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