Build capacity of workers, hoteliers told

MUSANZE - The Work Force Development Authority, yesterday launched a one-month customer care training programme targeting hoteliers in a bid to promote better service delivery within the hospitality industry. The training will be supervised by experts from Singapore. At least 120 hotel workers from the Northern Province and 180 from Rubavu are expected to benefit from the training which is focused on customer care and hospitality. According to organisers, specific lessons on food and beverages practises including lessons on culinary art will also be taught. Addressing participants, the Director General of the Work Force Development Authority, Dr Jean Damascène Gatabazi, implored stake-holders in hotel business to invest in building the capacity of their workers, in order to offer the expected quality service. “Operating a hotel business is not just having an impressive structure but the quality of service offered has to be considered seriously and that depends on the type of workers employed, because it’s a people to people service industry,’’ Dr. Gatabazi said. Referring to the World Doing Business Report which ranked Rwanda highly, Dr Gatabazi noted that, whereas there have been positive steps in how business is conducted in Rwanda; there is still need to improve on the skills and attitude of workers. Yvette Mukarwema, from the Private Sector Federation-PSF urged customers to always voice their concerns whenever they are dissatisfied with hotel services. The one-month training programme is being conducted at two sites in Virunga Hotel located in Musanze and Dian Fossey-Nyiramacibiri Hotel in Rubavu. Ends