Offer Flexible Hours to Employees during this Festive Season

Monday, December 27, 2010

WEEKLY » Business Times » CUSTOMER CARE : Offer flexible hours to employees during this festive season

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14487&article=5556&week=52

CUSTOMER CARE : Offer flexible hours to employees during this festive season

By Sandra idossou

It is 4am this Friday morning of December 24, 2010. The weather is still fresh and I should be fast asleep under my covers. But as many writers go through, I am awake looking for what to write on for our Monday column.

The deadline for sending articles is Saturday morning whether it rains or shine, whether in Kigali or not; whether on vacation or not; whether on Christmas Eve or not.

Surprisingly, even with this weekly constraint, I still appreciate the bond created with readers over these last two years or writing this column.

Yesterday was a busy day doing last minute shopping. The whole town is simply filled with the festive season atmosphere. In this side of town in my country, Christmas is a real opportunity for many to increase on their turnover. Retail women sell almost everything by the roadside.

The city is full of people going here and there…there is so much traffic…loud music is being played by every shop owner. One has to be blind and deaf not to feel the energy in town created by this festive season.

While shopping, we met many service people in different moods. Many were dynamic and cheerful using every opportunity to sell more. Unfortunately some were also sad, rude and annoyed in their shops. At a certain shop; I had the impression by the cashiers’ facial expression that she was blaming customers for being so many to shop at her shop.

Christmas Eve in my place is a big family celebration. We often host big get-together dinners but tonight we will miss three important people at the celebration.

Gisèle is a sister-in-law who has to work very late because she is a cashier and today is also a very busy in her bank. For almost four years now; she hasn’t been able to be with us on this occasion. Her children are used to that.

Paul is a cousin and a Pilot who has to fly again today. He will be back in town in three days.

Latifa is a nurse and has to be on duty tonight. For the last two years, she has never spent Christmas Eve with us.

Even though Christmas is great festive season for many, it is unfortunately a very challenging one for many service people. Many can’t celebrate fully the season because of their professional obligations.

Last week; we had an article on the importance of appreciating service people during this festive season. But today, beyond these service people, I would like you to join me in thanking the family members of service people who go through this festive season without their loved ones (children, spouses, friends etc).

Balancing work and home requires continuous adjustments from service people. If you are a manager, do try to offer flexible working hours during this festive season. If your employees have to work during Christmas for instance, do try to give them holidays at the New Year celebration.

Flexible working hours can be a great way to keep your employees engaged with the company, especially during the Christmas period. Flexible working hours will allow your staff to spend time with family or attend other important social events during this season.

If you do not offer flexible hours; your employees will offer stinky services or be pretty rude to customers. They wouldn’t smile, give eye contact or be professional in dealing with customers. They might rather make your customers feel like a bother. And this is not what you want for your customers or for your business.

Wishing you all a Happy Festive Season

The author is a customer service consultant and the Publisher of The ServiceMag.

Appreciating service people during this Festive Season

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14483&article=5522&week=51



By Sandra idossou:

Dieudonné is a young man who works at the Hotel des Milles Collines in the banqueting department. I first came into contact with him when I started organising the previous ServiceNight. The day of the event; the room we were supposed to use was occupied by two different seminars until 5.20pm. Our guests were supposed to arrive at 6.30pm.

As I sat there overstressed and tensed about the delay our event might take, Wanini, the Sales and Marketing Manager kept reassuring me that everything will be fine and on time. Within 40mn; Wanini, Dieudonné and a team of dynamic and professional people started running around for the set up.

When guests actually started coming at 6.30 prompt, everything was set and at the right place. Seeing our guests enjoying themselves, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking that none of them could imagine all that went on before their arrival.

As customers, we don’t always think of what service people have to go through in order to offer us excellent service. Being in the service industry is not an easy job. It is even a very stressful one. It is a very demanding one. It requires, above all, a great deal of passion and determination.

Some people in the service industry have to wake up as early as 3:00 am in order to make sure that everything is set and ready at 6:00 am when customers arrive; some even have to work in the night. You might say that is their work and that they are paid for it.

