A nationwide customer care campaign, dubbed Na Yombi was launched this week, as the government makes a new push for better service delivery in the country. Poor customer care is not only slowing the country’s progress in building a service-based economy but also in ensuring efficient governance. Of recent, the situation has significantly improved in the public sector; however, with the private sector, there is a lot that needs to get done. While the government has put in place a conducive legal and working environment in addition to offering free training to several private operators, especially in the hospitality sector, business owners have hardly sought to leverage that goodwill. This must change. The least the private sector should do, is to ensure that the practices advocated for in the Na Yombi campaign are adopted. While in most countries, the private sector is more efficient and vibrant than the public sector, in Rwanda, the reverse is true. It should be embarrassing to private businesses that the government has to implore them to improve their services. Businesses need to take the lead in changing the face of customer service. After all, the more efficient the services, the higher the competitive advantage which has an impact on the profit margin. If anyone has to worry about poor returns, it should be the business owner.
