LA SORAS FORME SES CADRES EN SERVICE CLIENTELE

LA SORAS FORME SES CADRES EN SERVICE CLIENTELE

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Du 11 au 12 Mai 2011, la Soras a offert une formation « Relation Clientèle » à dix de ses cadres. Consciente que la concurrence devient de plus en plus rude et que le client est le centre même de leurs activités, l’objectif de cette formation était de mieux équiper les managers de la Soras, des techniques nécessaires pour rendre un service professionnel et dynamique au client.

L’innovation, ici, était de commencer cette série de formation par les cadres car, comme Le dit l’Administrateur Directeur Général, Mr Marc Rugenera: «Le bon example en matière de customer care doit venir d’en haut».

A l’issue de la formation, les participants ont exprimé toute leur satisfaction par rapport à la méthodologique pratique et ludique de cette formation.

Cette formation a été dispensée par une équipe dirigée par Sandra Idossou du Cabinet SHEI & ENZ. Le Directeur Commercial de la société, Mr Benjamin Mbundi a aussi invité les participants à mettre en application tout ce qu’ils ont appris afin que le changement dans les comportements soit visible par les clients.

Un bon exemple à suivre. Avis aux entreprises !

Time is a Precious Commodity

Time is a Precious Commodity for all

By Sandra Idossou

“We must use time wisely and forever realize that time is always ripe to do right” says Nelson Mandela. The first time I read this inspirational quote was last year on the South African Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai. Since then, every time I see people wasting their time and energy on nonproductive and unnecessary things, this sentence just bumps back into my mind.

I am sure just like me; you have often seen people who do not value this precious commodity called “Time”. You probably also know many who keep postponing to the next day things or actions they could take today. Many of us do not simply realize that just like many other commodities offered to us, we can make poor use of the Time.

I have come to realize how time can fly away so quickly. I still remember (as if it was yesterday) the first day I arrived in Rwanda. I remember vividly the day I registered my first company. I also remember my first training session, my first article in the New Times, my first meeting with the International Women Association, my first painting exhibition etc..I still can’t realize how time in Rwanda has just fled so quickly.

Today, at certain times; I wish I had more time to do all the things I would love to do. I sincerely wish I had more than 24H in a day. I read this morning on a friend’s facebook page and found it extremely thought-provoking. Amin said this “If it wasn’t for dreams, sleeping would be a waste of time but somehow the journey continues so I give it few hours every now and then”.

It is true that in order to function properly, our body needs some sleep…but really, do we necessary need to sleep for 8 hours every day? Our great continent needs its children to wake up early and work. There are some African countries where people still go home for their lunch break, take a nap, a shower and resume work after 3PM...Africa is still a virgin continent on so many aspects that needs its children/youth to take full advantage of the great possibilities when the sun is up.

Every day is an opportunity for us to do something good in our own little way. No matter how small our contribution is, we all need to use Time wisely so as to be real partners of the development happening on this continent.

“Time is free, but it is priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back” says Harvey Mackay, an American author and inspirational speaker.

How I wish African especially the youth, would understand that time lost cannot be redeemed. How I wish Africans, when late for meetings or assignments, would no more give the shabby excuse of “this is African time”. How I wish Africans could understand that time is money and that we should use it wisely. How I wish Africans would understand that each individual has a responsibility in changing things.

Each single day should be used wisely…every day is a new day with new opportunities. To help organize properly our days, weeks, months, years; it might probably help some people to make a "to-do" list or put in writing their personal plans for their lives. And this is another issue where we need to work on….Write…writing helps us to become committed.

Making a to-do list can be a very good and productive habit. But of course, the most important aspect here is to keep them and stick by the outlined goals. And for this, we need to learn how to manage our time, how to be organized and how to be disciplined.

Time is a precious commodity and any minute we waste implies a loss of productivity and money. Let’s plan better our days and lives. It’s time we understand that personal growth and even business development worldwide require that we turn up on time or complete tasks at previously-designated time. Being late is not a norm and should not be accepted.

Time is a precious commodity for all of us. Let’s decide to use every single day as if it was the last given to us to do something good and beneficial for ourselves, our families, our nations and our continent.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

Congs to some Rwndair Cargo Staff

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14578&article=39596

Monday, March 28, 2011

FRONT PAGE » Letters » Rwandair Cargo Staff doing a great job

Rwandair Cargo Staff doing a great job

Editor,

I wish to share other readers an interesting experience I had this month with two Rwandair employees, working at the airport.