That’s true but believes me, being in the service industry requires more than just a pay. It requires that people go the extra mile. It requires that sometimes, the service person forgets about his/her personal emotions in order to satisfy customers.

As the year finally winds down, this is the right time to appreciate the numerous people who work in the service industry. They are brave men and women who deserve that we applaud for them; that we appreciate them. This is the right time to celebrate them for what they have made the company achieved.

This is the time to reward employees for excellent performance. This is the time to organise get-together events with employees. You might think of cash bonus, gifts vouchers, a cash gift etc. Unfortunately, these deliver little in the way of lasting impact. Their benefits are very short term. An excellent way of creating loyalty among your employees is to create an event where you spend some time with them.

A party is a great way to build a sense of team and build stronger relationships in a non-work environment. A good party makes everyone feel better after a good time together. The benefit of better relationships can last years and increase productivity.

Recognizing your employees can go a long way in boosting their morale and making them know that you noticed their efforts in sustaining your business. Celebrate together with your team your company’s achievements and this will go a long way in inspiring and motivating your best performers to continue to achieve higher goals.

Recognizing service people is crucial to boost end of year moral and can provide excellent motivation for the year to come. Whatever type of recognition you choose to do, it will ultimately communicate to your workers that they are valued and an important piece of your business.
Wishing all service people a very happy festive season.

The author is a customer service consultant and the Publisher of The ServiceMag

www.theservicemag.com

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14473&article=5467&week=50

Monday, December 13, 2010

WEEKLY » Business Times » Has Service Delivery Improved in Rwanda?

Has Service Delivery Improved in Rwanda?

The last issue of this year ServiceMag was out last week on Thursday. But before then, a quick survey was conducted in order to see if there is any impact on service delivery since the publication started.

The survey started with a poll on “Has Service Delivery Improved in Rwanda?” 45 percent of voters said YES whereas 33 percent said NO and 22 percent were not sure.

We also received many comments on what should be done in order to see a real visible improvement. I found some of these comments very thought-provoking and
have decided to share with you few.

1. Service Improvement needs humility

Odette works in a ministry and says “let’s face it..we are a very proud people. Service needs people who are humble. If the service provider sees it diminishing for instance to greet a customer, to say please, I’m sorry etc; how can service improve in Rwanda?

2.Service Improvement needs everyone’s involvement

Janvier is a pharmacist and says “there is no doubt that this magazine is a very interesting and very educative one. I am always looking forward for having one. I think in order to really have an impact on service delivery in Rwanda; everyone should have a copy of it; especially people in public institutions. Go to any district office or hospital and you will see that this is still a lot they need to know.”

3. Service Improvement needs more commitment from Government institutions

“The issue of service delivery is a serious one in all sectors of business and I’m surprised that government institutions are not really doing much. Everyone talks about it but no one really does anything tangible to change this.

Sitting there and complaining will not improve customer service. Real actions need to be taken. How many companies take time to train their staff for instance? Thank God The ServiceMag fills this gap but this is not sufficient yet. Public institutions should embark on a serious battle against poor service delivery” says Maggie an employee in telecom.

4. Service improvement needs that people know exactly what is “good service ”

Well; I must admit that service is improving a bit; at least comparing to what it used to be before. Personally, I don’t think people give poor service because they want to. But it is rather because they do not know exactly what “good service” is.

They have been doing certain things certain ways for years and no one ever told them that was a wrong habit. What I love about your magazine is that it does not only say what is bad but it also gives examples of good service delivery.

This actually helps service providers to picture how they are expected to behave. I wish this magazine could become a monthly one offered to all in this industry” says Dieudonné, a hotel manager.

5. Service Improvement needs a collective change of mindset and attitude

“Changing mindset is not an easy thing. It doesn’t just happen like that. Educating people through your magazine is a good action but something else needs to be done in the grassroots level.

In all the small communities, debates on customer service should be done “ Desire ; teacher What of you? What do you think needs to be done in order to see a real change in service delivery? Write to me on sidossou@theservicemag.com and for the coming weeks, I will be publishing your suggestions. Let’s all remember that we are all collectively responsible for service improvement in Rwanda.

