The ‘One Call Resolve’ policy

“The problem with service providers is that they don’t have the ‘One Call Resolve’ policy. A customer’s issue is hardly ever resolved with just one call.” This was a status update posted on Facebook by a friend. And my immediate response was to comment, “So true.” My friend whose name I will not divulge, has spent quite sometime in Canada where probably the system is that in case of a problem, a company or service provider will do their best to see that your concerns are addressed as soon as possible. Customers often call their service providers in case of a problem and this has actually been turned into a whole industry employing several people in call centres just to handle customer queries and complaints. Back here things are often a little more demanding than just one phone call. Now that she is back in Uganda, she must be having a hard time adjusting to the business practices in the country. We can safely say the same about the situation here in Rwanda when it comes to customer care relations. The concept of one call resolve implies that once you raise a query with the company or service provider, your issue is solved without you being tossed around. It is a pity that several companies in this part of the world are yet to appreciate the need to have someone behind the phone to address clients’ complaints. Many companies just don’t see the logic of paying someone to listen and then act on people’s complaints. There is no worse form of business folly than this if you ask me. Customer care should be part and parcel of your business not a complimentary service that you can do without. Where you have customer care services to call the result is often a frustrating one with you being told to hold on or to call back later or even to call during working hours. I am sure many of us still remember the days when calling the MTN customer care would yield a reminder for you to call back during working hours! Thanks to competition, they (MTN) are now much wiser. Just like the Rwanda Development Board’s One Stop Centre for business registration processes, other companies and service providers ought to appreciate the value of addressing clients’ issues as swiftly as possible. Each time you refer me (the client) to another person or another phone call, frustration on my side builds up more and more and you stand to lose me in the process. If I call to raise a problem, it should be the responsibility of the company to call me back and follow up the issue especially if the number I called was not a toll free line. It is also wise to offer different phone lines that one can use to reach the company in case of a problem. Whoever is in charge of these phone lines should be a mature and person who can handle clients with dignity even on the phone. This is why some company record all phone conversations so that they can tell when their staff member was rude or courteous. Whatever you do, efforts should be directed at solving a clients issue as fast as possible if at all you intend to maintain their loyalty. ssenyonga@gmail.com