SHEI CONSULTING

LA SORAS FORME SES CADRES EN SERVICE CLIENTELE

2011-08-04T05:24:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-15T04:47:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-03-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

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

2011-02-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

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

CHANGE BEGINS WITH EDUCATION

2011-02-20T18:52:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

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)

2011-01-31T02:20:00.000-08:00

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)

2011-01-24T04:29:00.001-08:00

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)

2011-01-17T01:47:00.001-08:00

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

2011-01-17T01:47:00.000-08:00

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.

Share Your Company's 2011 Targets with Your Employees

2011-01-10T00:35:00.000-08:00

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

We can make it in 2011

2011-01-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

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

Offer Flexible Hours to Employees during this Festive Season

2010-12-27T02:47:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-27T02:22:00.000-08:00

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

Has Service Delivery Improved in Rwanda?

2010-12-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-12T12:13:00.001-08:00

Education is The Premise of Progress

2010-12-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-29T18:53:00.000-08:00

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

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

2010-11-22T02:18:00.000-08:00

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)

2010-11-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-11T05:45:00.000-08:00

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

Part 2. New Ventures, use customers complaints to fine tune your services

2010-11-01T03:57:00.000-07:00

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

NEW vENTURES...USE CUSTOMERS COMPLAINTS TO FINE-TUNE YOUR SERVICES

2010-10-26T02:02:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

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

The ServiceMag 3 is out

2010-10-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14401&article=34178

ServiceMag 3 launched

By Linda Mbabazi

(L-R) The CEO of RDB, John Gara and Sandra Idossou unveil the third issue of the ServiceMag. (All photos by Malik Shaffy)

IF Sandra Idossou ever tires of being a consultant she should consider becoming an event organiser.

On Thursday night, Sept 30, Idossou, now a household name in customer service, launched her third issue of the ServiceMag in a classy cocktail event held at Manor Hotel, in Nyarutarama.

The function was well-attended and attracted various personalities from corporate companies and many others from the business sector.

In the magazine, Idossou describes Rwanda as a dynamic country in which so much is happening. There is much mention of the Common Market Protocol; since July 1, 2010, Rwanda together with Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi have embarked on this Protocol that will bring about free movement of labour, capital, goods and services within region.

The focus of the new issue is the East African Community Common Market Protocol, and the main purpose of the launch was to bring together people in the service industry to discuss their challenges, share best practices and of course network.

The 57-page magazine covers a cross section of topics from business to entertainment; published in English, French and Kinyarwanda.

It is generally agreed that customer service in this country has been moving at a snail’s pace. A quick conversation with Idossou would give you some basic tips on how to treat a client at your place of work.

Of course, it is through training that people get to know the importance of treating customers with integrity and hospitality. Thereafter, people would always want to come to you for more services.

Maybe her name has become famous due to her reputed work ethics. Idossou’s efforts to educate the public on good customer service have created a positive impact in the country’s growing business sector.

Dressed in a black outfit, Idossou spotted a mix of modern and traditional hairstyle with dreadlocks, giving you a sense of rich, traditional culture that imbues her personality.
Her charming smile says it all. Additionally, Idossou speaks with a sense of confidence that endows her with a huge presence.

Despite the sophistication about her and the stardom on the customer service platform, Idossou can also be described as a simple lady.

Ends

IS CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MANDATORY?

2010-09-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

IS CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MANDATORY FOR COMPANIES

READ THE FOLLOWING LINK

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14396&article=4702&week=39

Is Corporate Social Responsibility Mandatory for Companies?

Companies are often recognised as a group of different agents that have a relationship with shareholders, suppliers, citizens, competitors, customers and the community as a whole. Even though companies are created primarily to make profit, they are also required to be an integral part of the development of the community.

While meeting a potential sponsor of the next issue of The ServiceMag, we had a very interesting debate on this issue of corporate social responsibility. Though we found this person’s arguments relevant; we needed him to understand the concept of the magazine as an educational tool in developing the business community here in Rwanda.

At this point, I must acknowledge that our arguments paid off as the new issue of the magazine will be out on Wednesday September 30th 2010.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) defines Corporate Social Responsibility (also known as CSR) as “the commitment of the company to contribute to the sustained economic development by working with employees, their families, the local community and the entire society in order to improve life quality”.

This definition simply indicates that companies are also responsible for the social, economic, cultural and even political aspects of our community. It is no secret that the values of a good company go beyond its staff or customers’ satisfaction but also to a large extent on its contribution towards the development of the entire community.