The first encounter was with a lady at the sales office/customer care desk inside the airport.

I went there with a specific request because someone at the Entebbe Airport had to send me an urgent CD but didn’t have money on him.

The evening flight was leaving Entebbe at 10.30Pm and going back to Kampala to get money would have been impossible.

So, I went to the airport in Kigali to ask if I could pay the $20 fee for this courier service from Entebbe. The lady simply said no.

I calmly explained to her again the exceptional request and the collect charges but all I could read from her face is “who is this lady asking me such a complicated thing?”
She asked me to go and inquire from the cargo people. At the cargo office, nobody was in but thank God, there was a telephone number written on the door.

Though the man was on the tarmac of the airport, he took time to listen and to offer a solution. The only issue here was that, he could not receive cash.

He asked me to go and pay the Ten Thousand francs in one of the banks at the airport. Unfortunately, all the banks had closed this Sunday evening. I called again the cargo man. He accepted to do an exception to the rule.

He called his colleague in Entebbe and asked him to send the CD on that evening flight.

I was given the CD after giving the bank slip, I felt like screaming and letting everyone know how exceptional some service people are in Rwanda.

Well, rules are very important for every business but in order to offer consistent good customer service, it is important that service providers adopt creative thinking as in most cases; they are able to find alternative solutions to their customers.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

What do I do when my colleague has a terrible Bad Odour?

Help, my Colleague has a terrible Body Odor

By Sandra Idossou

Jennifer shares her office with three other colleagues. John sits just next to her. For some time now, going to the office has become an ordeal for Jennifer who seems not to know how to handle the delicate situation she is facing. The truth is that John has a very strong body odor and this is affecting all the other colleagues as well. What makes this story more pathetic is the fact that both Jennifer and John deal every day with customers.

Matt also told me about this restaurant he loves going to but has decided to stop patronizing it because of a particular waiter who simply “stinks”. Apparently, the waiter’s bad body odor can knock down a camel. He wonders how such a person could be kept as a waiter.

Well, situations such as the above are very common yet very complicated to deal with. Body Odor sometimes simply called (B.O.) is the smell of bacteria growing on the body where the bacteria rapidly multiply in the presence of sweat. Sweat itself is virtually odorless but it is the rapid multiplication of bacteria in the presence of sweat that eventually causes the unpleasant smell.

As this is a very delicate issue, let’s assume you are the” John” here. Maybe your bad odor is creating discomfort among your friends or colleagues. It is for this reason that we all need to adopt personal hygienic standards. Have a bath at least once a day with warm water. It’s said that warm water helps kill off bacteria present on the skin. You may as well consider bathing more often than once a day with good antiseptic, anti-bacterial soaps.

Then you should also invest in strong antiperspirants deodorants. Some good home remedies for bad odor from the armpit are, lemon, white vinegar baking soda etc.

Body odor can also be influenced by diet, lifestyle, gender, genetics, health and medication. Most body odor occurs in our feet, groin, armpits, genitals, belly button, hair, ears etc. Spicy foods with curry, garlic, pepper have the potential to make some people's sweat more pungent. Some experts even believe a diet high in red meat may also raise the risk of developing more rapid body odor.

Another solution to bad odor is paying attention to your clothing. Use natural fibers that can allow your skin to breathe and evaporate better your sweat. Change your shirts, undergarments and socks every day.

Bad odor is a challenge especially when you are at the receiving end. How then do you inform a friend, a colleague, a relative that his/her BO is a problem affecting you? Very few would be ready to talk about this issue, especially in our society here where most people do not say exactly what they think or feel.

Believe me, the best way to solve this is to be honest and tell the person directly as sometimes, the person concerned isn’t even aware of his/her problem. Calling the person aside and telling him/her in a nice way is probably the best way in helping the person find a solution.

When we are not bold enough to challenge people right in front of them, we can use this other way by sending anonymous messages. I am not personally in favor of this method as nothing is better than being honest with people we live or work with.

Then lastly, if the problem still persists, report the situation to the supervisors if the problem is with a colleague. Even if being the boss doesn't make it any easier to confront employees with such delicate situations, it is the manager’s duty to make sure that all employees have comfortable, inspiring and appropriate working environment.

In conclusion, bad odor issues are sensitive but need to be dealt with seriously and tactfully as these can ruin relationships and reputation.

