This week, a majority of large enterprises are putting their best foot forward to showcase their appreciation for their clients as part of the Customer Appreciation Week. The showcase of appreciation is diverse and ideal for the cameras. It ranges from senior management of businesses handing out roses, cake and candy to text messages and email expressing undying appreciation for the clients. During the week, a majority of corporations will remind the public of their service charter, intentions to improve and adjust their customer service. If you listen closely, the same words used were used in previous years and will not be a surprise if they are repeated in the coming days. Despite the marking of the week by local corporates, much is yet to change on the local scene with regard to customer service. It’s not uncommon to come across complaints of poor service delivery targeted at a range of service providers ranging from health facilities, financial institutions, eateries, telcos among others. Even worse is that in most instances, it is the same complaints by multiple customers over months and years with little done to amend problematic elements. Rwanda Development Board has previously cited severally that there exist significant gaps in customer care in multiple services in the country that affect growth of operations. The causes of the challenges are a myriad ranging from poor attitude and limitation in skills sets to the set-up of the organisations and businesses they work for. Going forward, the corporates dishing out roses and candy might want to attempt to make customer care adjustment a continuous process as opposed to a one day event for the cameras. Improved customer care is one the most impactful marketing tools for any enterprise and gradually serves to retain customer loyalty as well as consumption.
