Honestly I have always known Nigerians not to be only smart but intelligent but trust me, right from day one I noticed Glo's approach to the Ghanaian market was a very abysmal one. The Nigerian Telco giant failed woefully to properly understand the Ghanaian market and only mistook it for a typical football situation where they don’t necessarily need to be host but come to the pitch, play soccer and eventually have Mikel Obi or Odemwingi score goals.
Glo brought in as usual their so called “alata managers” thinking they can turn things around in Ghana when they have no knowledge of the Ghanaian market. This managers, in my bid to be charitable were very arrogant, felt so intelligent, and one wonders how could you do this in a market where strong competition already existed with South African giant MTN leading the pack?
Further, anyone who ever visited Glo’s perceived Head office could easily conclude without difficulty, this was a “father and son” business with no proper direction. It lacked every single rudiment of a well-structured institution where documents flew in all directions, and for a telco not to have a proper networking systems of its own facility, geeeeessss!!!!
Actually, I pretended to be seeking a job, then was called to attend an interview and omg, I was surprised at the panel's impatience, sheer pomposity, bullying and in entirety, sheer misunderstanding; that kind of feeling that we are Nigerians and we own this business and make all the decisions; we have arrived and know it all, best of all we have the Glo 1.... There is absolutely no order, no proper systems and structures. It is run just like a table to business from the Okaishie drugs’ lane with hope and prayers, or netter still a company owned by a millionaire whose concern isn't even breaking even but just having jobs for his nationals in another country.
I also learnt of how the Nigerians looked down on their Ghanaian nationals in the same organization with an attendant tribal bigotry visible in a culture of silence; even a Nigerian security could talk rubbish to a Ghanaian customer walking thru. So bad but the hard truth.
As a one time student of marketing I believe strongly it isn’t worth the lecture but Glo ought to have known that business is built on the back of quality products and services, responsive customer service and not celebrity endorsements. Glo promised so much when they were coming. In the end they sold expensive dongles together with expensive data plans with the slowest connection speeds in the solar system.
“It is a cautionary tale to all companies which in future may want to take customers for granted. Customers would vote with their cedis” An interesting truth from a good friend Carl Korkpoe. In a nutshell Glo promised so much making the average Ghanaian expectations higher, they couldn’t meet; you don’t promise heaven and serve hell!!!
In a discussion with another good old friend regarding the “Green” network all my good friend Azertty K. Tekt could say was thus: “Am not surprised they lost the plot. The Ghanaian market rewards hardworking business and quickly punishes the proud. We are a very conservative society that have no patience for the "I have arrived mentality" and "the lords of their ring posture”. I cautioned friends who were leaving other jobs and the one I worked for to Glo. It was a bad business model and very ugly market entry strategy they brought with them.....it was just a matter of time....You observed right Monkey!”
In fact, in my own small world, I saw this coming and I guess it came as no surprise to some of us who are industry watchers. Glo is nose diving and soon we will kiss good bye to the one time noise making telco which rode on a very extremely high decibel of Glo 1, etc. Indeed there is very little Glo can do now, though all hope isn’t lost as they are gradually on a course to compete with Expresso.
As a customer, indeed not a loyal one and won’t be one anytime soon, considering what my other service providers offer me; kingly treatment, I however still hold tight my Glo data sim and Glo number anyway. Good intentions, bad approach!!!
Eric Kevin Elikem KOTOKO
[email protected]
+233 26 470 5778
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