Should we blame Management for Poor Customer

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14117&article=2453&week=52

Tuesday, 22nd December 2009 E-mail article Print article

CUSTOMER CARE: Should we blame Management for Poor Service?

By Sandra idossou

After each training session, I often spend a lot of time analyzing participants’ evaluation forms as this helps me improve on future trainings. Last month, I read this from a participant:

“This is the best training I have ever attended and I wish my managers and all our supervisors could also go through what we’ve just learnt. I now understand the importance and benefits of customer care for myself and for my company.

But for a real impact on our services, I would kindly request that our managers and supervisors attend the same course because Customer Service should start by them first then cascaded down to every person working in our company.

If our managers and supervisors portray the good example of customer care, I’m sure many employees will do the same”

This is a regular comment from participants. The first message I see here is the need for every staff to understand the importance of good customer care.

Customer care is not a department but rather the daily attitudes of each staff and everyone needs to be involved.
The second message is that customer service has to start from the bottom down to the most inferior person in the organization.

Managers and business owners need to portray good attitudes themselves to be an example for their team members.

Unfortunately in many organizations, there is often a huge gap between what management says and what they actually do. Many managers forget that the most important person in their organization is the customer.

A participant gave an example whereby when the manager calls, she has to run and see him even if she has customers in front of her. Apparently, the manager can’t be put on hold.

Even though I do not want to believe this entirely, this type of managerial behaviors calls for reflection because poor service is sometimes the fault of management.

Management is responsible for instilling a customer service culture

The basic problem in most companies is that people are not made the center of the organizations. Many business owners spend huge amount of money on equipment and systems but nothing much on their staff.

Steve Jobs, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Apples Inc says that “The people who are doing the work are the moving force behind the Macintosh. My job is to create a space for them, to clear out the rest of the organization and keep it at bay”

As a manager, you need to bring every one on board in terms on quality and customer service. You need to create a positive working environment that promotes good customer service attitudes.

Management should be the first to portray good Customer Care attitudes

John C. Maxwell says that “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”

Do you show the good example to your staff? Are they able to see through your daily attitudes how customers should be treated? Are your behaviors the ones you want your team members to portray to customers? Can your people learn from you? Do you do what you preach?

Harold S. Genen says that “Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions” Let your actions speak for you.

Management should treat staff with Care

As a manager, always remember that your people are your greatest assets. So invest in them. Relate with them positively. Be close to them. Show them empathy. If your staff is being well taken care of, they will definitely do the same towards your customers.

“Pay your people the least possible and you’ll get from them the same.” Malcolm S. Forbes. If you invest in your staff peanuts, your customers will reap the same.

Treat your people with respect and dignity. “You can’t expect your employees to exceed the expectations of your customers if you don’t exceed the employees’ expectations of management says also Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks.

As a manager, learn to listen also to your junior staff. They are in permanent contact with customers and have more accurate feedback from them.

Once in a while, just spend some time with them without any formal meeting and you will be surprised to hear amazing things on your business.

Management should also take sanctions

A good manager is also the one who knows when and how to take sanctions when things go wrong. If you accept mediocrity from your team members because you want them to like you, you are surely to be blamed for poor customer service in your organization. Be responsible and let your staff understand that you will not tolerate poor customer service.

A good management is nothing more than motivating ordinary people in doing extraordinary things.

Be a motivation to your team members and together, you can achieve good customer service for your own benefit and for the satisfaction of your customers.

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda

www.sheiconsulting.com

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE

CUSTOMER CARE: Change your attitude today

By Sandra idossou

Dr Maya Angelou, a remarkable renaissance woman and a great voice of contemporary literature, said in one of her legendary wisdom speeches that, “If you don not like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.”

What are some of your attitudes you need to change today in terms of customer service? Do you know that some of those attitudes actually speak bad about you, your company and even Rwanda?

When I went to this big government office one morning to drop a document, I had to wait for one and half hours before the chap came back from lunch. He came in smelling of food, picking up on his teeth, rubbing his stomach as if he had just returned from a big feast.

In another company I visited, the lady promised to get back to me on a certain issue and I had to wait for three days until I decided to call back myself. When I challenged her on her inability to keep her promise, she simply asked me why I was making a fuss about this.

Some other time, I had an appointment with a man who was late for 40 minutes. When he came, he just sat there without uttering a word of apology as if the 40 minutes of lateness was not worth an apology.

His attitude made me feel like I should rather thank God that he turned up.

Are these attitudes like the ones you sometimes portray to people you deal with? Breckler and Wiggins define attitudes as “mental and neural representations, organised through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence on behaviour.”

