The subscriber is very important in the service delivery of telecommunications space. This explains why emphasis is led on subscriber base as determinant of leadership in the sector. More so, the growth in the sector are often time measured on teledensity, which is average number of people to available mobile phones in the country.
Moreover, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) quarterly release of number active line in the country as well as operators percentage control of the overall lines has become an interest media campaign for operators that have gain advantage in the current quarter.
All these go a long way to show that for it not subscribers there is no business for telecommunications service providers. The question that arises is, how has operators being treating this integral part of their business in relation to maintaining effective communications with them?
The sector having reach some appreciable level of maturity one would have expected that operators build a strong relationship with their subscribers especially pre-paid subscribers that forms about 80 percent of their subscribers.
Observers believe that nonchalant attitude of operators towards their subscribers is a reflection of the societal value in the country that does not recognize customers as important, which accounts for differential treatment some operators ‘dish out’ to Nigerians subscribers against what obtains outside.
For instance, networks carry out maintaince work which affect service delivery without giving prior information to their subscriber rather what they do is to apologies to them for experience difficulties in either recharge or make call after the completing the work. The idea thing to do is to give subscribers prior information so that they will prepare their mind for it.
Operators claims that their call centre service is 24 hours, investigations have revealed that none of the operators both Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is presently offering 24 hours call centre service, that is why each time call centres line are dial between 10 pm and 6am there is no response.
The perception by Nigerians that both GSM and CDMA are reap-off operators that have come to the country to make money without delivering quality service is a product of poor communications by operators on why they are not delivering quality services and other challenges they face.
Business Communication is communication used to promote a product, service, or organization; relay information within the business; or deal with legal and similar issues. Business Communication can also refer to internal communication. A communication director will typically manage internal communication and craft message sent to employees. It is vital that internal communications are managed properly because a poorly crafted or managed message could foster on distrust or hostility from employees 
One of the most robust findings in the sociological literature is the positive effect of communication on consumerism, cooperation and trust.
According to Matthew Lautz, chief executive officer of Brevient development company headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, many people only want to communicate “good things” to business partners, be they investors, bankers, lawyers, or even customers. As difficult as it may be sometimes, communicating both “the good” and “the bad” is critical.
Communication in Business
According to Lautz, communicating “the bad” to trusted partners allows them to assist you and offer suggestions on how to turn the situation around so that it ultimately becomes “the good”. Bring forth the news and come prepared to discuss your plans for solving the problem. Remember to stay open-minded to their suggestions as well, as they are likely people who have helped drive success for your business.
Lautz believes that your partners will respect you more for initiating a conversation about bad news rather than forcing them to call you out on it, or worse, having the situation get to a point past saving. After all, no company in the world only has good news all the time; it’s just a matter of how you handle it.
A renowned Doctor of Communication in a leading university in Nigeria also believes that whether it’s been a wonderful or a rotten day, whether there’s been a crisis or a triumph, sharing it in words makes you and your partner feel more understood, more appreciated, more loved. The ability to communicate well is the most important relationship skill of all.
He said communications is one of the basic functions of management in any organization and its importance can hardly be over-emphasized. It is a process of transmitting information, ideas, thoughts opinions and plans between various parts of an organization.
It is not possible to have human relations without communication. However, good and effective communication is required not only for good human relations but also for good and successful business.
Indeed, communications is a part of our lives. It is our way to express our ideas, feelings, emotions and experiences. If you are far from your loved ones or friends, you certainly look for a way or means for you to communicate with them. You must have tried sending emails, chatting with them but of course, nothing would be better with hearing their voices and talk to them.
If you are residing in another country, definitely you want to communicate with your family and friends to share your experiences and feelings too. So, having a working telephone is an effective and efficient way or means to communicate. Availability of GSM networks around the world has helped the situation as you can easily buy handset, a Sim pack and some money to make calls.
Operator’s Attitude to Communication
However, the irony of it is that telecommunications operators in Nigeria who are in the business of communications seem to have lost sight of the importance of communicating with their subscribers to achieve mutual and beneficial relationship especially in bad times when subscribers find it difficult to make calls due to poor quality of service.
Some two years ago when NCC ban on promotions by GSM networks in the country and subsequent directive to them to compensate their subscribers with N175, is a good reference point. The situation got so bad that there was dissatisfaction by subscribers across the three major GSM networks in the country then. The operators made matter worse by coming out with promotions they don’t have capacity to carry. The subscribers were the worst affected. Frequent call drops forced them to call more than once because they cannot finish their conversation. The development brought untold hardship to many individuals who are not able to get their calls through during emergencies. But the operators failed to carry their customers along. Despite all the fuss about the poor quality of service that pervades the industry, the operators felt unconcerned and refused to apologize to make some convincing statements as to how and why the situation degenerated to that extent.
According to an industry analyst, effective communication from the operators to their customers would have made all the difference and pacified the aggrieved subscribers. “A call from a customer service centre appealing to subscriber on the difficulty in making and receiving calls would have gone a long way in suggesting that the operators have the interest of their customers at heart, “one analyst said.
Another analyst marveled at why telecom operators who are in the business of communication could now turn out to be the worst communicators. He is of the view that the relationship between the operators and subscribers would have been more cordial if the networks had sent alert signals ahead of any impending service disruption. This, he said would have prepared the subscribers adequately enough on what to expect.
Although, GSM operators had argued that the drop in service quality was caused by the activities of thieves who frequently vandalize their installations, many of the subscribers took the explanation as an afterthought. They reasoned that the situation supposed to have been communicated before the situation became so bad. It is also expected of the operators to communicate effectively before any major network upgrade activity takes place especially when it would prevent subscribers from getting their calls through.
In spite of the outcry by subscribers and NCC on the need for operators to avail themselves of franchise business model to extend their customer care services closer to subscribers, operator seem not moved as most operators still don’t have customer care centre in some cities where they are delivery service.
Even in cities where they have, it is poorly staffed which often times result in large crowd.
Earnest Ndukwe, immediate past executive vice chairman, NCC, while reacting to poor customer care by all the telecom operators identified poor quality of service as the major reason why customer care centres are crowded. He added that the commission will soon come out with directive on the operation of customer care centre by operators.
Customers are Integral to Business Success
Without the customer it is impossible for any business to sustain itself. Achieving the desired results is frequently a result of customer actions. Any business without a focus on customers’ satisfaction is at the mercy of the market. Without loyal customers, eventually a competition will satisfy those desires and customer retention rate for the organization will decrease.
According to some of the aggrieved subscribers, although any of the operators may think that with over 15million subscribers in its kitty, the situation cannot be so bad that a large number of them would quit the network. Such operator should be reminded that the belief that “Nigerians don’t have any other options as all the network are the same” would one day change and there would be a massive protest that would shake such operators to their foundation.
Available research shows that there are several levels of customer, dissatisfied customer would look for someone else to provide product or service; satisfied customers opens next better opportunity; loyal customer returns despite offers by the competition. Dissatisfied customers are an interesting group. For everyone that complains there are at least 25 customers by word of mouth will tell eight to 16 others about their dissatisfaction.