Customer care within public service is equally important

The Association of Rwandan hotels and restaurants have stepped up efforts to improve customer care delivery.In the hospitality industry, customer care is extremely important and, from a business perspective, it can have a direct impact on the business. But good customer care should not stop with the private sector. Public institutions need to improve their service delivery and the way they relate to the people they serve.For instance, the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, published a service client charter that states the time it takes to issue a passport after the applications are submitted. And, it also puts out a list of e-mails and telephone numbers that the public can contact, should they have a complaint, suggestion or even compliment. This is a perfect example of high quality customer care and service delivery within the public service. Very often, you find people congesting at government offices, looking for all kinds of documents with no idea of when they will eventually get them or what procedures are required. With the publication of the clients’ charter, the public is now aware of what services they are entitled to and how long it would take. That said, other public services organizations, should reflect on the services they offer and design ways of improving how they relate with their audiences. And, in an era of technology, the public institutions should use their websites as a forum to communicate with their clients. Websites are a great platform through which various services can be sought, and feedback communicated without delay. It is such initiatives that will not only promote good governance, but also steer Rwanda to development and prosperity. Ends

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Customer care within public service is equally important