The author is the Publisher of The ServiceMag

Contact; sidossou@theservicemag.com

Current state of customer service

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14550&article=6127&week=09



By Sandra idossou

During the national retreat in Gisenyi two years ago government decided to seriously tackle the matter of poor service delivery in Rwanda. During that retreat, it was revealed that if service delivery was to improve in Rwanda, it could boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by as much as $40 million per annum by 2012.

President Kagame said that “Customer service remains highly problematic in private, public and civil society domains, something that is most certainly going to preoccupy us in the coming days, months and years.”

Two years down the road, after the various initiatives, can we boldly say that customer service has improved? Can we confirm that service providers treat customers better today? Can we say, for sure, that trainings offered have really impacted on the way people work and treat customers?

Obviously we cannot respond in the affirmative to all the above questions but we can all acknowledge the fact that there is, at least, a great sensitization campaign going on. The questions we rather have to ask ourselves are: Are we doing enough? Have all public and private institutions really embarked on this journey of world class service standards? Below is my personal analysis of the situation.

Importance of the media

Poor level of customer care in Rwanda is attributed to the lack of awareness by most of us. That is why the media has a paramount role in sensitizing the population. Our The New Times, Flash FM, Contact FM, Radio10 and many others need to be applauded for their commitment throughout these last two years.

The New Times, in particular, has dedicated a special column for customer care where different articles ranging from customer service management, human resources, sales and marketing, personal development to motivation are published every Monday.

But really as we want the entire service delivery population to understand the importance of such articles, then of course, more needs to be done. Adding to the articles, there should also be more radio and television shows, reports, sketches, dramas, videos on this topic on all news media in the country.

The role of other organizations

Two years ago, the government nominated a ten-member national steering committee mandated at rolling out a nationwide customer care campaign in both the public and private sectors. Government allocated about Rwf283 million ($500,000) for this two-year national campaign.

It is true that there have been interesting initiatives such as “Gira Ubupfura” campaign, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) Awards, trainings for the hospitality and tourism industry, to the police, the immigration, among others but unfortunately this is not sufficient.

It is for this reason that all private and public organizations should support other initiatives such as the waiter’s race, vocational training centers, The ServiceMag, Radio talk shows, consumers associations, etc that aim at educating and empowering the Rwandan workforce.

Another good initiative that got a lot of positive feedback was The ‘Customer Care Handbook’ that was published eighteen months ago by the Private Sector Federation (PSF). Though this was an excellent educational tool in a simple English and Kinyarwanda version, this project couldn’t unfortunately continue as the author of these handbooks is yet to be paid.

Importance of mindset and positive attitudes

Attitudes and mindset still remain a big challenge for both the private and public sectors. Efforts still need to be done in making the population understand the benefits of treating customers well. Charles Swindoll, a great American preacher said: “We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent of how I react to it.” We are in charge of our Attitudes

Managers have to be exemplary

Rwanda is privileged to have its president at the forefront of the campaign against poor customer service. It is rather unfortunate that some of the top managers, those who are supposed to inspire and motivate their teams, often, do nothing of what they preach. Improving customer service is not only asking employees to smile.

It needs international standards and mechanism, policies, practices and procedures that are service oriented. Top Managers need to be the change they want to see in their subordinates.

It’s everyone’s responsibility

As the cause of poor customer care is basically rooted down to negative attitude towards work and mindset, every single person needs to embark on this campaign. From the family, cell and sector levels, we all need to adopt better behaviors towards one another.

Customer care is an issue that concerns us all; it’s not only a government priority. We should all adopt every day positive attitudes. That is the only way we can improve. Let’s all remember that our attitude as a nation largely depends on our daily individual attitudes.

In conclusion, good service delivery is essential in all economies but, most especially, in Rwanda, that aims at becoming a service-based economy. With the country’s vision 2020, excellent service delivery is a must today; not an option anymore.

The author is a Customer Service Consultant

Contact: sidossou@theservicemag.com

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14543&article=6066&week=08

Monday, February 21, 2011

WEEKLY » Business Times » Change begins with education

Change begins with education

By Sandra idossou

The Akilah Institute of Women at Kibagabaga invited me on Friday to do a presentation to their students who are undertaking their hospitality course.

I was supposed to share my personal experiences as well as insights that could inspire and motivate the seventy young women. But I ended up being myself so much inspired and motivated by their optimism and their quest for knowledge.