The author is a trainer and the publisher of The ServiceMag

Issue 4 of The ServiceMag is out

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14466&article=5402&week=49

Monday, December 6, 2010

WEEKLY » Business Times » Education is the Premise of Progress

Education is the Premise of Progress

Kofi Annan the seventh Secretary General of the United Nations once said that “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” I find this quote extremely thought-provoking and so very true. No need to say here that I am proud of this man not only because he comes from Ghana but most especially because of what he believes in.

Education is the basic of development in any society and at all levels. Education no matter the format it takes is an important ingredient in empowering people and developing countries. Education is a basic human right and is vital for the realization of other human rights in accessing broader cultural, social, political and economic benefits.

Education is so much needed especially in our dear continent that when I decided to become a trainer twelve years ago; I knew I would have the best job ever. I knew I could impact on people’s minds, skills and lives.

Your columnist can not describe the sparkle she sees in people eyes after going through her training sessions. And this is probably the main reason behind doing The ServiceMag. For those who do not know, The ServiceMag is a free educational quarterly magazine in English, French and Kinyarwanda distributed among the whole business community in Kigali and in all districts of Rwanda.

Its main focus is to educate and sensitize people on several issues that can help them become more professional and boost their performance. The topics co

vered in the magazine range from Customer Service to Human Resources, Quality, Health, Legal, Finance, Motivation and Personnel development, Sales and Marketing, Environment Protection and many more. The magazine can also be read online on www.theservicemag.com.

When all the 192 United Nations member states and international organizations agreed to achieve by the year 2015 the eight international de

velopment goals (Millennium Development Goals, MDGs) ; this required a central focus of both individual and collective efforts.

There is no way we can eradicate extreme poverty, reduce child mortality rates, and fight epidemics such as AIDS or Malaria, ensuring environmental sustainability without education and sensitization.

There is so much to know. Access to information is capital for all. Knowledge is a requisite to performance. There are so many important educational materials the public needs to know of. If we knew 1percent of what we are supposed to know, we would reach a higher level of development; especially as Africans.

Unfortunately in this part of the world where reading is not part of our culture, efforts need to be done in helping people getting the basics information they need. We at The ServiceMag for instance have decided to make our magazine very attr

active with many photos and simple interesting articles so that people will get “hooked” and get the interest in reading. The next ServiceMag will be out on December 9th.

Education enables people to break out of the poverty trap. It enhances the quality of life and the performance of businesses for people and their community. Building capacity, conducting vocational training and facilitating adult education programs will help boost our economy

.

Your columnist is taking this opportunity to call upon government, diplomatic missions, public and private institutions to help maintain this magazine by contributing with educative articles and by sponsoring it so that more people could have access to it. Let’s just remember that “Knowledge is Power”

The author is a trainer and the Publisher of The ServiceMag

sidossou@theservicemag.com

Too Much Procedures can affect service delivery

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14460&article=5328&week=48

WEEKLY » Business Times » CUSTOMER CARE : Too much Procedures can affect Service Delivery

CUSTOMER CARE : Too much Procedures can affect Service Delivery

By Sandra idossou

Yvonne, banks in one of the big financial institutions in town. Recently, she had to wait for more than two hours to get her money. The reason is that this bank has changed its internal procedures on cash withdrawals of over a million Rwandan francs.

The new procedure requires the cashier to get an authorization from a supervisor who is either in meetings, at lunch break or busy assisting other customers queuing with other requests.

After that process of authorization, the poor cashier has to go to another place to make photocopy of the customers’ identity card. This is also a new rule as in the past, the cashier just needed to see the identity card. Today, this isn’t sufficient anymore. So just imagine the number of ups and downs of the cashier, the waste of time and even the quantity of paper wasted every day on this process.

Most of us understand that internal policies and procedures are formulated by companies to help generate direction to best serve customers. There is actually nothing wrong in having procedures. But then, this becomes an issue when these procedures become simply too cumbersome.

Even if the first objective of having a procedure is to protect consumers, employees and the company in general; this has to be done in a simple and easy manner. Too many procedures can actually have a negative impact on service delivery. The next time you are deciding on a new procedure, please consider the following:

Use a team approach in defining this new procedure

Procedures help in improving a company’s efficiency or rectifying weak links in the provision of service delivery. But you need to associate the team in defining this new procedure. By being involved in developing procedures, staff will feel confident in their abilities to make decision. This will also help them to take ownership of this new procedure.

