The Nation Newspaper

Tag: customers

  • ‘We’ll prosecute customers who tamper with meters’

    The Ikeja Electric (formerly Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company) and Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) is working with the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to arrest and prosecute electricity consumers who tamper with their meters.

    The prosecution applies to analog and prepaid meter users, the firms said, adding that this became necessary following reports that many consumers were bypassing meters and connecting to the cables from the electricity poles. The bypass of meters distorts reading of the meters and makes such fraudulent customers pay less than their consumption.

    The two firms in interviews with The Nation said they were transiting from a fine of N50,000 imposed on perpetrators of such crimes to prosecution in a court to provide more punitive measures and further deter other consumers from engaging in the crime.

    The Head, Communications and Strategy, Ikeja Electric, Pekun Adeyanju, said the firm was working with the police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC) to detect and arrest consumers who bypass meters to charge them to court.

    He said: “When we realised that customers have not been coming to our various business units for vending, we asked our marketing officials to visit their homes. It was at that point we discovered that they have tempered with the meters by passing them.

    “They bypass meters by not connecting the two wires from the pole to their meters. The wire they don’t connect to the meters is the one that takes care of heavy appliances such as pumping machine, pressing iron, air- conditioner and others.  At the end of the month, such a customer will pay less because the prepaid meter has been tampered with. Some people have been caught, paraded and reprimanded. Now, we want to start arresting and prosecuting them, and leave out the option of fine of N50,000 earlier imposed on them.’’

    Also, the spokesman, Eko DISCO, Godwin Idemudia, said the firm would take people who bypass meters to court. He said bypassing of meters by customers is a criminal offence which his organisation is not ready to take lightly.

    According to him, his company will use two methods or approaches to curb bypass of meters among customers in its jurisdiction.

    He said: “One of the methods has to do with the use of security operatives like police and the company’s officials, who would go out to see meters that have been tampered with and take their pictures. The second one is technological, by this; we are deploying smart meters that would give us signals in the office when they are being tampered with by criminals. Local electricians are aiding criminals who bypass meters and we are ready to deal with them.”

  • FirstBank unveils Loop app for customers’ delight

    FirstBank unveils Loop app for customers’ delight

    Nigeria’s leading lender, FirstBank, said as part of its ongoing commitment to support its customers’ goals, it has introduce Loop, a lifestyle application (app) that delivers premium content from across the world right to its customers’ mobile phones.

    According to the lender, this innovative new service, gives the customers access to the latest articles and videos across a wide variety of categories, including but not limited to tech & gadgets, life & travels, the economy,          local news, luxury goods, business, health, sports, entertainment, shopping and more

    Loop provides our customers with up-to-date information on the latest news and lifestyle trends. Loop ensures that our customers are the first to know about the topics and events that matter most to them.

    Speaking on the initiative with The Nation, an official of Yellow Brick Road, a firm that partnered with the bank on the initiative, Mr. Babajide Ogunnoiki, said application is another way that demonstrates FirstBank’s customer-centric focus, adding that it showed that the lender is an active partner in their fast-paces and constantly evolving lives styles.

    He said users could customise their Loop feed, choosing from a broad range of international and local content providers, including Bloomberg, ESPN, Viacom, Reuters and more. This ensures that customers only receive content that they are interested in which would be relevant to their lifestyle. This is premium content that users would ordinarily have to pay for or subscribe to. We are offering it to our customers absolutely free.

    “Loop sits right on your phone, giving you one-touch access to a world of information, entertainment and lifestyle content. Simple to download and easy to navigate, the app brings all the content the user wants in one place. Loop is currently available on the Android platform and can be downloaded from the Google Play store. It will be available on all mobile platforms in the near future.

    “Loop will also give our customers access to special offers and discounts from a broad range of travel, hospitality, retail and lifestyle partners. The app delivers great deals along with great content,” FirstBank explained.

     

  • House of Phones states commitment to customers

    House of Phones Nigeria Limited, a mobile phone sales and repair outlet, has restated its commitment to providing the best deals and most reliable as well as convenient service to Nigerians. A statement endorsed by its Chief Executive Officer, David Osinowo, explained that the firm is famous for its excellent services over the years, adding that it will keep up doing all it could to satisfy its numerous customers.

    He said: “We are able to fulfill our commitments by harnessing our local knowledge, by leveraging on our global competencies and capabilities, and by forging strategic partnership with top distributors and established logistic companies.”

    Osinowo said the company will continue to provide the fastest and reliable repair services in the country to customers.

