Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba

We’ve all walked into businesses that run like machines—but where’s the heart? Service without warmth leaves customers feeling ghosted, not served. In Zimbabwe today, where brands are chasing efficiency, tech integration, and survival amid economic pressure, we must pause and ask: What culture drives our customer experience?

From kumusika to corporate offices, the business culture behind the counter is the quiet force shaping how customers feel—and how businesses thrive or falter.

Culture Isn’t What You Say—It’s How You Serve
Culture is mutupo we bhizimisi—its character. It’s the way staff greet you, how complaints are handled, how accountability is lived. It’s in the tone of a receptionist, the eye contact of a teller, the patience of a cashier with a confused customer.

It’s easy to post slogans like “We value our customers” or “Your satisfaction is our priority.” But if your team is burnt out, untrained, or only polite when the manager’s watching, those words mean little.
A customer doesn’t just experience your product. They experience your people. And that experience speaks louder than your billboard.

Silence Isn’t Satisfaction
Remember: absence of complaints isn’t proof of satisfaction. It might mean the customer doesn’t believe you’ll listen. Or worse, that they’ve given up on you.

In my recent piece Ghosted by the Customer, I explored how silence can become a powerful form of protest. Vatengi aren’t always confrontational—they simply switch providers, stop showing up, or disengage emotionally.

That’s why your real feedback is not in surveys—it’s in foot traffic, brand conversations in kombis, and repeat business from people who felt seen.

Ko chii chinoita kuti mutengi asataure, asi abve hake nehasha dzake dzose? That’s the question we need to ask.

Leadership Sets the Temperature
Business culture begins at the top. The tone of leadership—whether empathetic or authoritarian—trickles down to every interaction.

A manager who listens without defensiveness builds a team that listens to customers. A director who owns mistakes empowers staff to do the same. Without that, staff serve with fear, not pride.

Culture can’t be outsourced. You can automate systems, but you can’t automate humanity.

Build a Culture of Recovery
Mistakes happen. But the magic lies in how you recover.

Does your staff know how to apologize meaningfully? Do they feel safe owning errors without punishment? Are complaints treated as nuisance or as goldmines for improvement?

When a customer feels mishandled, and you make it right—that’s where loyalty begins.

Apo mutengi akatadza kufambiswa zvakanaka, asi zvakagadziriswa zvine hunhu—ndipo paanosarudza kudzoka.

Empower Your Frontline
Your frontline workers aren’t just there to ring up sales or answer phones—they’re cultural ambassadors. They set the emotional temperature of your brand.

Empower them with:
– Soft skills training rooted in local realities
– Authority to solve problems without ten layers of approval
– Language tools that respect diversity of your customer base

And please—value them. If your team is demoralized, it shows.

Feedback Is a Gift
The best businesses create channels for honest feedback—and act on it. At Tisu Vatengi, we advocate for listening loops where customer voices aren’t just heard, but respected and woven into policy.

Whether it’s a WhatsApp line, suggestion box, or community dialogue session, make space for truth. And don’t fear complaints—they’re a roadmap to better service.

Culture Is Everyone’s Job
Business culture is not just for HR, management, or marketing. It’s in the way cleaners greet guests, how drivers handle delays, and how teams respond under pressure.

Let’s stop saying “It’s not my department.” Let’s start saying “It’s our culture.”
Because service isn’t what you offer—it’s who you are.

Final Word: Put Heart Back Into Service
Zimbabwean customers deserve better—and so do staff. We need a culture where service isn’t just sharp, but sincere. Where policies don’t just protect profits, but uplift people.

So next time you do a business culture check-in, ask this: “Where’s the heart in our service?”

If it’s missing, you’ve got work to do. But with intention, empathy, and kuzvininipisa, that heart can beat again.

*Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a Marketing, Sales & Customer Service Consultant | For Suggestions and Training you can contact her on: [email protected]; +263 712 979 461 / 0719 978 335 / 0772 978 335