You may want to say you cannot involve junior staff in this exercise. But the fact here is that if the procedure is related to service delivery, you will definitely need the input from people who deal with customers in their day to day job.

In the example above, the cashier couldn’t explain why this new procedure was put in place. He was just asked to respect it and that was exactly what he was trying to do.
As a manager, do take time to explain all the aspects of a new service procedure to your team members so that they can in return do the same with customers.

Walk through the process as a customer and as an employee

Avoid too much bureaucracy but instead take time to go through the practical stages of the process as a customer or as an employee. This will help you to better understand how it works. A good written procedure might not necessary be easy to put in place.

Tom Peters says that “Almost all quality improvement comes via simplification of design, manufacturing... layout, processes, and procedures.” The simpler the procedure, the easier it will be to be implemented.

Also avoid putting two new procedures in place at once. Give each one the focus and concentration it deserves.

Get Feedback from customer during the trial period

After putting in place a new procedure, give it a trial period. Check with employees and customers how they react. Adapt it to the comments they give you. While it is true that human beings do not always like changes, do pay attention to customers feedback by establishing feedback mechanisms that can help to adjust the rules.

In conclusions, anytime you decide to put in place a new procedure or internal policy; think first about the impact on service delivery. They should be effective, clear, simple and precise. Always look for the balance between the end result and customer’s satisfaction. Remember cumbersome time-consuming procedures can equal to customer dissatisfaction.

sidossuo@theservicemag.com

WEEKLY » Business Times » New ventures…brand your company right from the start (final part)

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14452&article=5242&week=47

New ventures…brand your company right from the start (final part)

By Sandra Idossou

This is the last article on this series we started seven weeks ago for New Ventures. For the past three weeks; we have actually been tackling the importance of branding.

Effective branding has the power of elevating the image and perception of a company’s products and services. The following features were the important aspects we had developed in this paper:

1.Branding starts with the name of the company
2. Branding is about the corporate identity of the company
3. Branding is about creating first impressions
4. Branding is about the feelings and emotions you offer customers
5.Branding concerns all your marketing messages
6.Branding starts from within

An important lesson to learn here is that a great brand value cannot be built in a day. It takes time, money, effort, energy, perseverance, creativity and many more. Below are the final aspects of branding we had wanted to share with you on this series:

7. Branding is about offering excellent customer service

One of the questions your columnist received before starting this series was “what is the link between branding and customer service?” If you are a new venture, note that your brand is created out of customers contact and experiences. It is said that: “Ordinary people can spread good and bad information about brands faster than marketers.” It is not the brand guru who builds a strong brand but rather the excellent experiences your customers have.

Branding is a long process of building inseparable attributes in consumers mind. It is really about how strong the bond between you and your customers is.

Branding is simply more than just a logo or a slogan. Customer service is undeniably one of the necessary ingredients of Branding. When you offer excellent service; your customers will keep coming and your brand will resist even in times of strong competition.

8. Branding goes with Advertisement

If you are a new venture owner; you need to understand the power of advertisement. Even though advertising might be costly, it is important for your business. When I ask companies here to place an ad in The ServiceMag for instance, the reaction I often receive says “what will be the use?

After all customers already know us”
Advertising is of great importance in our world of competition. Advertising provides visibility and helps to develop awareness of your products and service.

Advertising will make prospects/customers remember you.
Of course, it is better to have one quality advertisement that costs a little more than five inexpensive ads of no value. I must admit that I still have issues with some of the advertisements I see in town; especially on the national television. I personally think that most of them lack some creativity.

It is said that a picture is worth thousand words. So when doing an ad, please avoid too many words. Rather use simple, clear powerful graphics that can capture the buyer’s attention. Also make sure this goes with your targeted audience.

9. Branding is also about your packaging

Your image is all in the packaging. How do you package yourself? Would potential clients take a second look or is your message getting lost? Branding is all about being seen and about the appearance of your packaging. Recently, Inyange upgraded their bottle water and this automatically gave a better image of their products.