Positive attitude can be defined as a helpful state of mind or a feeling regarding a situation or fact. It is how we perceive events, experiences and things in our lives. It is also how we see mentally certain issues in our daily lives.

Let’s be frank with one another and look through our inner mind and soul and I’m sure we can pinpoint some of those negative attitudes we need to change.

This is because customer service is all about attitudes. It doesn’t matter how educated you are, or how many books you have read, or even what is your level in the society. If you do not have the right attitude, you will never have outstanding relationships.

There is an extensive list of negative attitudes we need to change and the following five are the most crucial and urgent ones we need to adopt today:

Respect Time

How much time your lunch break takes? Do you sometimes put yourself in the shoes of people who are waiting for you while you are dragging your feet and chatting on your way back with your colleagues?

And please, when you are out of the office, do put an information note on your desk so that your customers know what time you will be back. Aim at respecting time today.

Respect your commitments

The last time you promise to call back the customer, did you do that at the promised time?
What is your attitude toward the commitments you make? Let’s adopt positive attitudes today by respecting each promise we make; no matter how unimportant they might seem.
Doug Smith says “It starts with respect. If you respect the customer as a human being, and truly honour their right to be treated fairly and honestly, everything else is much easier”.

Be fast and more energetic.

Please people of Rwanda; let’s learn to be efficient and speedy; not dragging the feet; not wasting time on unnecessary issues. I find it especially sickening when I see how sometimes people walk and take their whole time in doing certain things.

Pay attention to cleanliness and neatness.

If for instance, you look shabby at your workplace or if your desk looks dirty or unorganized, this unfortunately tells the customer that you do not care that much about yourself, your office or about the customer.

This negative non verbal attitude, gives your customers a legitimate reason for believing that the service you are providing shows the same lack of concern and this unfortunately sends a poor signal to them.

Let’s recognize that customer service is not easy and it requires utmost skill, tact, diplomacy and positive attitude in order to succeed in dealing with customers.Changing people’s behavior is a hard work because every change has to be a personal decision.

David Ambrose says that “If you have the will to win, you have achieved half your success; if you don’t; you have achieved half your failure”.

Decide today to adopt positive attitudes and you will be able to strengthen your attitude and create a winning situation for the client and your organization.

William James, a psychologist says that “the greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitude of mind”.Our little daily attitudes have a long way impact on the image of this country.

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

www.sheiconsulting.com

The Hospitality Queens of Gisenyi

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=140102&article=2367&week=50

Monday, 7th December 2009

CUSTOMER CARE: The hospitality queens of Gisenyi

By Sandra idossou

With the visit of family members two weeks ago, we decided to try the small hotels on the shores of Lake Kivu in Gisenyi. For this family reunion, Gisenyi was the perfect destination because of its beauty and tranquility.

What an unforgettable experience this stay turned out to be! We experienced exceptional customer service at the Paradis Malahide Hotel. We therefore cancelled the rest of our program in touring that region to prolong our stay in this “paradise”.

We also discovered two other magnificent hotels located in the same village as Paradis Malahide. This area of Gisenyi called Rubona is best suited to those who want to get away and enjoy the quiet atmosphere by the lake. Even though it is a bit difficult to get there, it’s worth the journey.

I was extremely happy and proud to hear that these three beautiful hotels were managed by exceptional women struggling each day to maintain quality of their products and services.

As we talk a lot these days about customer service in Rwanda, seeing the level of service in these three resorts far from Kigali was a real motivation for the trainer I am.

I wish to dedicate this article to these brave woman I describe as “the Hospitality Queens of Gisenyi”. As a woman myself with a hospitality background, I know how difficult it is to maintain the standards of such places.

I really wish many will recognize the efforts of these women and their team members in lifting up high service delivery in Rwanda.

Paradis Malahide
This hotel is owned and managed by Odette, a very dynamic and friendly woman who has worked hard to build up this little hidden piece of Paradise. All the materials used to build the hotel are local. Even the plates and service utensils are made in wood by local artisans.

Out of the six Gisenyi hotels rated on Trip Advisor Paradis Malahide comes out as the First in 2009.

On February 24, 2009 for instance, UBetty from Belfast, United Kingdom wrote this on trip advisor:

“I don’t often feel motivated to write hotel reviews but after staying at Paradis Malahide, I felt that I really had to, such was the wonderful experience that I had there.

I’ve traveled in different countries and stayed in more expensive places but this was without doubt one of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed in, made all the more special by the friendly, attentive staff.