    He said:”We have the tools and expertise to repair most makes and models of phones and tablets. We also offer pickup and delivery service for your phones and tablets for repairs at your convenience.

    “Some of the services we provide include sales of mobile phones, accessories, tablets, laptops, repairs, recycling, pick-up and delivery services.”

     

  • Micro Station lauds customers for loyalty

    LEADING mobile phone retail outlet, Micro Station, has attributed the success of the brand in Nigeria to customers’ loyalty.

    To this end, the firm has rolled out a unique customer loyalty scheme for its existing and potential customers.

    Tagged: “Great Value, Happy Customer”, the loyalty scheme is aimed at sustaining the buying behaviour of customers as well as acquiring new customers, who would associate with the Micro Station brand.

    Speaking at the unveiling of the programme and formal commissioning of a new outlet in Ikeja, Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, Micro Station, Nester Coutroupis, said the firm is strategically focused and positioned to drive up the momentum fro crucial communication products and unique mobile phone gadgets coupled with equal to non customet services based on robust customer relationship, which has continued to endear more patronage to our various stores.

    Coutropolis said in Micro Station, customers are very key to their success story, “and this has driven our zeal to always try to find ways to celebrate them for their undiluted patronage and unflinching support in the area of business patronage.

    According to him moving up in the business chart of the informal sector has been daunting and challenging , “but with doggedness and the zeal to succeed, we have focused pragmatically on our customers feedback and responses in righting our wrongs and this has turned out to be the magic wand that has brought Micro Station success in the mobile phones retail sector.”

    On the loyalty programme, which is in partnership with Interswitch, the CEO said said the solution is built into the conventional Point of Sales (PoS) terminals through its trusted technical partners and a leading e-payment company in Nigeria, Interswitch Limited.

    “Unlike conventional loyalty programmes that use barcodes on card or payment and non-payment cards being used on PoS terminals, we have implemented a phone number program as the customer identifier, as customers will just insert their phone numbers in the terminals to earn and spend their reward,” he said.

    According to him, “when customers buy products up to N25, 000, they get instant one per cent discount from the PoS.

    “We have also factored in those who are regular customers but who do not spend up to N25, 000. So, on every visit, you earn points, which you can redeem with great practical items in exchange.”

    He however, said that in the promo, customers don’t have local accounts. “What they have is their phone numbers. The customer’s phone numbers will work at any of Micro Station branch nationwide on the PoS terminals run on network. So, what you earned in any branch in Lagos can be used in our store in Ogun and Ibadan stores, for instance.”

    “This means that, if a customer visits up to 15 times within the year and spends N4, 000 and above on each visit, he or she gets 2.5 per cent discount profile for life at Micro Station on every purchase above N4, 000. No other brand in Nigeria offers that today and this is what makes the scheme unique,” he said.

    Coutroupis added that, having played major role in the telecoms retailing space for the last 10 years, rendering superior products and service quality in all aspects, Micro Station, through the promo, is driving the process of customer ownership, without winking.

     

  • CBN mandates BDCs to provide customers’ BVN

    CBN mandates BDCs to provide customers’ BVN

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed Bureau De Change operators (BDCs) to ensure that their customers obtain their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN).

    The direcive which takes effect from August 1, 2015, is to ensure greater transparency in  transactions of licensed BDCs

    In a circular released yesterday, the said the provision of customers’ BVN “must be included in the Returns to the CBN.”

    The circular, signed by the Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Departmeny, CBN, Kevin Amugo, noted that “in the case of corporate customers, the BVN of a Director or an Authorized signatory of the entity must be provided.”

    The CBN also mandated “all licensed BDCs to provide the BVN of all their Directors before 15th August 2015, as failure to meet this requirement may affect their continued participation in the foreign exchange market.”

    Kevin Amugo further threatened a fine of One million Naira (N1,000,000) as penalty for first offenders while subsequent violation may lead to revocation of license.

    According to circular, “BDC operators should please note that any BDCs that fails to provide the required information in its returns, or provides a wrong BVN, would be penalized. First offenders will be required to pay a fine of One Million Naira (N1,000,000), while any subsequent violation of the requirement may lead to the revocation of the operating license of the BDCS.”

    According to the CBN, “the list of all licensed BDCs would be provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria, to the Nigerian Interbank System (NIBBS), to enable the country provide the necessary hardware token that would be used by the BDCs in accessing the NIBSS website”.

  • Skye Bank’s customers get N5m prize money

    Skye Bank’s customers get N5m prize money

    Three customers of Skye Bank Plc were lifted up as they won N1 million each at the bank’s ‘Reach for the Skye’ promotional draw which took place in Ibadan, Oyo State on Thursday. The lucky winners were selected in an electronic draw conducted in the presence of officials of the National Lottery Commission.

