A Letter to Our Beloved Service Providers

I recently came across a heartfelt letter from one of your customers. It wasn’t addressed to me, but you know how these things find their way to us. It was filled with hopes, frustrations, and a little sprinkle of holiday magic. As I read through it, I couldn’t help but think, “Service providers, this one’s for you!”

Let’s see.

Here’s a list of ways you could make our Christmas truly special—feel free to pick the one you’re most comfortable doing.

Issue-less cash transfers
Dear banks, microfinances, SACCOs, and anyone else we entrust with our money—this is a bad time for system maintenance and downtimes. It is also not the time for system upgrades and those other things you ought to have already done—or should have done by the end of November. I get it—there are times the systems act up, and what do we do? I get it completely. But please, we need flawless cash transfers and instant transaction alerts as we shop, withdraw, or engage your services at any point. It’s the season to be jolly. Please, we don’t want to be stranded at any point and curse you.
Giveaways
Yeees! We have been loyal customers the whole year—we have stuck with you through the ups and downs of economic uncertainties, fluctuating prices, and honestly, we would really appreciate giveaways. We all love gifts and a small pat on the back to remind us that you would do nothing without us, right? Yes. We would have easily switched loyalty to other outlets, or do you think it is always convenient shopping with you?
Reduced call toll charges
Telcos! I don’t know how you do it, but it would be very nice if you could revise your charges for us. You know that it is now that we make most calls—not lengthy ones; long calls are for Valentine’s Day—but we call a lot. We want to know if our uncle, who seldom comes home, is coming this time. We also want to convince our cousin from abroad to visit us—we are amused by his accent and mannerisms. We also want to explain to our moms that we will be going home alone again and that the ‘rafiki’ they are constantly asking about won’t be joining us—they are also needed at their homes.

So, dear service providers, how about being our Santa this season? Surprise us by meeting our wishes and making our holidays even brighter!