The staff, in particular the manager Fidel, could not have been more helpful and carried out their job as if it wasn’t just a job but as if they enjoyed having you as a guest.

The accommodation and food were excellent and the scenery around the lake was so beautiful and relaxing. Although I was only due to stay 2 nights, I changed my flights to extend my stay, I loved this place so much! I really can’t recommend Paradis Malahide highly enough - the staff is truly the best I’ve ever met!”

La Bella Resort
This resort is owned and managed by Jamila Hamud, an outstanding brave woman.

The place is ideal for relaxing, for conferences and exclusive parties. Just sitting there watching the birds makes it a perfect location for honeymoons.

“This place was a small piece of paradise. Situated approx 5km on the coast road out of Gisenyi this secluded resort was just what I needed.

The Private Bungalows all have uninterrupted views of Lake Kivu. Each is decorated to a very high standard with fantastic bathrooms with running hot water.

The owner Jamila was such the perfect host I actually changed my plans and stayed longer than planned to chill out on the Private Beach”.

Yvke Beach Resort
This beautiful hotel belongs to a certain woman called Annie but managed by Mama Micheline.

This is an amazing beautiful guesthouse with exotic garden rooms with private terrace with beautiful views. It is surrounded by wonderful vegetation.

The lovely restaurant offers superb breakfast served with such a helpful staff.

This hotel is arguably among the best hotels in Gisenyi in terms of value for money, quality of service, food and activities.


Customer Service evokes different interpretations and connotations to different people. But as customers, most of us base our first judgment on the attitudes and behaviors of the service people we meet. Then secondly, on the quality of the product itself.

The above “Hospitality Queens of Gisenyi” have all proven that with their daily effort, determination, hard work, good taste, perseverance etc good customer service can be achieved in Rwanda.

Decide today to offer good products and inculcate the “right” attitude in your front-line staff for your own benefit and for the good reputation of Rwanda.

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda.

www.sheiconsulting.com

sandra.idosou@sheiconsulting.com

The Hospitality Queens of Gisenyi

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14095&article=2310&week=49

Monday, 30th November 2009

CUSTOMER CARE: The hospitality Queens of Gisenyi

By Sandra idossou

The above “Hospitality Queens of Gisenyi” have all proven that with their daily effort, determination, hard work, good taste and perseverance, good customer service can be achieved in Rwanda.

With my family members two weeks ago, we decided to try the small hotels on the shores of Lake Kivu in Gisenyi. For this family reunion, Gisenyi was the perfect destination because of its beauty and tranquility.

What an unforgettable experience this stay turned out to be! We experienced exceptional customer service at the Paradis Malahide Hotel. We therefore cancelled the rest of our program in touring that region to prolong our stay in this “paradise”.

The splendid view from this hotel

Such a peaceful place to be!

The african decoration in everything, even in service ustencils

Swimming in the lake is overwhelming!!!

We also discovered two other magnificent hotels located in the same village as Paradis Malahide.

This area of Gisenyi called Rubona is best suited to those who want to get away and enjoy the quiet atmosphere by the lake. Even though it is a bit difficult to get there, it’s worth the journey.

I was extremely happy and proud to hear that these three beautiful hotels were managed by exceptional women struggling each day to maintain quality of their products and services.

As we talk a lot these days about customer service in Rwanda, seeing the level of service in these three resorts far from Kigali was a real motivation for the trainer I am.

These are: Paradis Malahide, La Bella Resort, Yvke-beach-resort, all located in Gisenyi.

The above places have made tremendous progress in delivering quality services in the country.

Customer Service evokes different interpretations and connotations to different people. But as customers, most of us base our first judgment on the attitudes and behaviours of the service people we meet and also on the quality of the product itself.

The above “Hospitality Queens of Gisenyi” have all proven that with their daily effort, determination, hard work, good taste and perseverance good customer service can be achieved in Rwanda.

Decide today to offer good products and inculcate the “right” attitude in your front-line staff for your own benefit and for the good reputation of Rwanda.

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda.

http://www.sheiconsulting.com/

sandra.idosou@sheiconsulting.com

CustomerCare Training for Tigo Call Center Staff

Q-Sourcing Rwanda together with BSC used SHEI & ENZ Consulting in training 35 Tigo Call Center staff.

Trainings were held at the Mille Collines Hotel in Kigali

Bralirwa Trains its Staff

19 staff from Bralirwa went through a two-days-training on Customer Care.

Trainings were held on November 11th and 12th 2009 at the Laico Hotel in Kigali and participants were Bralirwa staff from Gisenyi and Kigali.

