By Jerry Nyazungu
Once upon a time in Zimbabwe, there were companies that were hungry, fierce, and focused. When they were small, they had no office chairs, no canteens, and sometimes no reliable transport but what they had was fire.
They would answer your call before it rang twice, deliver your order before you finished placing it, and follow up with a “Thank you for choosing us” message that made you feel like royalty. The receptionist sounded like she just got off a TED Talk, and the directors actually showed up at work with energy, strategy, and hustle.
Fast forward to today…
Now that they’ve “made it,” they’ve also lost it.
The Rise of Complacency Ltd.
Welcome to Complacency Ltd. where:
- Receptionists now act like you’re bothering them when you call.
- The sales team no longer sells they “wait for leads.”
- The boss is always “out of the country.”
- Three-quarters of staff don’t show up on Monday (and blame it on “flu”).
- The service is slow, the food in the canteen is being abused, and the company vehicle is used for school runs.
They act like customers should be grateful to be served as if they’re doing you a favor.
But What Happened?
These companies forgot what made them great.
They forgot that sales is not just a department it’s the heart of every business.
They forgot that customer service is not a slogan it’s a discipline.
They forgot to keep the startup mindset alive.
When they were small and broke, they were ten times more disciplined, more hungry, more innovative. Now that they’re “big,” they’ve developed corporate high blood pressure swollen egos, slow decision-making, and zero urgency.
The Complacency Disease
The truth is, most companies don’t die because of competition they die because of internal comfort.
They stop training.
They stop following up.
They stop being accountable.
They stop showing up with passion.
They start believing the lie that “we’re too big to fail.”
But ask Nokia.
Ask Kodak.
Ask Blackberry.
These were global giants that got buried by small Davids who never stopped sharpening their slingshots.
To Every Employee in a Big Company:
Don’t be fooled by the glass building and the expensive logo.
That brand can die if you stop doing the basics.
Every time you treat a customer badly, skip a follow-up, or come late like it’s normal, you are slowly helping to dig your company’s grave.
The brand is not kept alive by the name it’s kept alive by how people experience it daily.
Bring Back the Basics
- Return to the urgency you had when you were unknown.
- Bring back the passion you had when you were fighting for every dollar.
- Bring back the customer obsession that once made your competitors afraid.
- Train your team like you’re broke.
- Sell like your company depends on every deal because it does.
To every “Homeboy Corporation” that now thinks you’re untouchable don’t forget how you became Goliath. Because somewhere out there is a David agile, hungry, sharp, and practicing with stones.
And if you’re not careful, you’ll be defeated in full corporate suit and tie, wondering what happened.
Stay hungry. Stay sharp. Stay humble.
#WhyBusinessesDieYoung
#BackToTheBasics
#CustomerServiceIsNotDead
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#M&JAfrica
#TooBigToFailIsALie
#BrandIsExperience
#DavidVsGoliath
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