Your packaging can speak volumes about your image and can either strengthen or weaken your brand. Spend time investing, researching, defining and upgrading it.

In conclusion, note that branding is an essential element for every business and most especially for new ventures. Branding represents your company in the media and in your customer’s mind. It is your company’s personality. Never underestimate its power.

Whether you are building your personal brand or that of your business, the basic steps are almost the same. You need time, energy and passion. Brands aren’t built overnight. You might not make money out of it straight away. But just like building a strong reputation, you need to prove yourself again and again in order for people to put their trust in you...

A strong brand value pays in the long term.

The author is a Customer Service consultant and the Publisher of The ServiceMag

www.theservicemag.com

New Ventures...brand your company right from the start (Part2)

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14445&article=5188&week=46

WEEKLY » Business Times » CUSTOMER CARE : New Ventures...brand your company right from the Start (Part2)

CUSTOMER CARE : New Ventures...brand your company right from the Start (Part2)

Sandra idossou

“A brand that captures your mind gains behavior. A brand that captures your heart gains commitment.” Says Scott Talgo, a renown marketing and brand strategist.

There are two important elements in this quote that I would like us to focus on in this article, the mind and the Heart of the customer. We have actually been running this series for new ventures for the last six weeks and in last week article; we emphasized on the importance of branding for all companies, small, big, public or private.

Some of the aspects that should not be overlooked were:

1. Branding starts with the name of the company.

2. Branding is about the corporate identity of the company.

3. Branding is about creating first impressions

For every business and most especially for new ventures; branding is simply one of the important components of their development. A good brand makes a product or service distinctive or unique compared to others in the market. Please pay attention to the following aspects:

4. Branding is about the feelings and emotions you offer customers

Branding is all about creating positive emotions and feelings in the mind and heart of every single customer who uses your products or services. In fact; a good brand is the one that actually touches the inner hearts of customers. When your products and services actually touch the hearts of your customers; you can be sure they will become your most loyal customers.

A company’s image is not based on its name alone; neither on the sole quality of its products or services. A company’s image is created; and to a large extent; on the combination of thoughts, feelings, beliefs, opinions and visions of customers. It is for this reason that as a new venture owner, you need to make sure that you build “emotional bank accounts” in the minds and hearts of people who try your products and services.

5. Branding concerns all your marketing messages

Branding concerns all the marketing “messages” a company adopts in creating a permanent and positive reputation. It concerns for instance the slogan or tagline of your company. Choosing a slogan should be given enough thought.

In creating your slogan, use a single, simple, brief, inspirational and memorable sentence that describes your company’s mission. Your tagline can be a powerful branding tool and a highly effective way to boost your brand. In order to be easily remembered; include this message on all your company’s letterhead, correspondence or advertisements.

6. Branding starts from within

I was recently conducting a training session and when I asked participants what was the vision and mission of their company; I was shocked to realize that none of them knew it. And the funny thing here is that I have actually seen these marketing statements framed and hanged on the walls of this company.

Staff commitment in a brand needs more than just a written vision on the walls. You need to take time and take every employee through an induction program where they understand the essence of the company.

To be true, your employees are the people who can really make your brand grow.

“Brand value is very much like an onion. It has layers and a core. The core is the user who will stick with you until the very end.” says Edwin Artzt. For me the “layers’ and the “core” are consumers who are the main purpose of a strong brand value and this; unfortunately cannot be built in a day.

In next week article, we will continue on some other important aspects of branding that can influence the experiences and perceptions of your customers. So be on the watch.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

New Ventures...brand your company right from the start

CUSTOMER CARE: New Ventures...brand your company right from the start

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14441&article=5131&week=45

By Sandra Idossou

Why is branding important for new ventures? What does it entail? What is the link between branding, marketing and customer service? Well, these are some of the questions your columnist received since we started 5 weeks ago this series for new ventures.

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.

This definition says it all. Branding is part of a marketing strategy of a company. Branding is what helps every company and especially new ventures to be known and differentiated. Branding sets the tone for the image the company wants to create in people’s minds. Branding is for all, small or big organization; public or private company.