    The winners are Damie Morrison of Garki Junction branch, Port Harcourt; Innocent Oguabi of Katako, Abuja Branch; and Donatus Okoro of Badagry branch.

    In addition, four other customers won N250,000 each, while another 10 won N100,000 each in the transparent draws. The total prize money redeemed by the bank was N5 million.

    Speaking on the ‘Reach for the Skye Millionaires promo, Skye Bank’s Head of Retail Banking Group, Nkolika Okoli, said the bank would continue to encourage the adoption of the savings culture by the members of the public.

    According to her, the qualification criterion for the promo is for a customer to open a Skye Save Plus account with a minimum of N2000, with each additional N2000 increasing the customer’s chance to win the N1 million prize.

    Okoli said the draws would hold every month and the bank’s customers would win N60 million in all before the promo is concluded. She therefore enjoined the members of the public to open a Skye Save Plus account with bank with a minimum balance of N2000 in order to benefit from the ongoing promotion.

    The Area Manager, Oyo State, of the National Lottery Commission, Mr. Tayo Fasuhanmi, described the electronic draw conducted as open, transparent and clear, saying it conformed to the commission’s requirements of a credible draw. He advised members of the public to take advantage of the bank’s promotion to transform their businesses by opening accounts with it so as to be able to take part in future draws.

  • Startimes to reward customers

    Startimes Nigeria has concluded arrangements to celebrate its fifth year in the country with ‘Win a Trip’ promo where 10 lucky customers will travel to Germany to watch German league matches, as the grand prize winners.

    Subsequently, the pay TV station, to further provide contents to their viewers, has signed a five-year deal for the exclusive right to air German Bundesliga matches in Nigeria for the next five seasons.

    The public relations and communication manager, Startimes, Mr Isreal Bolaji disclosed this at a press parley where he said “overall, 360 winners across the country would be picked and rewarded at the raffle draws”.

    Bolaji said the promo is a way to reward their customers for their loyalty to the brand and would start on July 18 through to September 30 as there would be four draws during the duration of the promo.

    “StarTimes is not just satisfying and bringing affordable digital entertainment to every household in Nigeria, but also ensuring they get rewarded for their patronage over the years”, he said.

    To qualify for the raffle draws, the Marketing Manager, Mr Habeed Somoye said “all our customers need do is to recharge for two months on any bouquet they are and the interesting thing is that all customers will get 50 per cent discount on the second month’s recharge, thereby all customers are winners”.

    Explaining the process, Somoye said “for a customer on basic bouquet which is N1, 200, two months subscription should be N2, 400, but it will be N1,800 as the 50 per cent discount on the second month has been effected”.

    He said customers on all the four plans are eligible to participate in the promo as the minimum recharge of N1,800 qualifies any subscriber into the draws.

    He said customers on Nova bouquet which is N600, can also participate as the minimum recharge of N1,800,which should be three months on the bouquet and that will last for four months, allowing them to benefit from the promo.

    “Inevitably, not only the 360 lucky customers are winners but all our customers are, as each subscriber gets something in return upon recharging”, he added.

    Somoye said “350 customers will get consolation prizes, 100 will go home with 2.5 kva generators,200 will win Startimes Solar phones and 50 others will get Startimes 40 inches LED TV, making it 360 major winners in total”.

    The content Manager, Mr Ayokunle Idowu said more sports channels will be added to the existing ones in lieu of the partnership with the German league to satisfy their customers.

    On the issue of poor quality in terms of service delivery, Idowu said “external cables are now included in any purchase with the internal cable that was formerly included stopped, as research reveals that some customers do not explain how they want to setup to get advice on the modalities involved so that viewers on either DTT or DSH can get value for their money”.

  • CeBIH advocates prompt BVN enrolment by customers

    CeBIH advocates prompt BVN enrolment by customers

    The Committee of E-Banking Industry Heads (CeBIH) has called on bank customers to take advantage of the deadline extension and promptly enroll for the Biometric Verification Number (BVN) project.

    CeBIH Chairman, Tunde Kuponiyi disclosed this following the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) extension of the deadline for enrolment for the BVN.

    The apex bank had on June 30 announced a four-month extension till October 31 for bank customers to enroll for the BVN. “We are calling on customers to visit their banks and promptly enroll for the BVN”, he advised.

    Kuponiyi noted that the purpose of the extension is to allow customers enough time to enroll irrespective of where they are based. “The extension presents ample opportunity for bank customers to do their enrolment without the challenge of spending hours on queues  as experienced few days to the end of the initial deadline,” he said.

