Listen to your customers..... @thebeat999fm my traffic companion!

Today there is no story from the past. I am barely managing to type this.

2013…… 18 June 2013

One of the points I always make about gifts was confirmed to me yet again today. When giving a gift or recommending a gift, it is not about you or what you think, it’s about the recipient, you have to put yourself in the shoes of the recipient, ask questions, get to know their likes and dislikes and then make informed choices. I had a birthday cake to deliver for a 9 year old. When I asked what cartoon character he likes, I was told to get muscle man or rigby, muscle man being the preference. For those of you that do not know muscle man, search on google and tell me what you think! Better still I have put the picture here for you to see. Ugleee huh? No offence to the artist please o, muscle man's picture fits his profile, if you watch the cartoon.Just saying, he won't be my first choice on a cake. My cake baker too wasn't too excited about the choice either; she said to me why didn't you suggest the common characters others use, I am not sure muscle man will come out really nice on a cake. Well, that was what the child wanted and that was it, no negotiation. Even when I picked up the cake, she still wasn't too sure about it. However, any doubt that I had in my mind was cast away by the time I delivered the cake, his mum and aunt were more than excited, dancing and singing the muscle man theme song. Bliss! What a good way to start the morning.

My day was off to a good start until the menace of Lagos traffic showed its ugly face! Demonic tin! It has the ability to cut your productivity in half. I spent almost all the remaining half of my day in traffic, clenching my fists, singing along to all the songs on beat FM and laughing at Douglas and Gbemi's handover jokes, it is no wonder that I know practically every song on air. It’s one of the few ways I manage to stay sane. What would I do without my radio.

 I had a few things to pick up in preparation for an anniversary surprise delivery tomorrow. As if traffic wasn't frustrating enough, I get to the store where I was expecting to inflate my foil balloons with helium and guess what? Little Missy at the store goes “ we only inflate balloons purchased at our store”!  Are you kidding me! After enduring almost two hours of traffic to get here? I tried to reason a way out with her, look I am not inflating this things for free, I am willing to pay, but no, once the oga at the top issues an order, there’s no brain work needed, no work around, no offer of help, no let me call my boss and see what we can do, nothing! Just take your money and go. Naija customer service sucks! Anyway, I then ask if they have a foil balloon with the inscription “I love you”, no! Okay, how about “happy anniversary” no! What balloons then do you have! Mother's day, Ben 10 and one flowery looking "just for you" one, heck no! Aaaargh. How so frustrating considering I had to deliver early tomorrow and this was almost 6pm. I composed myself and left the store, I would have to find another way. In the meantime I needed to survive the traffic home with one important piece of my job left undone.

The icing on the cake is now the Internet expiring at the very wrong time. Mscheew! I am going to sleep joo. You'll read this post tomorrow.

LISTEN to your customers.