Let’s face it. Every company is associated with certain specific images or impressions. When you hear Mercedes or BMW cars, for instance; what do you associate with? When you read “everywhere you go” you certainly think of one of the telecom companies here. This is all about branding; creating a reputation in the minds of consumers.

Branding is simply the essence of your company’s image. Here below are some of the important aspects of branding for new ventures.

Branding starts with the name of the company

Is the name of your company easy to remember or to pronounce? Is your name descriptive of your product or service? I have always been impressed by the name “coca cola”. No matter the village you go through in any part of the world, the name still remains the same. Everyone can pronounce it, no matter the language.

If you are about to set up a new venture; watch out for the name you chose as this will go a long way in creating the image of your company.

Branding is about your Corporate Identity

Apart from the name of your company, your corporate identity also goes with whatever graphic image you have chosen for your logo. Designing a logo is not a simple thing that can be done by anyone. At the beginning of your new venture, invest money in a good designer.

Even if your company has been in existence for years, you still have to update your logo and create a stronger and more powerful one. There is this bank in town and whenever I look at their logo, I just have the impression that it has been existing for more than hundred years.

The logo doesn’t fit the present. Simply by looking at such an old logo with very old graphics, you can already imagine how people work inside. It is funny but I even imagine they are still in the “telex” mode. And this is rather unfortunate, because in most cases, a simple color or graphics change is enough of an update.

Branding is all about creating the right impression

First impression is capital for every new business. Elements such as your business cards, the company’s letterhead, invoices; Web site, brochures and even company’s t-shirts or staff dress code, say a lot about your new venture.

They are elements that can give value to the products and services you are selling. Do not neglect them.

“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well”, says Jeff Bezos the founder of Amazon.com. Gaining a good brand takes time, energy and lots of efforts.

In the next issue, we will continue on some other important aspects of branding that should not be overlooked…so watch out.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14431&article=5044&week=44

Monday 1st of November, 2010

WEEKLY » Business Times » PART 2: New ventures, use customers complaints to fine-tune your services

PART 2: New ventures, use customers complaints to fine-tune your services

Sandra idossou

For the past three weeks, we have been running a series on new ventures. It started with an article inviting new ventures owners to treat extremely well their first time customers so that they can become their advertising agents.

That article gave an example of a rather negative first time experience in a new restaurant called “Zen”.

In today’s paper, your columnist has decided to publish entirely the response she got from the owner of that restaurant. The reason is as simple as this. This is exactly the type of positive attitude business owners should adopt when there are complaints.

I have often heard stories where certain service providers take complaints in the newspapers rather personal. Someone I know got himself into so many problems because he criticized a well known restaurant in the papers. So here below is the positive response I received;
“Dear Sandra, thank you for your article published in the New Times today regarding Zen Restaurant.

We apologise sincerely for the bad experience you have received in our restaurant and we have studied your article and are looking in this matter with great detail to ensure it does not happen again. In regards to the drinks you ordered we now have Port and Green Tea in our drinks menu.

We very much agree with your article where you state how important first time customers are and we have always mentioned this to our staff and to get everyone to understand how our business depends on customer satisfaction. We therefore feel really bad that you had a bad experience and we will do our utmost in ensuring that it will not happen again.

We hope you will come and try our food sometime soon and we have no doubt you will enjoy it. We have many repeat customers who enjoy our food, ambience and service and we understand how important it is for us to keep them happy as well as our new customers.

Large amounts of money in giving the people of Rwanda a ZEN experience and to introduce new cuisines in Rwanda and we hope that we will continue to see the great response we have received so far.

Once again we apologise for the poor service you received and we will make sure we work on the points raised by yourself to improve our service. We also have an article written by yourself in The Service Mag, Issue 3: Sept – Nov 2010 titled ‘Achieving Outstanding Service in your Restaurant’ and we will look at the points raised in this article and implement them in our restaurant.

We hope to see you again in our restaurant. Thank you. Management of ZEN Restaurant”.

If you are a business owner, the first thing to know when opening a new venture is that feedback – be it positive or negative – is an integral part to any process. Customer service is long and difficult journey in that, you need to satisfy each customer that uses your products/services.

