Physically challenged persons cannot have fun?
I am Ahimaa (pronounced a:hi:maa).
I am physically challenged;
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I sometimes walk with the assistance of a prop due to a childhood polio infection.
I am a 45-year-old female network engineer in the Telecom industry, with my office within the business district of Accra.
Despite my physical challenge, I love dancing to great music in my chair in public, but on my feet at home.
Friends had recommended this great outdoor entertainment venue that features live bands on Friday and Saturday nights and public holidays.
According to them, patrons were easy on the eye and service was excellent, yet relatively easy on the pocket.
We planned a girls’ night out one Friday night and the venue was this much touted great outdoor entertainment place.
To my chagrin on my arrival, I realised access to the sitting area, which is raised above the actual entrance, was wooden planks in the form of stairs ……no consideration for the physically challenged; utter disregard for one important basic need of the physically challenged…mobility!!!!
Thoughts running through my mind were:
How am I to traverse to the sitting area?
Which of my girls can I call to come down to assist me? (Knowing I was the punctual one in the group, I was so sure none had arrived).
Do I seek assistance from the bouncers standing a few meters from me, oblivious of my predicament?
While debating on what to do by pretending to be searching for a contact on my phone to make a call, two of my girls arrived and graciously helped me across the monstrosity of a wooden stair.
Adding to my discomfort, I had to endure the sympathetic stares of other patrons as I was helped up…. the very thing independent physically challenged individuals abhor... Sympathy!
During the whole period, I had to ensure that at least one of the girls stayed sober to assist me in descending the stairs on our way out, thus I watched her alcohol intake with eagle eyes.
Though I had mad fun, I will only go back once they become disabled-friendly.
If you happen to know these lovely folks, kindly inform them that the physically challenged love having fun too.
Mind you, we are just abled differently!!!
Reflections
Customer Experience Management (CXM) is a Business Transformation Tool.
Repeat business is necessary for a healthy bottom line, consequently, a great experience aligned with brand promise is essential.
As I intimated, until the challenge is fixed, the establishment has lost a potential business and likely negative reviews.
What is the fix?
• Defining your customer persona facilitates the isolation of attributes and needs within your selected Segment.
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This enables the curation of branded experiences aligned with customer needs.
• Customer journey mapping brings to bear the impact of your processes on your customers’ ability to consume your service/product.
Effectively managing this enables you to minimise or eliminate customer pain points.
• Applying an outside-in perspective of your offering serves as a differentiator and an effective means of meeting your customers’ needs.
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Due to customers changing needs and new clientele, these improvement tools must be revised periodically through periodic Customer Insights Programmes.
The writer is a Customer Experience Management Practitioner/Lead Consultant at CX Hatchery and Associates Limited
E-mail: info@cxhatchery.com