Some topics treated during the training sessions were:

Importance of the Customer

Internal & External Customers

What is Custumer Care

Importance of First Contact and Welcoming

Attitudes & Behaviours

Communicating with Customers

Dealing with Difficult customers and Complaints

Word of Mouth Advertising

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14088&article=2287&week=48

Monday, 23rd November 2009

CUSTOMER CARE: Search for a positive word of mouth advertising

By Sandra idossou

I overheard last week two friends discussing about their eagerness to shift from their usual-long-time service provider to this new company that has just arrived on the Rwandan market.
Lucile explained that she had always felt neglected and maltreated with her service provider but had to remain there because she had no other alternative.

Even though she had been their customer for over four years, she thought now was the right time to pay them back for having taken her for granted.

“I’ll convince all my friends and relatives to quit and join me at this new company. I’m sure they will treat us better and satisfy our needs as customers” Lucie kept on rambling.

I sat listening and had a difficult time trying to convince them that “the devil you know is sometimes better than the angel you don’t know” but none of my arguments could convince them.

That is when I remembered this quotation by Sam Walton, owner and founder of the Wall Mart in USA “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”

As a business owner, do you realize that your customers have the ability to sack you from your business by spending their money elsewhere? Do you know that the customer is the most important person in your company?

Do you know that he/she ultimately pays your salary? You can always fool or abuse your customers but one day, they will pay you back.

Statistics show that an unhappy customer informs averagely ten people. Have you ever thought of what your customers were telling their friends and relatives about your services and products?

A customer is the lifeblood of every business and business owners and managers must always strive to be in tune with what their customers think, feel and say about their services.

On average, it costs 5 times more to get a new customer than to keep an existing one. Yet there are so many companies that spend millions on advertising and almost nothing on ways of keeping their customers satisfied.

By focusing on advertisement and sales many companies often neglect customer retention. Just look at the large expensive advertising billboards in town? There are so many at every corner of the city.

How I wish these companies spend at least 10% of their advertising budget on maintaining their customers satisfaction.

I’m not against advertising but my point here is that business owners need to understand that big advertising campaigns do not yield many results as much as improving on service delivery.

Will Rogers says that “If advertisers spent the same amount of money on improving their products as they do on advertising then they wouldn’t have to advertise them.”

A happy customer is your best advertising agent. People will always believe the good testimonials of other customers rather than a well-written over-promising-advert.

The word-of mouth advertising is one of the most credible forms of advertising because a person puts his/her reputation on the line every time he/she makes a recommendation on your behalf.

The word-of-mouth advertising is defined as an unpaid form of promotion in which satisfied customers tell other people how much they like a business, product or service.

You van benefit from a positive word-of-mouth advertising is if only your customers receive more than what they had expected or paid for. Believe me dear reader that if your customers are happy with your services, you need not to be afraid of competition.

A simple example of the importance of a word-of-mouth advertising is with my tomatoes sellers at the Kimironko market.

I talk about her during all my training sessions and all those who go to the Kimironko market always look for her. She has since then increased her number of clients through the good welcoming she offers her customers. No other type of advertising is more powerful than word of mouth.

Of course, advertising alone doesn’t generate long-term sales or business growth. If you advertise, you need to make sure that the promised services and products are equal to your service delivery.

Your team people have an important role after you have advertised. They should be the main resources and pillar upon which you base your advertisement.

According to the London School of Economics and Political, positive word of mouth advertising pays the following dividends:

• 7 percent increase in positive word of mouth unlocks 1 percent additional company growth

• 2 percent reduction in negative word of mouth boosts sales by 1 percent

Companies with the above average positive word of mouth grow four times as fast as those with below-average positive word of mouth.

If you want to benefit from positive free word of mouth advertising, go beyond the average sub standard service delivery. Never lose sight of the fact that word of mouth advertising can also be the worst advertising.

Decide today to invest more time, energy, focus and money on good customer service and you will see the results on the free publicity that your customers will do for you. Your customers will become your ambassadors and you will save on your usual advertising budget.

The author is a customer service expert working in Rwanda.

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

The Four Service Providers who have lately impressed me

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14081&article=2256&week=47

Monday, 16th November 2009

CUSTOMER CARE: The four service provider who have lately impressed me

By Sandra idossou

After last week article titled “Yes, we can achieve Good Customer Service in Rwanda”, I received quiet a number of comments from readers.

One of the respondents asked me to give concrete examples of service providers who have really changed their customer service attitudes since the whole campaign against poor service began.

I have been living in Rwanda for two and half years and I do have lots of examples of service improvement.