An unknown author once said that “Customer complaints are schoolbooks from which we learn.” So learn to be grateful for complaints as they will help you to grow.

I don’t know yet when I will go back to this restaurant but I hereby solemnly promise to write about that future experience…hopefully, it will be a positive one.

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda

sidossou@theservicemag.com

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14425&article=4964&week=43

New ventures…use customers’ complaints to fine-tune your services

By Sandra idossou

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning” says Bill Gates.

In a recent discussion with the owner of one of the best restaurants in town, we exchanged on the secrets behind the outstanding service in his restaurant. Even though he does not have a hospitality background, he has managed to have the place-to-be in Kigali. Here is what he says:

“At the opening of our new venture, we relied a lot on our customers’ complaints, feedback, comments and suggestions to improve our services. Though we were new in this business and didn’t exactly know what to do in certain cases, we started right from the beginning to take very seriously all the comments that our customers made. Things that were often invisible to us were noticed by our customers. We spent time going through each comment in order to find a solution. For instance, a customer helped us to know that the lock behind the ladies washroom needed to be fixed. How on earth could I have known this as a man? This is a small detail but this is exactly the type of feedback we cherished during the first days of our restaurant. Complaints have actually and are still helping us to improve daily on our services”.

This is so true and your columnist wishes many more new-venture owners to pay attention to their customers’ feedback, especially when they are still new in business. In every new venture, there will be things that do not happen properly. But the most important thing then is the way you react towards each complaint.

When I first came to Rwanda some years ago, I was surprised to notice that people hardly ever complained. I remember the first time I was in a supermarket where a lady just jumped the queue to come and stand at the front while we were all waiting. When I asked her to follow the queue, the look from other customers in the queue was what rather shocked me. It was as I was the one doing something wrong by complaining.

Later, a Rwandan colleague told me that people often do not say anything even when they receive poor treatment. But the fact that people keep quiet doesn’t necessary mean that everything is right because these are the same people who will criticize things in their parlours or in their private homes.

So whether you work in a saloon, a coffee shop, a bank, a boutique or even in public service, the basic rules are the same. Be wise and pay attention to those who actually complain. They are doing you good by saying what they think about your products or services.

I know some complaints are baseless or that sometime, some customers are simply difficult to satisfy. But believe me, whatever the case may be, you need to do everything to make them happy. Dealing with angry customers doesn’t always have to be a battle.

One of the integral aspects for new venture owners is to train all employees so that they know specifically how to deal with complaints. Teach them to learn to listen carefully, to apologize, to offer alternative solutions and ultimately to thank the customer for voicing out the complaint.

They should not run away when things go wrong. They should rather face it and remain professional.

No matter what your customers may complain about, it is very important to believe them and to avoid taking the complaints personally. It is often said that a customer whose complaint is dealt with effectively often becomes the most loyal person for your business.

So make sure you win over the complainant. Aim at transforming complaining customers into your most loyal customers. Seize every opportunity a complaint offers to fine tune your services and you will see how the reputation of your company will positively grow.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

New Ventures;;;pay attention to first time customershttp://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14415&article=4827&week=41

If you have a new venture in town, pls read the following article on this link


http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14415&article=4827&week=41

New ventures…pay attention to first-time customers

By Sandra idossou

It started with Victor, Dalia, Matt and a few other friends who talked to me about this new restaurant at Nyarutarama that had a great ambiance and décor.

As always in need of new experiences, we decided to check it out last Saturday.

When we entered, the first impression was; “this place really deserves the name “Zen”. The decoration, lightening and the sound of the water cascade made us relax straight away and put us in high spirit and expectations.

Unfortunately, things started turning sour as we desperately waited for someone to bring us the drink menus. We realized that people who came even after us were already having their drinks.

This made us a bit excluded as at a certain time, we had the impression that the woman in charge (probably the owner) went round only to people she knew.

After 15 minutes of wait, we eventually called someone for the drinks menu. We ordered a glass of Port and an organic or oriental tea. The waiter came back 5mn later and said there was no port and that the only tea they had was “African tea”.

For your information, this was supposed to be an oriental restaurant. By now, we had been there for over 20 minutes and were still struggling to get just a drink.