During our two-hour discussions, we shared a lot on the importance of passion and the need to go beyond one’s limits and sometimes life circumstances. Here below is a summary of the great inspirations I got from these young women.

Education is paramount for any development

I recently read that “Education serves as the means to bring about the desired change in society, to develop a generation of virtuous individuals and thus contribute to the development of good human beings. The fundamental purpose of education is to gain knowledge, inculcate the forms of proper conduct and acquire technical competency”.

Education no matter the form it takes serves as the means to develop oneself physically, mentally, economically and socially. It is only through education that we can prepare the youth to compete successfully in the knowledge-based economy we are in now.

In other words, if service delivery in Rwanda should improve, it depends, to a large extent, on the effort that is done is offering qualified educational systems to the young generations.

The youth can make the difference

Youth is that phase of life where dreams are built, hope is kindled and a bright future is foreseen. It is at the stage that we discover our potentials and decide to grab the opportunities offered to us in order to pursue success. Youths look up most at times for role models in the society.

Much as it is true that the youth’s value systems are impacted by their interactions with adults, they are also responsible of their personal decision to contribute positively in the society. Young people therefore need to understand that each and every one can make the difference.

Investing in the education of the youth should be considered vital by all.

One of the other interesting moments shared with the students was the interest they had in The ServiceMag. I was simply impressed and motivated by the fact that they knew the content of every single page of the magazine (was later on told that they use the magazine as a teaching material).

The aim of all training is to make people grow. Building capacity in all sectors of our economy is key to the country’s development.

Improving on the Rwanda service culture is an individual responsibility

Another interesting issue we discussed was on the culture. Many people here blame poor service on “culture”. But when I asked one of the students to define culture, she rightly said that is a set of shared attitudes, values, beliefs, goals, and practices that characterizes a group of people or a society.

Based on this definition, we all agreed that because culture was based on habits and practices, it is simply a matter of adopting the right attitudes today. If we all foster new principles and value systems that can help us to begin an “all-new journey” on the path of the “right”’, then we could improve on this “culture”.

It is said that things that are repeatedly done become habits. If we all adopt today and everyday daily positive attitudes, this will have a great impact on our society. Promoting these good values and habits once again requires education and sensitization.

Before we concluded, the students unanimously took the decision to be catalysts of positive social transformation in Rwanda. The hope of the future lies in the Youth. The youth of Rwanda are the trustees of posterity. The future can really be bright if we all dedicate somehow, somewhere, a bit of energy, time, effort, money and resource in supporting all educational programs for the Rwandan youth.

The author is a Customer Service Consultant

Contact: sidossou@theservicemag.com

Our CEO's and Top Managers, too, need good customer service skills

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14536&article=6004&week=07

Monday, February 14, 2011

WEEKLY » Business Times » Top managers, too, need good customer service skills

Top managers, too, need good customer service skills

By Sandra idossou

An unfortunate and rather discouraging negative service experience with one of the big institutions in Rwanda, last week, led us into an online discussion on The ServiceMag forum. It was titled “What should be done when one of the big and most respected institutions has extremely poor customer service?

The number of answers we received was unimaginably thought provoking. One of such answers read “Write to them about the poor service and if nothing is done then expose this in the media.” Then another person wrote: “Do not put this in the media please. It will bring you more problems than you can even imagine.

I will suggest that you use sketch/videos or organize a workshop on that”
The debate is still going on and it is interesting to see how customer service can still generate so much passion from all of us. Vincent’s comment drew my attention as it highlighted a serious concern. He said: “Even those bosses, MD’s and CEO’s have to be trained on customer service.

Who says customer service trainings and sensitisation concern only people at front office: receptionists, waiters, tellers, and the like? This campaign has to go beyond that. Key staffs, especially management has to play their role to make it happen.”

This is a great point. In most parts of the world, Rwanda in particular, many people think that customer service is only about smiling or greeting.

According to Wikipedia, “Customer relationship management (CRM) is a widely-implemented strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organise, automate, and synchronise business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing, customer service, and technical support.”

This definition clearly shows that customer service management goes beyond the interface department. It concerns, to a great extent, procedures, strategies, policies, technology, the translation of the company’s vision and mission into daily actions and attitudes etc.

This, therefore, requires the implication of top managers who also have to be service oriented. Customer service is not destined for certain categories of people or institutions; neither is it targeted only at the retail outlets or the private companies. It concerns every organisation starting from the top management.

