Local businesses need to provide good service
This week, we shall look at how some employers in the private sector may contribute to unemployment in Botswana. Although they may provide jobs for others, they themselves can so easily find themselves out of a job, together with their workers! There are many reasons why such an unfortunate state of affairs may happen.
Some Batswana are parttime employers. For example, some may work in offices in Gaborone during the week and then visit their cattle post at weekends. But during the week, their herdboys may often be absent from duty – maybe they do not always take the animals out to graze during the day or do not feed them with the supplements that their boss has given them. And, of course, stock theft may be rampant. So, when the boss arrives at the cattle post on Saturday morning, he will find that the animals are in poor condition or starving, and some may be missing. And once he identifies the culprits they may then be fired. Or if stock theft becomes too serious a problem, he may then sell his remaining animals and bid his remaining herdboys farewell. And if he has lands, or masimo, then he may very well find that weeding has not been done in his absence thus reducing the yield of his crops there. The saying: ‘ The best fertiliser that a farmer can give his crops are his daily footprints’ certainly rings true and can apply to any business, not just farming! Business owners need to be seen all the time and not to come late in the morning, knock off early or take the day off for trivial reasons. If they do this, then they will set a good example for their workers to follow and hence foster discipline in the workplace.
And some employers may not give good value for money to their customers. After all, the customer needs to see something worthwhile in return for spending his hard earned cash!
There is certainly truth in the saying: ‘ The customer is always right.’ This means that it is very important not to disagree with customers or make them angry. And also, ‘ The customer is king!’
A few years ago, I stayed at Nata Lodge which, at that time, was foreign- owned. One day, I wanted to take a shower but the geyser was not working and so hot water was not available. Now that was not good news to me since it was winter time! I then told the manager about the problem but he told me that he could not arrange for it to be fixed on that day. However, he offered me a sizeable discount on my accommodation bill in order to compensate me for the inconvenience. And I had no problem with that and up to this day I have stayed at that lodge every time I visit Nata. So, the message is clear – local businesses have to provide good service.
Poor service also led to the demise of another small lodge in Nata several years ago. I used to stay there but if you ordered breakfast it would take an hour or more for it to arrive on your table!
Many small businesses allow their customers to pay on credit. For example, a person may buy insurance, or an item of clothing, and say that they will pay at month end after they have been paid. But payday comes and goes and still they have not paid for that item. When the seller asks why this is so, the buyer will simply say that he has no money. But on the same day he is quite happy to buy some beers at the local bar for his friends and anyone else who wants a free drink! But the seller needs that money to pay for his everyday expenses – food, clothing, taxi fares… And some people may end up not paying at all which will result in a loss of income for the seller who may then close down his business and dismiss his workers. And he himself now becomes unemployed. Since small businesses may not have much in the way of financial resources, then such businesses should not allow payment on credit. Rather, they should insist on buyers first paying a non- refundable deposit before they receive their goods. No deposit, no sale! Buyers will then think twice about not paying up.
Some employers do not treat their workers fairly. In recent times, the Opposition and others have demanded that workers should receive a monthly wage of at least P3 000. But I know of some bar ladies who earn a little more than P1 000 a month. Now what can you do with that? And two years ago, I met a lady who worked as a receptionist in a small lodge in Francistown. She told me that she was overworked and underpaid and worked 12- hour shifts and received no more than P1 500 a month! And a receptionist is an important person in any business – they are usually the first person that people see on entering the premises. Both bar ladies and receptionists may work out of normal working hours and so should be given overtime pay. Now, assuming that this lodge receptionist works six days a week, that means that she works 72 hours a week and should be entitled to several hours of overtime pay. But not so; the concept of overtime seems alien to many employers! They are, indeed, a mean old scrooge. So, for these reasons, such employers may experience a high turnover in their staff.
Unfair dismissals are also the order of the day in some businesses. A few months ago, I met up with a lady who said that she was recently hired by a tyre company in Gaborone. After working there for six weeks, she was told one day that the company wanted to dismiss her but no reason was given. And the bosses told her not to bother about going to the Labour Office to register a complaint! She also told me that other workers have also been unfairly dismissed by the same company. So, it seems that the company was implementing a ‘ hire and fire’ policy!
Three years ago, some Choppies workers in Gaborone staged a sit- in and complained that many of them were getting little more than P1 000 a month ( it was shown on Btv). And one or two even said that Choppies was only giving them a miserly P600! So, it would seem that many companies are a law unto themselves and treat their employees with contempt. No wonder, then, that crowds of disgruntled workers may be seen every day outside Labour Offices! And poor conditions of employment may help to explain why many people would rather stay at home without a job than go to work and be exploited!
In contrast, the terms of employment for workers in the public sector are fairer and more strictly enforced. For example, the employee will know for sure his monthly salary and the date on which he is paid each month. And if he works beyond normal hours then he can expect overtime pay at a certain rate; for example, if he works weekends then he will get paid double time. And if he is dismissed, then the employer has to follow the procedures laid down in the employee’s conditions of employment. Last, but not least, there is more job security when working for government. No wonder that I so often meet people who have worked for government for several years or decades! So, maybe it’s time that many private companies take a leaf out of government’s book and treat their employees more fairly and with the respect that they deserve!