Hiiraan Online

by Liban Obsiye
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

“What’s the matter,” I inquired with one leg in the restaurant.

“Nothing. It is nothing really but...” he replied.

“Go on,” I urged impatiently.

“Well look at the outside of the shop. It is dirty and poorly kept. There is tape over the glass and the rubbish bin is half open just outside. Look, even the pavement is filthy,” my companion spilled as if suddenly finding his tongue. Having observed what he had described with my own eyes I could not disagree with him and so instead of the bariis, maraag and hilib I had in mind, we settled for a Turkish restaurant where we ate bland kebabs and some other things that could not possibly have compared to the meal I had in mind. The total loss for the Somali restaurant that day was about £27 and whilst it may not seem a huge amount for two people, imagine multiplying this number by many more customers like my friend who would rather eat a bland meal at a clean restaurant than a good one at a dirty restaurant.

Somali businesses in the UK like most responsible businesses abide by health and safety laws but in order to succeed in a time of great financial recession, low consumer confidence and mass competition, they need to do everything they can to bolster their advantage. Indeed this is a consumers market as those with even the most minimal of spending powers, are hunting for the best possible bargains on the high street and whilst businesses in the boom time were able to select their customers according to their ability to pay for their services, any paying customer is now generally welcome. However, just because they are welcome does not mean they will come and it is the duty of the business owners to bring them in if they want to survive this recession.

Somali businesses generally have excellent customer service but in order for the customer to experience this, a clean welcoming environment is needed where customers can feel relaxed and valued. This is the case whether the business in question is a restaurant, office or even a toilet as customers like to associate themselves with where they spend their money. If on the day I wanted to treat my friend the outside of the restaurant was swept, bin firmly closed and not overfilled to the point where bags were hanging out of the edges and the window had not had brown tape on it, then maybe the owner would not have lost our custom. While this recession is generally grim, it does provide opportunities for innovative business leader to exploit it to their advantage and expand their customer base for the foreseeable future. Less money to spend lowers the price of goods and services as businesses fight for new customers and this in turn means more choice for the consumer. Somali businesses have not woken up to this as had they done so they would have made more of an effort to advertise their services more widely among different client groups, not just Somalis and in anticipation of their efforts paying off, they would have perfected the physical environment of their businesses.

My friend’s rejection of the Somali restaurant that I wanted to treat him in was almost a personal shame for me for I love my traditional food. His rejection can easily be interpreted as insult but should not be taken as this because it lead me to inquire further about the restaurant from other Somali customers.

One man who was a regular and wanted to remain anonymous told me that the window had been like that for nearly a year and that the toilet of the restaurant was also not very clean. Asked, why he did not tell the owner all these things so that they could improve on it, he simply said that he was too shy to but that the food was excellent. “By far, the best Somali restaurant in the area,” he suggested.

Armed with the above, I went to see the owner of the restaurant in the evening just before closing time and luckily for me both the owners were there. They kindly fed me and I put to them as politely as possible my friend’s feelings about their business. Both were initially shocked revealing to me that they were new to the area and they only owned the business for a year having bought it from the previous owner. They told me that when they took over the place was facing closure and they revived it from that low point to what it is today.

“We serve over 50 meals a day, excluding breakfast and we never had a complaint so far,” one owner said.

“We had to employ new chefs, get some new furniture, change the menu slightly and to be honest we did not think of the outside of the shop,” added the other. “We certainly cannot afford to lose custom in these times.” With this in mind I suggested that they worked on the physical environment of their premises, both inside and outside and with their agreement and thanks, I left.

A month later and another trip to London, I invited the same friend again for lunch to a Somali feast of meat, rice and pasta. He agreed and upon meeting in central London we took the train to the Somali restaurant which he had refused in our previous meeting but this time there was no reason for any refusal. The brown tape had been removed from the window, outside pavement cleanly swept and the industrial bin firmly shut. I looked at the shop with pride and we ate a wonderful meal there. My friend enjoyed the meal so much he asked if he could take some home for his father, wife and young son. Upon devouring our meal, soap and tissue were provided for our comfort and the customer service was nothing short of award winning. Upon leaving I shook the hands of one of the owners as if to simply say, “well done.”

Despite the above, many Somali businesses, not just restaurants, still lose many customers from different backgrounds because of the untidy state of their premises and its immediate surroundings. If one speaks to them they would suggest that the customers should not judge a book by it’s cover but this is exactly what customers do and the quicker they realise this the more profitable their businesses will be.