Improving service delivery in Rwanda is not just about sending employees to trainings when the top managers themselves do none of the things their employees are thought to do. It is simply not sufficient to tell employees what they should do when the manager does the opposite of what he preaches.

As a top manager or CEO, if you put in place policies, then you need to be the best example of what you want to see from your team members. You should be a model of your expectation.

It is said that good leadership is more than simply getting people to follow you; it’s getting people to follow you doing the right things. And that is why you need to be exemplary. Be punctual, honour your commitments, respond to mails and other correspondences, respect people you deal with, be professional always and all these will escalade down to how your employees treat customers. This might be a heavy responsibility but this is the only way you can drive others forward. Mahatma Gandhi says that “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.

If service delivery should improve in Rwanda, it should start from the top.

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

Contact: sidossou@theservicemag.com

Share your Best/Worst 2010 Service Expereince (Part3)

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14522&article=5875&week=05

Monday, January 31, 2011

WEEKLY » Business Times » Share your best/worst 2010 customer service experience (Part 3)

Share your best/worst 2010 customer service experience (Part 3)

by Sandra idossou

For the past three weeks, we have been doing an interesting series on the best and worst service experiences we had in 2010. It’s now my turn to share with you my best experiences. I must admit here that this has been a difficult exercise choosing which ones to write on. Your columnist has had great experiences and here below are the top five people and places that have really “wowed” me.

1. Paradis Malahide Hotel Gisenyi

I love travelling and have been privileged to stay in different types of hotels from the most expensive town to the least. But in Rwanda, this small lakeside resort at Rubona (6km from Gisenyi) has made me feel like a princess. The combination of the African decoration, the beautiful scenery around the lake, the ever-present smile of Odette, the owner of the place and the attentive staff have all made this place a unique and great hideaway. The staff was at our car when we arrived to welcome us and again to bid us farewell on our departure.

2. The bar of the Serena Hotel Kigali

There is one and simple reason why your columnist loves going to the bar here. It is the only place in Kigali where employees can remember customers’ names and actually call each person by name. I still do not know how they manage to remember everyone’s name. For me, this little detail makes the difference. Most of the staff here are professional, kind and truly care about guests.

3. Emmanuel Rutebuka at Ecobank

People need different skills when they are working in the customer service industry and Emmanuel is without doubt a great customer service person in this bank because of his empathetic and responsiveness qualities.

He knows how to show a customer that he wants to be there and is happy to help in any way he can. The last time I had an issue with a transfer I had done for Nairobi, he took it upon himself to consistently call his colleagues in Kenya to solve the issue. I really can’t commend Emmanuel highly enough – he is truly the best I’ve ever met as he knows exactly how to make up for complaints and always assist customers with such friendly and personal service.

4. My tomatoes seller at the Kimironko market

Christine Bazarama, is the best tomatoes seller in Rwanda (in my opinion) and one out of a million. Whenever she sees me, she welcomes me with such a great smile that, even if we do not understand each other because of the language barrier, I always know she is happy I have come to buy from her. I’ve had the most awesome customer service experience with this lady as she knows how to appreciate my patronage.

5. Shokola Restaurant

When was the last time you were treated like a king or queen? Well, this happens to me every time I go to the Shokola restaurant. This is the only restaurant in Rwanda where all the employees (I mean all of them) speak English and are able take time to understand the customer’s needs. Their first priority is often to ensure that they understand what the customer wants.

The employees here are very knowledgeable about their menus and are humble enough to say it when things are unclear to them (this is quite uncommon in Rwanda).

What about you? I am sure you also got in 2010 a customer service experience above or below what you expected. Do write to me that experience that stands out in your memory.

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

Contact: sandraidossou@yahoo.fr

Share your Best/Worst 2010 Service Expereince (Part2)

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14515&article=5814&week=04

Monday, January 24, 2011

WEEKLY » Business Times » Share your best/worst 2010 service experience (Part2)

Share your best/worst 2010 service experience (Part2)

By Sandra idossou

“The most destructive criticism is indifference,” says Edgar Watson Howe, a famous American novelist. Today we live in a society where most of us have become indifferent to many matters which should be important to us. We have become so egocentric that so far as the issues do not affect us directly, we tend to shy away from them.