I recognized the fact that lots need to be done again but we can also acknowledge the efforts of those who are moving forward on this issue.

In this article, I’ll not be able to give the names of all the good service providers here but I would like to share with you some of the remarkable changes I have experienced both in the private and public sectors.

The following are 4 service providers that have impressed me very much.
They are organizations who have put efforts in training and instilling a customer service culture in their enterprises.

Skeptical people should go and experience their services to understand that “Yes, Rwanda can achieve good customer service”

1. Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA)

When I registered my company here, I was faced with a tedious monthly exercise of declaring my VAT taxes at the RRA.

Until recently, I was spending two and half hours every time. But today, believe me; I spend only 12 minutes. This month, service was even more exceptional. It took me less than 5 minutes.

With their computerized system, customers can nowadays print their declaration forms and fill them before going there. This is a great achievement and Rwandans can be proud of this service improvement.

Time is money and many customers do appreciate the effort that has been put in listening to our complaints.

2. The Immigration Service

Getting a visa for a foreign country is always a difficult and complicated process for visitors in many countries. In Rwanda, this process has been alleviated and simplified.

Today, one can get the Rwandan Visa just by a click on internet. For people arriving here, they can simply have their visas by filling the forms online.


I have never seen such an easy system in any other African country before. For residents here, the long hours of waiting and visits have tremendously improved.

One can trace online one’s demand. Customer service has also improved very much at the airport as their staff is now very friendly and welcoming.

3. The Shokola Restaurant

I remember, there was a time, I simply decided not to go to restaurants here anymore. Service was simply not present in many of these restaurants. But today, I’m the first person to patronize certain restaurants in town.

And I’m particularly impressed by the service at the shokola restaurant. Believe me service is simply excellent. Customers are really treated like kings and queens.

If we can have such exceptional service experiences in this restaurant, I would like to invite many other restaurants owners to follow this good example.

4. The Banana Guest House

This is another great place to be in town. The hotel rooms are very clean and comfortable. The decoration is African and beautiful, service staff seems to be happy to serve you and above all, food is delicious.

Even when the owner is not present, the staff still remembers to be professional.
The four examples above and the so many I have witnessed have made me to realize that good customer service is achievable in Rwanda.

And I’m so proud of this because the managers of all these four service providers are Rwandans. So it is not a matter of expatriates. We can all achieve good customer care practices if we decide to and change our ways of dealing daily with customers’ demands.

As a business owner, you need to indoctrinate every new hire on good customer care culture. And you need to do this right when they are recruited.

If you wait for a long time, they will adopt habits that will be difficult to change.
Investing in your all your staff through frequent and professional trainings will boost their productivity and undeniably your bottom line.

Achieving good customer service is never a miracle. You as a business owner or manager have an important role in instilling a customer service culture.

First you yourself need to understand what this entails; then live and communicate continuously to your team members the good practices.

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda

http://www.sheiconsulting.com/

Yes, Good Customer Service is Possible in Rwanda

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14074&article=2229&week=46

Monday, 9th November 2009

CUSTOMER CARE: Yes, good customer service is possible in Rwanda

By Sandra idossou

Recently, I was in a brainstorming meeting on customer service with branch managers of one of the insurance companies in the country and an interesting question came up.

This question is actually a frequent one that I’m often asked during training sessions or through daily discussions on Customer Care.

“Can Rwanda really achieve good customer service looking at the culture heritage?”

We keep on hearing about Rwandan culture throughout all conversations and in all levels of society. Many people think that it is simply utopist to think of achieving good customer service here.

I have often met people who are pessimist or simply defaitist about this issue. But please tell me; is the “Rwandan Culture” really contrary to good customer service practices?

Before answering this question, I would like to invite us to analyze some of the meanings of Culture.

Culture is defined as a “shared, learned, symbolic system of values, beliefs and attitudes that shapes and influences perception and behavior”

It is also described as “a set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization, group or even a population”

Looking through these definitions, we can understand that Culture is highly dependant on Values and Attitudes. And the good news here is that we often chose these Values and Attitudes.

They are most at times our personal decisions. Thank God, there is nothing like “born attitudes”. We just adopt or chose through our daily behaviors, values, beliefs etc.

Though sometimes culture is passed on to us by tradition; we also tend out to live with these traditions and even pass them to future generations.

The way we actually deal with people or customers today have definitely an impact on how future generations will also treat their customers.

If for instance, we keep quiet today and accept poor service as something incurable, we will arguably pass it on to the next generations; our daily individual and collective habits will then become our “Culture”.

