It seems that Kenyan companies are paying attention to the sentiments of Kenyans online. Safaricom has twice changed product terms and conditions after an outcry on Twitter that had them trending for hours.
Nakumatt is the latest company to find itself on the wrong side of the tracks with Kenyans online. It all started with a Tweet from Brand Strategist and Corporate Event Host Marcus Olang who noted that the shelf price of an item he was buying differed with that at the till.
This has happened a number of times in the past, and now I don’t buy that Nakumatt stores do this “accidentally”. pic.twitter.com/n84CybNlQJ
— Marcus Olang’ (@marcusolang) May 15, 2015
His update literally brought other Nakumatt customers, who had had the same experience, out of the woodwork which then culminated in the #NakumattOnTrial hashtag that was trending for most of the day.
Social Media is fast becoming a powerful tool for citizens in Kenya to fight for their rights and we are bound to see more companies and the government being called out.
In this particular case, Nakumatt had no choice but to respond and below is what Nakumatt MD Atul Shah had to say on the matter.
We’ve noted the concern generated on social media platforms, relating to alleged price discrepancies on our shelves and tills. We’re therefore inclined to clarify and reassure you that;
1. The alleged price discrepancies are undergoing internal review to ascertain the circumstances that could have led to the slow updating of shelf price stickers. Our preliminary investigations and internal audit confirm that the discrepancies are isolated and inadvertent. Immediate corrective measures have also been instituted to ensure and guarantee our system integrity particularly on this pricing concerns.
2. We continue to maintain a One-Price Policy, across all our Kenya branches. All price changes, are centrally managed from our Nairobi headquarters and any discrepancies on the shelf can only be attributed to slow sticker changes at the branch level. All price changes, are dictated by corresponding price change advisories, dictated by respective suppliers.
3. We are taking the necessary action to ensure that all stickers are updated as soon as any price changes are announced. We shall also be introducing digital price checker kiosks on all aisles, to assist our customers confirm product pricing by simply scanning the product barcodes.
4. The Management is sincerely concerned at the number of complaints shared on social media. We would wish to remedy the concerns raised by requesting any aggrieved shopper to lodge their complaint via the email address action@nakumatt.net for us to commence immediate investigations. Please, indicate the respective branch where you may have shopped with a brief description of your complaint.
At all times, our shoppers are encouraged to lodge their complaints with the Duty Manager at our respective branches to enable us maintain high standards of service. Your feedback, by all means remains invaluable as we strive to guarantee you a superior shopping experience.
We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.Yours sincerely,
Atul Shah,
Managing Director