The playbook is coming out and Elon Musk is the driver: “SpaceX Starlink is about to change commercial airlines’ internet connectivity nexus for the better. The satellite internet company’s founder and CEO, Elon Musk, said in a recent post on Twitter, that talks are now ongoing with commercial airlines about the possibility of utilizing Starlink for in-flight internet connectivity.” That is a big deal as he can make it possible for everyone to browse easily while on air.
As that happens, I want to commend the CEO of MTN Nigeria, Karl, for an extraordinary demonstration of leadership on that video he posted on YouTube, apologizing for service failures, and then using the moment to thank his real investors (the customers): “Every customer on the MTN network has received a refund of the data and airtime they used between 12 noon and 7:00 pm yesterday.”
“Last Saturday we had an outage that left our customers without connection for several hours. On behalf of the entire MTN team, I want to start with a heartfelt apology. We are truly sorry for the disruption this caused for so many in our MTN family.
“We know that millions of people rely on us to stay connected to their loved ones, to manage their businesses, to coordinate their lives. We take that responsibility and privilege, very seriously. That is why we are putting new measures in place to make sure we never experience anything like last Saturday again…..
“While we work to strengthen our network to prevent any further disruption of this kind, we wanted to find a way to say sorry to you. Something more than extending the validity of all time-bound plans by 24-hours which we did as soon as service was restored.
“So, while we cannot give you back the time you lost on Saturday, we can give you back what you spent yesterday. Every customer on the MTN network has received a refund of the data and airtime they used between 12 noon and 7:00 pm yesterday. We hope that this should show how much we value you, our customer. You are truly our most important focus.
“We all have challenges — each and every one of us; personally or professionally. What matters is how we respond. With you by our side, we will continue to improve and grow,” he said
”
I like it dearly when leaders show absolute respect to customers. Watch that video and learn from it. And you know what? He has connected, and in the process has made many fans out of those customers. Blessed is that company whose customers are fans! Indeed, MTN #moves.
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Yes, we are talking to airlines about installing Starlink. Please let them know if you want it on your airliner.
Low latency ~half gigabit connectivity in the air!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2021
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On the surface, it 8s a great move by MTN Nigeria. But at a deeper level, it confirms that the telecoms company still has a lot on her plates as far as service quality is concerned. The promise of data and airtime refund was not kept. I checked my account balance and couldn’t see in specific terms what was given back to me as refund. The company has passed a message, subscribers have received but yet to confirm the the veracity of the promise.
How come many people told me the post was a hoax?