Govt names customer care campaign team

A ten-person committee has been named to steer a nation-wide campaign to improve customer care in the country. The team, composed of officials from RDB, Private Sector Federation [PSF] and the government, was unveiled at the Rwanda Development Board [RDB] offices Friday. A survey conducted on the hospitality industry in Rwanda this year disclosed that the situation of customer care in the country was in a poor state. Claire Akamanzi, the Chairperson of the committee said that the problem of customer care is cross cutting, underscoring the need to first admit that that the problem exists. Other team members include Chantal Rugamba Deputy CEO RDB, Chong Fook Yen Director General, Workforce Development Authority, Kaliza Karuretwa, Director General in charge of investment climate and intellectual property and Daniel Vogel, strategic advisor to the CEO of RDB. According to the hospitality survey conducted by OnTheFrontier (OTF), the major problems identified were rudeness (18 %), slowness (32 %), and unhelpful or inattentive (36 %). The survey also pointed out that Rwanda’s customer care was lowest in East Africa. Others included poor communication skills (4 %), unfriendly or unapologetic (5 %) and bad management (5 %). Akamanzi said that every Rwandan has an obligation to play a role in the customer care drive. But Chong who will be in charge of the skills programme said that there are key points that will be a major focus during the campaign. “Awareness is something we need to create. Then the level of skills and knowledge and there is a communication problem.” He further said that, “there will be introduction of customer care curriculum in schools which should be expanded to primary schools.” Chong reiterated that customer care “is not a campaign but a way of life.” He said that there will be diverse trainings conducted countrywide to effectively build and boost customer care in the country. Chantal Rugamba said that in April, there will be customer care awareness drive across the country. “In April during Umuganda, people in the whole the country will be lectured about customer care services.” She said that customer care wasn’t only about the language but, “body language, eye contact and confidence” As well. According to OTF, improved customer care in the country has the potential to fetch Rwanda USD 40 million annually by 2012. Ends