerous readers and patrons, Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year in advance!
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By Charles Neequaye
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.