In Rwanda, we see certain organizations here and there making donations to orphans once in a while. Can we describe this as part of corporate social responsibility? Yes…. Is this enough?

Maybe, maybe not.
We discussed this issue with some friends and they think that the frequent donations (most at times simple commodities such as sugar, oil, foodstuff etc) are rather a way for many companies to offer themselves some free publicity through the media.

Examples were given of companies that organise for television coverage while they are at Umuganda (mandatory communal work activities undertaken every last Saturday of the month).

Well, I have also seen television coverage of companies digging ditches, sweeping roads or compounds or making compost. There are also those who build houses, clear the terrain, pay school fees or simply engage in any other activity that helps develop the country and its population.

At this point, a question emerges in my mind: do these companies or their top management have any responsibility, obligation or commitment concerning the population?

The answer is definitely yes. Every company, big or small, has a responsibility in creating and developing values such as protection, sustainability and acting responsibly and economically in offering a better economic environment to the public at large.

Corporate social responsibility in other parts of the world has become such an important issue and a real competitive differentiator. It is time this became a reality in Rwanda.

It is time the business community understood its role of impacting on everything that can contribute in developing the economic environment.

I believe that the eight Millenium Development Goals, (MDG’s), do not solely rely on our governments but also on everyone and other organizations. Educating, eradicating extreme poverty, reducing child mortality rates, fighting disease epidemics such as AIDS etc;;; are all goals that should be embraced by the business community.

Let’s all be responsible and participate in improving the lives of people in our communities. I would like to take this opportunity to thank once again all the companies that sponsor not only The ServiceMag but also the other events in town (culture, sports, fashion, arts, health, dance, educational, etc) .

I am convinced that if business owners in Rwanda integrate CSR into their strategies and daily operations, this will go a long way in creating a good reputation for their businesses and promoting the development of the country as a whole.

The Author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda

www.theservicemag.com

Managing Corporate crisis

2010-09-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

Know home to manage corporate crisis by Sandra Idossou

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14394&article=4635&week=38

WEEKLY » Business Times » Ways of managing a corporate crisis

Ways of managing a corporate crisis

I recently received, on behalf of the Service Mag, a letter from an unhappy customer regarding Rwandatel’s internet services. The issue was on the interruption of internet services some two months ago caused by the malfunctioning of an undersea cable from Dar es Salaam to Mumbai, and on to Rwanda.

I can guess this situation was a very serious and complicated one, not only for Rwandatel customers but also for the entire management and staff of the company.

In any business, crises such as these are bound to occur. It could be a very serious power cut, sickness or death of an employee, natural disaster such as a flood, fire outbreak, product default, accident of a customer on company premises, or even consistent negative publicity in the newspapers.

Much as you cannot always prevent certain crises, it is important, as a manager or a supervisor, to consider customer service strategies that could help in minimizing business disruptions.

Corporate crises can threaten you, your employees, your organization, your reputation, your clientele base, your career, your future etc. Therefore regardless of the gravity of the crisis, the tips below should help you to maintain and protect your relationship with your customers.

1. Accept that there is a crisis

One of the most difficult steps in crisis management is making the decision to accept that there is a crisis. Most business people take time before accepting the inevitable. Holding it off till it is too late might not help you save the sinking ship. If possible, bring the media on board by means of frequent briefings. Let the press know exactly how you are handling the crisis. That is the only way you can bring them on your side. Avoid hiding information that might be of interest to your customers.
Even if this seems absurd, emergency cases should be handled in an extraordinary manner.

2. Let your staff know exactly what is happening and take responsibility

In the case of a crisis, your staff - especially those in direct contact with customers - are going to be the ones facing the customers. So let them know exactly what is happening so that they can take ownership of the situation. Blaming others, denying the crisis, pointing fingers at others are all reactions that should be avoided.

3. Employees should show some empathy

In a time of crisis, customers require or expect that your company demonstrates leadership with excellent customer service that can respond with accurate, real-time answers to their questions. Employees should therefore be empathetic. Employees should, for a moment, place themselves on the other side of the counter so as to better understand the pains that customers have to go through. Employees should know how to manage stress so as to avoid mistreating customers in such situations.

4. Be frank with your customers

It is often said that “Honesty is the best policy” so no matter what is going on, be frank to your customers. Avoid making false promises as this will make them angrier in the long run. In most crisis management scenarios, the outcome heavily depends on what you do and say to the public during the first few hours of the crisis.