In Rwanda today, we are suffering from poor customer service because of so many reasons.

Among them, there is probably the fact that a certain time, people did not pay any more attention to good customer service practices. Because of lack of competition, business owners and service people thought they were more important than their customers.

Customers on the other hand had no choice and for that matter decided not accept sub standard service.

But hey people of Rwanda, we are today in the 21rst century. We are part of the globalization. We are no more alone on our mountains. So many interesting things are happening behind our mountains.

With technology and the diversity of means of communication, we are part of a dynamic economic world. For those who still do not know, we are even part of the East African Community.

We just can’t sit and comfort ourselves in the idea that a cultural change is not possible. We all need to change or rather improve our ways of doing business. And I know we are capable of that. Miracles will not happen like that if we do not change our state of mind.

This is the right time to adopt today new behaviors for our own benefit first and for the benefit of our country.

This is the time to refuse mediocrity. This is the time to fight vehemently poor customer care practices not only in the private and public sectors but also in big organizations and small retail shops.

Herm Albright says that “A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort”.

Let’s come together and annoy the poor service providers by denouncing them. It is today our right and OBLIGATION to complain. Let’s not be complaisant. Let’s be ready to be described as the “ever complainer”.

If we want to change the service culture here, we need to be responsible first as customers but also as service providers. This implies that individually and collectively, we take corrective measures today because if we do not, nothing will change tomorrow.

I love this quotation by Dennis and Wendy Mannering that says that “Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching?”

What are your attitudes today? Do you respect your promise? Do you keep time? Are you courteous to people surrounding you? Do you respect your lunch break time?

Are you the first to greet people who come to your office or shop? Do you aim at good products and services? Do you take the customer for granted? Do you drag on your personal telephone conversation while the customer is waiting for you?

So people of Rwanda, my answer to the question above is a big “YES”; Rwanda can achieve good customer care practices.

If China was able to sensitize its population on the need of smile and hospitality towards visitors during the Beijing Olympic Games; we can surely also achieve good customer care in Rwanda.

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference” Winston Churchill says. Watch the little things you do daily and always remember that “Cultural Change” in Rwanda depends on your daily actions.

The Author is a customer service expert working in Rwanda.

http://www.sheiconsulting.com/

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

Back to Our Values

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14067&article=2208&week=45

Monday, 2nd November 2009

CUSTOMER CARE: Back to our good values and traditions

By Sandra idossou

“Three days ago, together with colleagues from Holland, we were in a village called Nkungu near Cyangugu. We got hungry at a certain time but there was no restaurant around the village so I decided to enter this small village shop to get some biscuits.

When I entered this little shop, I met an old woman of probably more than 60 years chatting with a friend.

She instantly stopped her conversation, offered me such a friendly and warm smile that made me forgot about my hunger. Although we were faced with the language barrier, this woman tried her best to assist me.

She was available and suggested two different types of biscuits. I was so much overwhelmed with her customer care attitudes that I decided to buy all her stock of biscuit.

Why can’t we get this type of service in Kigali and other big cities? I have been in several shops in Kigali and in other cities in Rwanda but had never experienced such warmth through the sales person ;

Most at times, when I enter a shop, I have the impression that I’m disturbing the sales person.
How I wish my banker, my insurance company, my telecom provider, my restaurant, the cashier at my grocery shop and the so many service providers I deal with could learn good customer care attitudes from this village old woman”.

When I received this mail from a reader, my first question was: Is Customer Care in villages better than in big cities? Are people in villages better equipped with good manners than those in town?

Are we so much “civilized” or “westernized” in cities that we have forgotten the good manners we were thought in our traditions?

As Africans, we have many values that go hand in hand with good customer care practices. We are thought right from our childhood to be nice to visitors, to show appreciation to people, to greet or thank people, to honor our promises, to be diligent with our work, to be courteous and many other values…

Just look at our African traditions and cultures. We are known to be generally warm, friendly and very welcoming. Look at how we receive people at our homes!!! We do everything to make our visitors feel good in our presence in order to create positive bonding with them.

I remember the first time I saw Rwandans greeting each other with the big hugs and warmth. I found this so beautiful that I could not understand why people in offices and businesses were so cold.




Why can’t we see the same warmth in our offices? Why have we left our good traditions and culture at home? Why are we completely different when we are working?

Why do our smiling faces disappear just when we enter our shops?

From the story above, we can all understand that the good customer care attitudes portrayed by this old woman were natural to her.

I’m sure she has never gone through any formal training on customer care; neither does she read any of the customer care articles in The Newtimes.


