Service providers in the country have been urged to improving their customer care because a satisfied customer is the best marketer.

The appeal was made by the Acting Director General in charge of Investment Promotion in Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Rosemary Mbabazi, during a seminar on customer care that took place in Kigali.

"Experiences have shown that customer care service in public institutions in the country is very poor…there is need for all people involved in the service sector to improve their customer care,” said Mbabazi.

The one-day seminar brought together employees from public institutions who deal directly with RDB in promoting investiments in the country.

RDB’s core responsibilities include accelerating the country’s strategic growth and development initiatives with initial emphasis on injecting a private sector mentality into government.

According to Mbabazi, the objective of the meeting was to consolidate all the procedures so that every institution can be able to come up with a client charter which would help customers to know the mission and core values of the institution in question.

"There is need to develop a culture of good service and this goes hand in hand with attitude change,” she explained.

Experts say that the first interaction with the customer creates a good relationship and increases profits if the customer is satisfied. But slow customer care can slow down the economic growth of a country.

Mbabazi also revealed that every customer interaction improves, worsens or reinforces an institution’s reputation for customer care.

The Director of planning in the Ministry of Natural Resources (MINIRENA), Patrick Safari, commended RDB for organising the seminar saying that it will help them in improving the way they deal with their customers and also in the attitude change towards them.

RDB’s plan is to work hand in hand with the media in highlighting problems in the service industry and also organising seminars for different organisations.

Ends