An African proverb reminds us: “When the roots are rotten, the branches cannot hold.” In business, this wisdom holds true: if customer trust is eroded at the root, no amount of branding or advertising can hold the company upright.
The recent Supreme Court decision in Anene v. MTN (Nig.) Communications Plc (2025) 16 NWLR (Pt 2010) 1 is more than a legal landmark; it is a business case study that should command the attention of every owner, manager, and HR professional. At its core, the story is simple. A consumer repeatedly had his airtime deducted for caller tunes he never subscribed to. His complaints were initially acknowledged, a refund of ₦700 was made, and assurances were given that it would not happen again. Yet the deductions continued, forcing him to seek justice. The Supreme Court eventually awarded him ₦8.5 million in damages and costs. While the judgement is rightly celebrated as a victory for consumer rights, business leaders should see in it an even stronger message: the true cost of eroding customer trust is always higher than the apparent short-term gain.
The customer did not fight because of ₦700. He fought because his trust was violated. In business, small betrayals — unauthorised charges, hidden fees, unmet promises — accumulate and can destroy goodwill built over years. What looks negligible to a company may be deeply symbolic to a customer. Every deduction, every service delivered, and every promise made must pass the test of fairness and transparency. HR leaders in particular should ensure employees understand that integrity in service delivery is not optional but fundamental.
The case also highlights the importance of genuine service recovery. MTN had an opportunity to turn an error into a loyalty-building moment. Instead, the promised solution was temporary, and the problem recurred. Service recovery is one of the most powerful ways to rebuild trust, but only if it is consistent and credible. A flawed recovery is worse than the original mistake because it signals negligence or disregard. Training frontline employees and managers alike to treat complaints as opportunities to rebuild trust — not just boxes to tick — is one of the smartest investments a business can make.
Another lesson is the alignment between promises and processes. The company told the consumer that caller tunes had been deactivated, yet its systems continued to make deductions. This gap reveals a deeper organisational weakness: when operational processes and IT systems are not aligned with stated values, customers feel deceived. Business leaders must ensure that structures, processes, and people reinforce the same message. HR has a vital role in reinforcing this alignment by embedding accountability into performance metrics. When customer experience indicators are weighted as heavily as revenue in staff evaluations, organisations reduce the temptation to sacrifice trust for short-term financial gains.
Perhaps most fundamentally, the repeated deductions point to a culture problem: a tolerance for practices that exploit the customer. Culture is what people do when no one is watching. If staff or systems can repeatedly act against the customer’s interest without swift correction, then the culture itself has been compromised. Leaders must remember that culture eats strategy — and customers — for breakfast. HR departments must act as custodians of culture, embedding ethics, empathy, and accountability into recruitment, training, and performance management. An organisation’s culture should protect the customer, not undermine them.
The financial outcome of this case is sobering. What began as an error involving ₦700 escalated into a penalty of ₦8.5 million, along with reputational damage. The cost of neglect will always be higher than the cost of doing the right thing. For small and large businesses alike, this is a cautionary tale. Managers must learn to evaluate risk beyond financial statements. Unresolved complaints, unethical practices, and dissatisfied customers are not minor irritations — they are ticking time bombs.
This case is not about caller tunes. It is about the DNA of organisations. Every business is defined by the everyday choices it makes in its treatment of customers. In Africa’s highly competitive market, where trust is scarce and loyalty is fragile, leaders must ensure that their systems, people, and culture work together to protect, not exploit, the customer. As another proverb wisely puts it: “He who is not faithful with little cannot be trusted with much.”
Dr. Olufemi Ogunlowo is the CEO of Strategic Outsourcing Limited, a leading provider of personnel and business process outsourcing services in Nigeria. He is also a regular columnist on employment and workforce strategy.
