Preparedness as a notion
When I embarked on a
business trip to the UK from Nigeria in the second half of November 1990, I
knew it would be chilly, but had no inkling as to how cold it would be. I
bought myself a jacket that would have been too warm for Lagos, yet it was
inadequate for the weather in London. I was soon shopping for warmer clothes.
Being prepared for
the weather, environment, and situation of where you are visiting is paramount
to hopefully enjoying your sojourn, failing that, certain standards should be
met to make your stay comfortable. For instance, my mother was on a pilgrimage
to the Jordan part of the holy lands in August. To an extent, the type of
clothes and shoes they should have were part of the travel information that
ensured a lady in her late 70s did not suffer the ravages of the change of the
weather.
Standards must be exceeded
When I visited India
in December 2011, there were things to expect of India and there were things I
expected of my hosts. It was hot and humid on the one side, but they somehow had
forgotten that they had brought over people from Europe expecting us all to
just muck in like backpackers to India. That was not going to wash with me. A
few conversations with the people who matter appeared to force up the standards
of accommodation, consideration, food, and facilities. Everyone benefitted from
my interventions.
On a contract in
France in September 2012, we are lodged in a hotel unsuitable for the calibre of
people we were, it was in a noisy and somewhat dangerous neighbourhood. My case
was simple, putting aside the standard of the hotel that was below par, we
already had a stressful job to do, the last thing anyone needed was people
unable to do their work proficiently because of bad nights at their hotel. We
were rehoused to a more agreeable location the next night.
One will not be
ignored
In May 2015, I was in
South Africa for business where my hosts did not consider it necessary to
receive me and introduce me to the people and activities I came to fulfil. On
the first and second day of my arrival, the main contact went about her own business
as if I was of no consequence and that was her prerogative. Anyway, I wrote up
the chain that I had not travelled 6,000 miles to be treated like that and I
would be on the next flight back to the UK.
That was an epiphany to
them for immediately, everyone assumed the roles they were supposed to and the
rest of my trip turned out right. All this is predicated not necessarily on complaining,
but if you have an opinion or a question, it would not be conveyed by silence,
it needs to be expressed with the aim of achieving something. At least, that is
the way I view things.
The privilege of
knowing you
I guess there are
expectations and mine could be a bit high by reason of what I am accustomed to,
and I make no apology for that. If a service or facility has been acquired and
its delivery raises questions, then the questions should be asked, politely,
directly and properly, making some allowances whilst seeking satisfactory
answers in word and deed. It is not too much to ask for, in my humble opinion.
Maybe it is a case of
an unacknowledged sense of privilege that by default sets the standards I
expect, sets the tone of the conversation I am having, sets the level of the
requirements I expect to be met and sets the quality of response that my
interlocutors should rise to. I cannot tell, but when I make a statement about
service, conduct, provision, situation or circumstance, I expect the standard
to be raised and sometimes it would rise beyond the competence of the people it
is required from, if they are not so accustomed to meeting demands.
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