When we started last week this series on sharing our best and worst 2010 service experience, someone said to me that: “What is the use? Nothing will change so there is no need wasting our time in writing these service experiences.”

Most of us are in an environment where people do not often say clearly and publically what they think of certain issues. But the fact here is that being indifferent is a sign that we lack emotion, drive, concern and even patriotism. Being indifferent on service delivery in this case has made many to become too complacent. Is it because many feel helpless, doubtful or simply afraid to voice out their impressions?

Well, if we really want things to improve here, we cannot remain indifferent or silent because if we are not part of the problem, then through our concern and empathy, we should be part of the solution.

In today’s article, your columnist has decided to publish Pesh’s worst 2010 service experience. You too, you can share in this column and for the coming weeks, your own personal positive or negative service experiences by being honest and objective.

Remember, this is the best way of encouraging and emulating those who offered you extraordinary service and at the same time emulate others to do the same

Dear Sandra,

I just read your column in The Business Times and I felt the need to share my worst service experience in 2010. It was on December 15, 2010 when I went to BNR to pay for my tuition. I got to the bank, did the usual filling in of the deposit slips and struggled to find a counter with the shortest queue and finally ended up on a queue with just one “client”!!! Counter No. 6 (I think!).

Little did I know that I would stay longer than those who were on queues of 8 people! I waited for up to 10 minutes until I realized the teller was actually having a conversation with the “client”! When I complained about why they were having a conversation over the counter, the teller’s excuse was that she was serving a “client” and that the system was also slow.

I raised my voice a little higher (am not quite a shouter), and then the “client” realized that I could create havoc and she took off…to her office…she was actually a colleague in BNR who (simply) having a conversation over the counter with the teller. She had no remorse whatsoever for the mistake.

On the brighter note, the teller who served (Brigitte) did a very good job to calm my nerves. She apologized for her colleague’s behavior (please note that the wrong doer was still defending her mistake), she was very pleasant and did her best to serve me in the shortest time possible.

Thank you for the good work that you are doing to address the service issue Sandra. Customer service should be in our blood, it is a pity that people have to be reminded to serve clients well. Wish you and all readers a successful customer-centric 2011. Pesh G”.

Expecting to receive your own worst and best 2010 service experience

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

sandraidossou@yahoo.fr

Share your Best/Worst 2010 Service Expereince (Part1)

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14508&article=5757&week=03

Monday, January 17, 2011

WEEKLY » Business Times » Share your best /worst 2010 service experience (part 1)

Share your best /worst 2010 service experience (part 1)

By Thursday last week, I still had no clue of what to write about for this column. Many writers probably face this situation when the blank pages simply refuse to be filled because of a lack of inspiration.

With no shame, I simply asked my facebook friends to help me find an inspirational topic. Luckily enough, I received quite a number of interesting suggestions. One of them asked me to do a series on the best and poorest service providers in 2010.

Wow, this is definitely a great idea as this friend goes further by suggesting that readers join this series by sharing their own personal experiences.

Most of us know that Rwanda has made tremendous achievement on different aspects. We are all very proud that today the country has become a good example on the international scene. Good governance, fight against corruption, investments reforms and many more.

But the fact here is that there are still many issues concerning service delivery in all sectors of business. Unfortunately, we still meet people who have no consideration for customers, who do not respond to correspondences; do not return calls, do not honor their promises, do not respect time, do not listen to customers or rather, have no humility to ask when things are unclear.

But thank God there is another side of the coin. Today there are few service providers who have understood the urgency of this matter and who know how to attract and retain customers by providing high-quality customer service.

The topic on service delivery has indeed become a very emotional one in Rwanda. For the past two years; there has been a serious battle against poor customer service through trainings, seminars, articles, debates, talk-show(s), books and even a quarterly free magazine.

You may be thinking that with all the above, it is obvious that service has improved. Yes indeed, it has improved. Service is better than it used to be some years ago. But to be frank, we are still very far from the level we would all want it to reach.

For the coming weeks, we will be sharing with you stories of companies and people who have made tremendous efforts in 2010. For your information, we will be publishing personal stories based on individual experiences.

Your columnist has had extraordinary good and poor service with certain specific service providers and will be sharing with you her own experiences. By mentioning the names of these service providers in this column, we would be encouraging those who have made efforts and emulating others to do the same.

Let’s all remember that as customers; we also have a role to play. Let’s not just sit there and complain behind closed doors. Let’s rather share our experiences from retail to big corporate; from public to private institutions; from Kigali to upcountry.