    “The four months extension seems a long period, but customers should not delay or postpone their enrolment – it is better to do it now. They should not wait a few days to October 31 to avoid last minute registration rush and avoid spending hours in banking halls. They should also remember that they can enroll for their BVN from any branch of their bank, hence there is no need to wait till when they visit the branch where their accounts are domiciled,” he said.

    Listing the benefits of the initiative, Kuponiyi noted that the BVN affords customers the opportunity to register their biometric data against their bank accounts to protect their funds against fraudulent and unauthorised access.

    “The BVN protects customers’ bank accounts from unauthorised access, as biometric information is not easily manipulated. It also increases the efficiency of the banking industry as it reduces incidence of fraudulent/duplicate bank accounts, and easily highlights blacklisted customers.

    Furthermore, full integration of BVN provides standardised efficiency of banking operation. This means that all banking operations will be verified using the same method, reducing cases of human error or inconsistency.  In addition to these, the implementation of BVN means transaction authentication without the use of cards, but instead using only biometrics and a PIN”, he said.

    Established July 2009, CeBIH comprises all Heads of e-business/e-channels and cards services of all the 23 banks in Nigeria. The primary objective of the committee is to promote electronic banking services in line with global best practices and serve as a forum for sharing ideas and experiences by the E-banking industry Heads.

  • Grand Petroleum honours customers

    Grand Petroleum and Chemicals Limited, a subsidiary of Nosak Group and producers of Hi-Speed lubricants, has hosted its distributors and customers across the country at an interactive forum in Lagos.

    The event provided the company an opportunity to address its customers and get first-hand information from them on the areas that needed improvement on timely delivery of products, seamless procurement from the company and plans for the company’s expansion.

    The Group Executive Director, Corporate Services, Mr. Osagie Ogunbor, said the company produces 75,000 litres of lubricants daily with a storage capacity of six million litres. He said the company plans to expand its production to meet up with the demand.

    He also said the company would  strive to satisfy its customers in terms of price, packaging and delivery methods.

    He said despite stiff competition from multinational oil companies, Grand Petroleum plans to build on its own strength by carving a niche market for itself. In terms of quality, he said most of its raw materials are sourced from China and as a result, its products can compete favourably with other major lubricants in the market.

    The Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mr. Joseph Oboko,  said the company understands the customers’ challenges, especially on adulteration of products, which many companies  face. He said the company plans to rebrand its lubricant products by ensuring that the seal on the crown cover cannot be imitated. When this is done, it will be extremely difficult for adulterators to imitate the products.

    The Group Executive Director, Operations and projects, Mr. Osaheni Ogunbor, said the quality of its products is of high quality and helps to prolong the life span of an engine, adding that Grand Petroleum products are ISO certified. The company has various lubricant products both for petrol engines and diesel engines.

    One of the major distributors, Mr. Tony Nsitem, said he was satisfied with the development of the company, enjoining other distributors to work hard to get more rewards.

    He also enjoined them to be observant in the market and report any adulteration.

  • Eko DISCO, customers discuss planned tariff increase

    The management of Eko Electricity Distribution Plc (Eko DISCO) has held a consultative meeting with stakeholders within its network to discuss planned increase in tariff it wants to implement.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Oladele Amoda, said the increase in tariff is to reflect realities in the industry, where the investors pay for gas, replacement, rehabilitation and upgrade of electricity equipment and facilities.

    He said: “All our activities in Eko DISCO are being guided by a regulatory framework and guidelines. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), as the umpire, is committed to regulating quality services through effective monitoring.

    “One key mandate of the Commission as contained in the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act 2005 is to put in place an efficient electricity market and structures that will sustain the market. This includes customer protection measures, and approval of cost-reflective tariff that will ensure sustainable business model for operators across the industry.

    “It is believed that ‘nothing good comes easy’ and Eko Electricity Distribution Plc has invested so much to sustain and enhance operations toward improving services to the customers. It is on the need to sustain continuous investment that we have called for this meeting, in order to consult with our esteemed customers on our proposed adjustment in tariff to partly meet the reality of the prevailing economic situation. “We shall continue to interact regularly on area by area basis to further strengthen the relationship and understanding between our company and our esteemed customers.”

    Amoda also said the company has invested substantially in upgrading the network as well as in human capacity development, adding that many staff have trained locally and abroad to update them with latest technology in power distribution, commercial and customers care activities.

    More training programmes and workshops have been proposed for further implementation, he added.