Editor,

RE: "Ideas from an eclectic mind - Beyond 'Na Yombi' customer service” (The New Times, February 6).

For the last two years, I have been knocking at every door of major hotels here in Kigali, offering to welcome their patrons with a bouquet of homegrown flowers, with the ultimate purpose to make their premises a more pleasant and welcoming decor.

But almost in every hotel, except one, I was systematically sent to meet with the matron in charge of cleaning, with no clue of what a flower is.

I guess this kind of knowledge above is not part of training imparted to hotel cleaning personnel. So I don't at all blame those matrons who regularly turn me away with my offer and samples, with a polite excuse that they were not given a budget for such an expense. And it also seems only in some, but not in all hotel management courses, details in premises decor, including flower ornaments, are part of their high-level management training curriculum.

A general conclusion from such an experience: without constant awareness and systematic knowledge of our shortcomings in all our undertakings and work involvements, alas the rampant "culture of mediocrity” will prevail everywhere.

Francois-Xavier Nziyonsenga