Consistent excellent service is a real competitive edge in this economy and in this age. Now more than ever, our service providers should know that they need to find ways to differentiate themselves and offer us service worth the money we pay them.

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

sandraidossou@yahoo.fr

New Ventures…share your vision and passion with your employees

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14418&article=4897&week=42

By Sandra idossou

Recently I visited a new hotel that had just opened in Kigali and was curious to know the meaning of the name of the hotel. When I asked the receptionist, she looked at me as if I was speaking Mandarin or had just come from another planet. She blandly told me that she didn’t know.

From last week’s article on “New ventures…pay attention to your first-time customers”, I received many interesting comments and suggestions. One of the emails read thus: “service is often bad because business owners do not invest the necessary time and energy in training their staff. They have money and simply decide to delve into a new venture without acquiring the necessary knowledge.”

In a recent training session in Kigali, I asked some of the managers and supervisors what their company’s vision was, and they simply didn’t know it.

The above three cases have made me decide to do a series on basic details that business owners should master when entering into a new venture. In the coming weeks, I shall share with you some of the important aspects when entering into new ventures, especially service oriented ventures.

I worked some time back in Nigeria as a trainer and our weekly training sessions often ended up with discussions on my passion for quality and exclusive service delivery.

I later realized that the employees who felt a strong sense of belonging to the company were those who really developed a passion for the job. They were the ones who precisely understood why they wanted to be part of the great journey of excellent service in Port Harcourt.

Empowering employees in any type of business requires that employees understand the vision of the business they work in. It therefore requires that the business owner, managers, and supervisors share their passion and vision with the entire team.

Sharing a vision and passion with a team is a real source of magic. When employees see themselves moving toward an inspiring future, they surely take action in the present.

They are filled with the desire to transform that future vision into reality. And that is why I love the Rwandan “Vision 2020” and wish many more people could really picture that vision in their mind while going to work in the morning.

Sharing a vision with employees empowers them to have a strong and positive morale, to be motivated to perform responsibly, effectively and professionally. Employees who understand the vision are often those who feel part of the organization.

They don’t just work for the money. They work because they want to be part of the success story of the company.

Researchers say that we learn 10% of what we read; 20% of what we hear; 30% of what we see; 50% of what we see and hear; 70% of what we discuss; 80% of what we experience; and 95% of what we share and communicate to others.

Giving just a written vision and asking your employees to read a manual is not enough. You need to communicate more than words. You need to be an example yourself. If you want your staff to experience deep satisfaction from their work and get really involved in their workplace, you need to include them in your venture. Tell them the whole story.

Tell them why you even decided to go into that new venture. Explain the battle and the challenges.

In any business, especially a new venture, the most valuable resource is your staff. They are the ones that will take the vision to a ‘touchdown’ or drop the ball. It is therefore important to convey that vision that can create enthusiasm. Help your team players to imagine the picture of the future and this will surely fuel them and take your company to its next level of professionalism.

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14501&article=5700&week=02

WEEKLY » Business Times » Share your company’s 2011 targets with your employees

Share your company’s 2011 targets with your employees

Sandra idossou:

The New Year has fully come and most people have been back to work with working challenges. New goals and resolutions, new plans, new dreams and new directions are probably also fuelling your thoughts.

One of the great challenges your business will probably be facing this year is to meet the company’s targets and increase profit.

Recently I had a chat with James, a sales agent in one of the corporate companies and I asked him his company’s targets this year. He says that his main target this year is to increase the number of customers. He knows off-head his target for every month. His sales team has weekly meetings to compare the results with the budget.

However when I put the same question to Sophie who works as a sales person in an insurance company, she looked as if the question was addressed to another person. Her response was as brief as this. “How would I ever know? Our managers never share these things with us. They keep everything so secret. They never communicate budgets and results with us.”

Well, we don’t have to be magicians to know which of the above people will be more enthusiastic and productive when dealing with customers.

As a business owner, you should start the year by sharing with your employees the general targets and objectives of the company. By doing so, you are ensuring that your employees are on the same page and understand the purpose behind the business.

Your organisational values, mission, goals, and strategies should be part of your daily operations. As a leader, manager, supervisor or business owner, your role is to set the tone. The power of the leader is to create passion, delegate, and mobilise the troops to join in reaching the company’s objectives.