But deep inside her, she knows exactly what it takes to touch customers’ emotions. She just understand that being available and nice to customers is a requisite for everyone sustainable business.



Customer service is the set of behaviors undertaken by any person in business during an interaction with customers.

It is simply being able to provide assistance, care, respect, attention to customers. Customer care has always been a competitive advantage even in our traditions as it entails all the little things we do to build excellent rapport with each and every customer.

The word tradition comes from the Latin word traditio which means “to hand down” or “to hand over.” It is a custom that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation.


As Africans, we can be proud of our rich traditions and values on hospitality, caring, loyalty, responsibility, selflessness, solidarity, perseverance, sociability, honesty, courtesy, respect and even on dress code and so many other more.




A Culture defines our behaviors as a person but also as a nation. And these behaviors of today have a lot of impact on our future destiny as a nation.

I once read somewhere that “A people without culture are not a people at all”. Let’s then reinforce our traditional values for our own future and destiny as these cultural
values and attitudes will shape our economic success.



“Watch your thoughts, for they become words, Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny” Oliver Wendell Holmes


So no matter the type of business you are into, behave in a manner that your customers become loyal to you. Your own destiny is in your hands and in your words. Let’s decide to go back today to our values and traditions and we will be able to create better emotional relationship with people we deal with.

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda


http://www.sheiconsulting.com/

Service gap between Kigali and upcountry

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14060&article=2186&week=44

Monday, 26th October 2009

CUSTOMER CARE: Service gap between Kigali and upcountry

By Sandra idossou

I’m this morning a happy person as I sit to enjoy my white chocolate mocha with two delicious cookies at the Bourbon Coffee Shop in Kigali. I think I have never felt so good in this coffee shop ever since I came to Rwanda.

I was greeted by a smiling Abdi who said “it’s a pleasure to see you again Sandra”. Wow, I felt like on another planet.

His friendliness and his enthusiasm were simply contagious. My white chocolate mocha was served by Claire within just 10 minutes and this with yet another big smile.

As I kept on appreciating the joy of being served so well in Kigali, I couldn’t understand why there was such a huge difference in service delivery outside Kigali.

I was in Gitarama yesterday, just 45 minutes drive from Kigali and was quite surprised by the miserable service in this hotel called “GM Lando”.

From my other experience in Butare, I really didn’t have any feeling of writing this week about hospitality but believe me dear readers, this new experience just blew me off because I had the impression that good customer care stops here in Kigali.

I was with a group of seven people who had earlier on booked and paid for nine rooms. But when we got there, two people could not get their rooms.

What we received there could not be called service. We waited for more than 2 hours to have a meal they charged Rwf3500.

There was no running water in my bathroom and I had to beg for hot water in a basin from the kitchen.

Breakfast was a rare commodity and to avoid getting a heart attack, I simply ran away from Gitarama with the 8 o’clock bus without having breakfast at this so called hotel. To be frank, this new experience made me feel angry, frustrated, depressed but most especially very skeptical about service providers outside Kigali.

And As I sit here writing this article at the Bourbon Coffee in Kigali, I have the impression to have traveled from another planet just by a 45 minutes drive.

In the bus, I kept on wondering what could be the cause of such a huge difference between service delivery in Kigali and upcountry.

I do not want to generalize this but I think many service providers are just on their own when they are up country?

It seems like they are exempted from all that is happening in Kigali. Is good customer care only for those in Kigali? Is it too much to request for good customer care upcountry?

If service at just 45 minutes drive from Kigali is so poor, you can imagine what it will be in Kamembe or at a place that is 6 hours drive from Kigali.

Someone needs to look through this. There must be a reason. Maybe the national awareness campaign on customer care has not well crossed the borders of Kigali or maybe some business owners upcountry are waiting for the customer care steering committee to come and implement good customer care practices in their businesses.

And this is impossible by the way. Whether in Kigali or upcountry, business owners need to understand that they owe their customers minimum standards of care.

Whether in Kigali or in Butare, if you are a business owner, you need to respect the following basics:

1. Offer adequate training to all your staff

Whether a small or big organization, whether in Kigali or in Gisenyi, you will need to spend time to train your people especially when you recruit them.

Your people should be fully informed about your products and services available. Continuous training will empower your employees and offer them tools and ability to offer quality service as well as to solve problems.

Much as I agree that it costs money to train people, it will cost you more if you decide not to.

2. Make your staff see the benefit of good customer care

It is important you discuss about the benefits of customer care with your staff.

Let them see that they are the first beneficiaries of good customer care. And this benefit has a larger impact on the country as a whole.

