Damage Control

So my first meal of cold cocoa and 4 slices of bread came by 7:30pm. 

Wifey had been on my case all day to eat something but I had a Holy Rev Father stuck in Dubai since 4am on Thursday 10 Nov and getting him out was all I cared about.

Before leaving for her office by 9:30am, she said I had done excellently well this year, this one issue cannot undo my achievements. I looked at her and all I could see from the deep dark corner of my subconscious was Donald Trump saying "I win always, I don't know how to fail. Am in this game to win".

Why did that resonate with me?

I had called my Dubai Agent, who called her PRO, who ran to the Dubai Immigration office. Time was 6am Nigerian time and by my calculations it was 9am in Dubai.

This had never happened to me since I started my entrepreneurial life. I had learnt everything learnable in my 8yrs in GTBanks Travel Desk.

That was it- GTBank "DAMAGE CONTROL".

Tunde Fawehinmi had thought me well. I had to manage my client so well so as to diffuse whatever anger was welling up in him. Make his present discomfort, somewhat bearable. 

" A Holy Reverend Father, denied entry in Dubai?" TUFIAKWA...!!!

Feedback came in by 7am. There were security issues and the Dubai Immigration were not clearing Nigerian males to enter into Dubai.

I asked myself one question! Could I have known this? If there was an issue, why was my Holy Father cleared from Lagos by airport visa screeners and the Emirates personnel?

10am Nigerian time and my Holy Father was not reachable! CHINEKE MEeeeeee! I did the maths, "no airtime, no roaming" so quickly, I recharged him with Internet Banking (damage control protocol had been deployed). It worked, he was happier. A little upset, but happier and grateful. I explained all to him and for some reason I can't understand, he smiled and said, Mr David, I understand this is not in your control, relax, let's watch how this plays out?

On and on we went till it was 4pm. Then, I blew up! My Agent got the brunt of it. Had the Visa Agency MD called my client? Had the PRO called him? Alas, I now found out that all Dubai Travel Agencies had to have a Sponsor in the Immigration.

There it was. The trigger was pulled & B-O-O-M!!!

If the Immigration sponsor could not resolve it or have the decency to call my client, then I had no business with them because (1) they lacked influence and (2) they had zero empathy and as such had no need being in the business world.

I made this clear my Agent and all she could say was "ha! These Emeraties are pompous, they won't call".

The line cut. I suspected the network felt a nuclear bomb go off from my side of the line cos all I remember was bright lights, a numbing sound, a sore throat and my staff taking cover. 10 deep breaths and my nerves were calmer.

I did not understand how pride could to take the better of a business. If the sponsor was stuck in Nigeria airport, am sure the airport officials would be recounting their ordeal. The nature of my business requires that certain airport officials are in good terms with me. So that, in times of trouble, I can leverage on their influence to get good results.

Time is 6pm (9pm in Dubai), tomorrow is Friday. They don't work on Fridays.

Faith had dealt me a cruel blow.

I could not fix this.

I had no control over this situation.

By 9pm Nigerian time, I look at the wall clock and said to myself, it 12 mid night in Dubai and my Rev Father is lying down on a metal chair. I fought the tears, but one stung me as it flowed down my cheek. 

I sent him a text asking him how he is doing and my stranded Rev Father calls me and says, "Mr David I appreciate all you have done". 

Time is 1:55am on a Friday morning and I still cannot sleep because a Holy Rev Father has been denied entry into Dubai for security reasons and he has refused to get angry.

I play back the scenarios of the day and I ask myself "how well did I do at damage control"?

Hmmmmmmm!