“The customer is king”, this may be an old business adage, but in the context of Article 46 of the Constitution it is a reality as consumer rights are guaranteed.
Article 46 gives citizens the right to obtain goods and services of reasonable quality, gives them the right to information, protection and compensation for any damages and also gives them protection from false advertising.
Businesses have an obligation to uphold consumer rights, which means that any contrary business practice or policy is null and void. However, companies often violate consumer rights in different ways.
For example, some companies sell substandard or harmful products. This practice is considered unconstitutional under Article 46 of the Constitution.
Others are not transparent about the goods and services they provide. For example, some companies are unprepared when it comes to labeling the contents of their products.
Others have hidden fees when it comes to pricing. All of these practices are unconstitutional because they limit the consumer’s right to information about the goods and services provided.
Consumers must be compensated for any damage resulting from the use of defective goods or services. They must be protected from false advertising, which occurs when a supplier of goods or services makes false statements to induce a customer to make a purchase.
Ethical businesses are those that take steps to uphold the Bill of Rights and this includes supporting consumer rights.
Here are some tips on how businesses can support Section 46.
Providing good quality goods and services
Companies must ensure that the products and services they provide are of a good standard. If a company discovers that its products are substandard, it must withdraw them from the market and destroy them. As an additional guarantee of quality, companies must conduct regular tests.
Obtaining certificates and standards marks
Businesses can obtain certification for the goods and services they provide. This provides consumers with safety assurances that the products and services they consume are of good quality.
Customer care team training
The customer service team must respond to customer requests in a legally compliant manner. For example, there must be transparency regarding information regarding goods and services.
The existence of a mechanism to resolve customer disputes
Affected customers should be able to file complaints about defective goods and services. The mechanism must include investigations and compensation when necessary. Many lawsuits can be avoided by having the right structures in place.
Training customers to use goods and services
Obtain user manuals, safety labels, and instructions to train consumers in the proper use of goods and services to avoid consumer harm from misuse.
Marketing team training
Avoid false advertising by training your sales and marketing team to run honest advertising campaigns.
Customer care policy
Formulate an appropriate customer care policy that complies with the Constitution and consumer protection laws.