By offering your staff incentives, recognition, good salaries, your team members will better understand their role as ambassadors of your company and of Rwanda.

3. Be an example and remain firm

As a business owner, live by what you preach. Be the good example of customer care yourself. Let your staff learn through the way you behave towards customers.

In this hotel in Gitarama, the owner kept on saying “I’m sorry” without really offering any adequate solution.Even if you employ relatives in your business, be firm to all employees when it comes to customer service. Do not accept mediocrity.

Do not think because you are upcountry, you can behave anyhow towards customers.
Customer service is a compulsory element for any business whether in Kigali or upcountry. Even if you are upcountry, you still need to be competitive and this requires that you aim at good customer care.

Remember that a repeat customer is the result of the good relationship you build up through excellent customer service and this no matter where you are.

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

www.sheiconsulting.com

Do our Hotels respect Standards of Operation?

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14053&article=2156&week=43

Monday, 19th October 2009

CUSTOMER CARE: Do our hotels respect standards of operation?

By Sandra idossou

As a consultant and a trainer on customer service, I often go to places to have a real feeling of services offered to customers. As I’m writing this article now, I’m in room 18 of a hotel in Butare called Ibis.

From the information gathered before coming here, this is the best hotel in town and the most frequent stopover for many tourists.

When I checked into the room, there was no remote control for the television and no telephone directory on the hotel services to even contact the reception.

Just imagine that incase of emergency in this room, there is no way to reach the reception or even call an outside number.

I then went to the reception to report about my missing remote control and a man was sent to check also the 2-channels-television that was not working either.

And guess what? The man simply told me that the television could not be clearer because of the antenna.

He promised to come back with the remote control but I waited the whole evening and he never showed up and the television never worked.

In the bathroom, there is no bathmat but rather an unhygienic wooden block. I know that when you pay $50 a hotel room, you do not expect luxury but a bathmat is the minimum you can ask for to avoid having water everywhere after a shower.

In the restaurant, Grace the waitress was very friendly and professional even though she doesn’t speak fluent English or French. She knew her job and was available. The food was also excellent.

I could also continue to write about the light by the bedside that is directly fixed in the eyes preventing one from reading in the bed.

But this 2-days–experience will fit in a book so I decide to check on trip advisor the comments of other guests who have stayed in this hotel.

For your information http://www.tripadvisor.com/ is a free travel guide and research website that hosts reviews from users and other information designed to help customers plan their vacations.

There are over 25 million views and comments on all destinations including Rwanda.
On this hotel called Ibis, I was happy to find some positive comments but wasn’t surprised to read the many negative comments by customers.

Just imagine the impact of these negative comments on Rwanda!!!

And it is for this reason that something urgent needs to be done concerning norms and standards of the numerous hotels opening up in all corners of the country.

A hotel is a public place that should be constructed in respect of norms and standards.
Any establishment whether a hotel or a guest house needs to meet relevant standard requirements such as quality in areas of cleanliness, service delivery, bedrooms linen, furnishings, electrical equipments, health and safety, bathrooms, fire precautions, food safety and hygiene etc..

Much as we are all happy that the country now records 4,225 hotel rooms compared to 3,438 last year, all should not be on the numbers but rather quality as well.

My question here is to know if the owners of these hotels go through any sort of counseling before they put up their hotels. When I read through the international norms of classification of hotels, there are so many hotels here that cannot be rated.

Hospitality just like many other businesses needs professionalism. You just don’t become a hotelier like that. As a hotel owner, you cannot put a niece or a nephew there without offering the basics of training.

When you invest in the “Hard” that is the building and the equipments, you also need to invest in the “Soft” that is the Staff.

As I went for breakfast the following morning at the Ibis hotel, the lady was eating right in front of customers. And when I told her some things were missing on the buffet, she looked at me as if I was disturbing her breakfast. While I was insisting; she told me that after all breakfast is free so if I come and do not find certain items on the buffet, I must as well accept it like that.

Dear readers, I thought I was dreaming. Apparently, this waitress didn’t know that when the rates are inclusive, it doesn’t mean that breakfast is free. I really think hotel owners need to be called upon by authorities. They need to be thought standards of operations. They need to understand that the image of the country relies on a big part on them and their team members.

Hotels are the first service providers that every tourist or investor uses when he/she arrives here. So let’s work urgently on their standards and quality.

Customer care is beyond just the greeting and the friendliness. It is also the respect of standards and the quality of the products we are offering.

The author is a customer service consultant presently working in Rwanda

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.comhttp://www.sheiconsulting.com/