A day before my PhD convocation, I found myself at the Iwo Road residence of my friend and former colleague at Fountain University, Dr. Kamoru Salaudeen, in Ibadan. It was around 7 PM, just after our Maghrib prayer, when my friend suggested a stroll before dinner. We hopped onto a Keke Marwa, a popular three-wheeler in Ibadan, and made our way to the former Chicken Grotto building near the Arisekola Mosque and Iwo Road Police Station. This unexpected journey led me to my first encounter with a brand selling Yoghurt and Fura—Fura Da Nunu, a Fulani delicacy often hawked by Fulani women.
Having spent over 7 years in Sabo, Osogbo, Fura wasn’t unfamiliar to me. However, the combination of Yoghurt and Fura in the ambiance of this shop, specifically Habib Yoghurt, was a novel experience. Kamoru ordered a pack, asking for a mix of fura, coconut, and milk—an experience that surpassed my expectations. The ambiance, branding, cleanliness, and courteous staff elevated my buyer’s experience to new heights. It was an unexpected delight to savor such a locally produced, nutritious, and healthy drink in such an inviting setting.
Intrigued, I began inquiring about similar shops in Osogbo. Despite asking the attendants, they couldn’t pinpoint a replica of the shop nearby. However, my friend assured me of its existence, mentioning Habib Yoghurt’s distribution across the Southwest and other parts of the country. Unsatisfied, I scoured the internet, expecting to find an online presence for the main offices or shops—yet, my search yielded no clear results.
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Upon returning to Osogbo, my determination persisted. I reached out to another colleague who directed me to a place where Habib Yoghurt was commonly sold. Almost a month after my Ibadan experience, I finally located a Habib Yoghurt shop in Osogbo. Unfortunately, the experience was far from satisfactory. The shop lacked the branded allure I encountered in Ibadan, and the customer service was subpar. The product, despite bearing the Habib Yoghurt label, failed to live up to the standards set in Ibadan. The finesse in mixing the concoction was noticeably absent, leaving me disappointed. I shared my disappointment with my wife, emphasizing the rudeness of the shop attendant, who insisted on an extra fee of N20 for a payment transfer, disregarding my attempts to reason with her.
As a marketing communication professional, I pondered over the discrepancies in customer experience just an hour and a half’s drive away from Ibadan. It occurred to me that this variation could be due to a franchise arrangement employed by the company. A franchise, as described by Entrepreneur.com, is a continuing relationship where a franchisor provides a licensed privilege to franchisees for conducting business, offering assistance in organizing, training, merchandizing, marketing, and management in return for a monetary consideration. Franchising is a prevalent practice in various sectors, including food and drinks, oil and gas, business services, as well as health and fitness. Could my experience with Habib Yoghurt exemplify a franchise system lacking full support from the parent company?
In conclusion, the significant divergence in customer experience between the Ibadan and Osogbo branches of Habib Yoghurt hints at potential challenges in maintaining consistent quality and service standards under a franchise system. Addressing these disparities could involve reevaluating the support and oversight provided to franchisees, ensuring uniformity in branding, product quality, and customer service across all locations. This strategic alignment would ultimately contribute to creating a seamless and equitable customer experience across the company’s shops in Nigeria.