Not ready for yet another stressful Saturday evening in a restaurant, we simply decided to go back home to eat our left-over’s accompanied by an excellent Rwandan green tea.

We don’t know yet if we will go back there especially for the “Dim Su” ( a Chinese specialty literally meaning touch the heart) we had wanted so much to try in Kigali.

While leaving with our pockets still full of the money we had planned to spend that evening, we pitied the owner. Maybe that was just a bad day for us but I wish business owners understood the importance of first-time customers in their new ventures.

It doesn’t make any sense to invest so much money in a business and not pay attention to customers especially those who come for the first time.

It is true that every new venture has its period test that is capital in creating a first positive impression. In a small town like Kigali where almost everyone knows everyone, comments on poor service will unfortunately spread quickly.

It is therefore very important to capitalise on the first impression that is given to new time customers. First time customers should be used as marketing and advertising agents.

If you have just invested in a new business, I will beg you to take time in fine-tuning your services. Make sure customers who come for that trial go back with a positive image of your products or brands.

Invest time, energy and training in your staff so that they can offer that “wow” experience to new customers. Be present there yourself and show to your employyes how you want them to do things.

Have real person-to-person contact with all your customers, avoid discrimination as a customer who walks into that new business probably has the means of becoming a loyal customer.

Treat each customer well with the same attention. That’s how you will make them come back. Even better, they’ll tell their friends too! And that is exactly the type of referalls that is important to your business especially at the beginning.

Pay attention to little details even at the begenning, be consistent and you will be surprised at the reputation and great customers referrals you would gain.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

Issue 3 is out

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14405&article=4763&week=40

A New Issue of The ServiceMag is out

By Sandra Idossou

The third edition of The ServiceMag is out and was released last week Thursday at The Manor Hotel. More than 280 people attended this Service Night that brought together people from all sectors of business to discuss their challenges, share best practices and of course network.

This edition has a special focus on the East African Community with an interview of Robert Ssali, Permanent Secretary at the ministry in charge of EAC affairs. He says “competition is good for Rwandans; to wake up those who are giving poor service and to encourage those who are hard-working”.

The personality profile of this new edition is Ben Kalkman, the CEO of Banque Populaire du Rwanda. Even though his institution was a cooperative some years ago, it has embarked on a serious and dynamic process of becoming a real commercial bank.

The article on him shows how determination, hard work and team spirit are helping to improve the image of the bank. This new issue of 60 pages has more than 40 different articles in English, French and Kinyarwanda on all aspects of business, from human resources, to environment, leadership, motivation down to personal grooming.

The articles are not only for service providers but also for customers as we are responsible for improving service delivery in Rwanda.

The usual columns, “For you Manager” “Have your say”, “where we have been and how we were treated” are all very rich and have been written by 18 different contributors. There are articles on different service experiences ranging from the Rwandan Post Office to a restaurant in Butare, a hotel in Dubai, a beauty salon in Egypt and so many more.

This edition also has a new column called “Ask our Lawyer” where many readers have their legal questions answers by our legal consultant.

Once again, I would like to thank all the sponsors who made this edition possible. For those who do not know yet, the magazine is free to the public because it is sponsored by organizations who consider this as part of their corporate social responsibility activities.

It is obvious that the magazine is just a small contribution towards service improvement in Rwanda. However, we shall all see real changes if we adopt new mindsets and attitudes towards our work. Let’s all adopt better ways of working, put in place organizational policies, internal rules and procedures, as well as good management and leadership skills and we shall be surprised at the results.

Get your copy today or read it online at www.theservicemag.com. We await your comments and suggestions in order to keep improving on the magazine. In case you want to be part of our team of contributors and sponsors for the December issue; just write to us.

We at The ServiceMag believe that reading is a great way of developing one’s mental capacity and building one’s knowledge. Reading is known to stimulate brains, instruct, inform, entertain, motivate and inspire.

If you don’t read you are definitely missing out on a great way of learning as well as a wonderful way of improving your life and business. It is for this reason that I am inviting you to read not only The ServiceMag but all reading materials that can help you upgrade yourself.

Remember, knowledge is power!

sidossou@theservicemag.com