Staff meetings, parties, newsletter are all great way of conveying your company targets to your employees. You will also need to translate your company vision and targets into a meaningful call for action that includes active discussions, teaching and training on the field, mentoring, coaching, and team building.

Sharing your targets is a great way of empowering your employees. Empowering employees in any type of business requires that they understand the vision of the business. It requires that the business owner, managers, supervisors share their passion and vision with the entire team.

Sharing visions and targets with a team is a real source of magic. Just try it and you will be amazed by the results. At the beginning of every week for instance, do a quick briefing with your employees and give them clear, measurable and realistic instructions. Review the results very often to ensure your team is on track.

By doing so, your employees will be filled with the desire to transform that future vision into reality through their daily actions. Sharing your company’s 2011 targets with your employees will empower them to have a strong positive morale, to be motivated to perform responsibly, effectively and professionally.

In fact, employees who understand the vision and targets of their companies are often those who feel part of the organization in which they work. They just don’t work for the money. They know why they come to work every morning and they want to be part of the success story of the company.

In any business, especially service providers, the most valuable resource is your people. They are those who will take the vision and targets to a touchdown or drop the ball. As a manager and a supervisor, help your team players today to imagine the picture of the year and this will surely fuel them and take your company to its next level of professionalism and profitability in 2011.

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

www.theservicemag.com

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14495&article=5650&week=01

WEEKLY » Business Times » We can Make it in 2011!

We can Make it in 2011!

By Sandra Idossou

Today January 3rd 2011 is the first working day for most people all over the world. The year 2011 is still a blank page that has almost nothing written on.

The pages will be filled starting from today with every little action we will individually take throughout the 365 days of the year.

Even before the clock finally stroked midnight last Friday December 31st, people all over the world were cheering and filled with so much enthusiasm and positive wishes for the New Year. Many are those who started the year with new resolutions.

This is also the time of the year we receive many best wishes. The most common ones are Peace, Love, Happiness, Health, Prosperity and Success. Much as I personally believe in the Grace of God in all aspects of our lives, all these best wishes for our lives, businesses; nations can only come to pass if only we individually work towards them right from this first day of working.

The start of every New Year is the perfect time to turn a new page and have many new resolutions. It is however amazing that these resolutions are most often the same as those made the previous years.

I read on a friend’s Facebook status this morning “New Year, New Me; that at last is my resolution, New Me”. And I loved it. Because in fact; nothing is new about the year. Every single day is a new year on its own. Every single day is an opportunity to do new things. Every single day should be a new day where we set to adopt new habits that will improve our lives, businesses and nations.

The beginning of 2011 should be a fresh start and a great opportunity to eliminate the bad habits we have adopted all this while. We should all aim today at establishing new routines that will help us grow psychologically, spiritually, socially, professionally and financially.

It is true that resolutions are much easier made than kept and by the end of this month, many would have abandoned their resolutions and settled back in their old patterns of the past years.

It is for this reason that we have to start right from today to write positive actions on the blank pages of 2011. Not tomorrow but today. This is the right time to reflect on the changes we want or need to make and resolve to follow through daily.

It is said that an action that is continuously repeated for 21 days becomes a habit. You won’t be fortunate enough to get things right every time but just be sure to try this new action every single day and by the time you realize it; it has become an acquired habit. If in every 21 days you can adopt a new positive habit, just imagine and count the number of good ones you can develop in 365 days.

For any real change to occur there should be a long term commitment. A Swedish Proverb says that “The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm.” This says it all. Our helping hand comes from ourselves. We ourselves have the ability to change our destiny. But of course, you also have to surround yourself with positive thinking people who can help you grow, emulate you and bring out the best in you.

Peace, Love, Happiness, Health, Prosperity, Success etc will only come if we do things we are supposed to do on a daily basis. Each of us can make this year a great one.

Each person is responsible for the realization of these best wishes. In fact, the most important element in this year resolution is “You”. No one can improve your life or your business but only “You”.

Take full advantage of each single day. Do things properly as if your future depended on them. Be professional every day as if your salary depended on that single day. Treat customers very well if they were the source of our incomes (and in fact, they are).

Your resolutions should be reviewed, tested, and measured very often. Without continual adjustment and maintenance you might just slip into the old habits you are comfortable with.

Creating something new in your life will take effort and positive action on your part on a daily routine. Be pragmatic and make your new year’s resolution a constant way of living that becomes part of your life for longer than January.

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