5. Compensate customers

After the problem or crisis is solved, look for ways of making it up to your customers. Send a “Thank You” letter or publication in the newspaper for their understanding. Compensate and offer discounts where possible. Can you imagine that after all the troubles the customer went through with that internet breakdown for two weeks; he still had to pay the usual amount on the bill, as if nothing had happened?

We can all admit here that dealing with corporate crises are real challenges for many business owners. It is for this reason that as a business owner or manager, you will need to establish specific and clear guidelines to which your employees can conform in cases of crises.
Think about the old cliché “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. If you handle your crisis professionally, you will ultimately make your customers become loyal to you and stick by you no matter what happens...

sidossou@theservicemag.com

Read the following link

Are you a Gazelle or a Lion?

2010-09-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

Are you a Gazelle or a Lion?

Read this link

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14382&article=4563&week=37

Are you a Gazelle or a Lion?

By Sandra idossou

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle - when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”

I received this quote from a motivational website and I found it extremely interesting and worthy to share with you. Forgive me if I feel like adding my own words to the last part of the quote: “It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle - when the sun comes up, you’d better be running, and taking into your hands your own destiny.”

I wish many Africans could understand that they hold their destiny in their own hands because their future doesn’t depend on others. Running, in my opinion, implies that we take responsibility and go for what we believe in. It also refers to working hard towards a brighter future.

Many live from one day to the next, and do not always feel responsible for their destiny. They blame almost everything on others or on circumstances. They have excuses for everything. If their businesses collapse for instance, they blame it on jealousy, hatred, the huge taxes, the challenging economic environment, the weather, even their spouses or parents.

Your columnist often meets young people who just wait for miracles to happen. Most of these job seekers sit patiently at home, waiting for their phones to ring.

Even though I believe in God, I do not think (the biblical) manna falls down from heaven anymore. God never encouraged laziness but rather endorsed hard work. I strongly believe that somehow, good things happen to those who work for them.

There is a quotation from a Roman philosopher that has inspired me so much; “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”. So while we wait for greater opportunities or doors to open for our businesses, our nations, our personal lives, let’s be prepared. Let’s improve on the way we do things. Let’s make ourselves ready because diligence is the mother of luck.

Pride, laziness, not going the extra mile, not upgrading one’s knowledge and skills, accepting mediocrity, being satisfied with the minimum, being irresponsible, etc., are some of the many reasons why many are not able to rise to great heights.

So people of and in Rwanda, our destiny depends on what we actually do today. Our daily personal actions and attitude will determine our achievements as a nation. It is as simple as that.

If you want to be a prosperous business person tomorrow, work towards it today. Adopt positive attitudes today. Do not accept mediocrity even if everyone else does. Accept to differ. If, for instance, everyone comes late to work or to appointments because it is a common practice, decide to be the exception.

Today, many of us are so happy with what is happening in Rwanda and I trust the future will be even brighter…but again this depends on how we all decide to begin our days; either as a gazelle or a lion. However, regardless of our business or activity, we all have something to run for. Let’s not waste time. Time is precious and every hour that is wasted can never be regained.

Let us wake up early, prepare, work hard, read, research, practice, improve and upgrade our skills and attitudes.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

Know How to Overcome Objections

2010-09-06T05:59:00.000-07:00

In Case you are into Sales, please read the following ling

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14375&article=4464&week=36

Overcoming objections during a sales process

By Sandra Idossou

Throughout the last four weeks on this Monday column, we have emphasized the fact that most of us almost always have something to sell; an idea, a vision, a thought, a project, a point of view, a reputation and for many other people, their companies’ products or services.

One of the most frequent reactions we all have to deal with is overcoming objection. Objection may be likened to a curse among many salespeople as in most cases; we do not know exactly how to react.

Objections often arise when customers respond in a negative or hesitant manner by giving excuses or other reasons why they cannot buy our ideas, products or services. Objections amount to sales resistance, which should give us the opportunity to clarify doubts, offer further information and reassure the customer.

At times, the objections are hidden or implied. This is why we need to be constantly on the look-out for certain details while speaking with the customer; especially nonverbal communication such as facial expressions, eye movements, body language, etc.

It is fundamentally important to smoke out all hidden objections because an objection that is not discovered and dealt with appropriately is a lost sale. So if you happen to be in sales, here is a 4-step process to help you handle them better:

Listen

Take time and listen. Do not jump to conclusions as this may cause further objections. Do not interrupt customers.

Use active listening methods; nodding and physically showing interest. Your customers’ objections will help you sell to them so thank them for voicing their fears, apprehensions, misunderstanding, misconceptions etc. If possible, write them down so as not to forget.

Rephrase the objection to make sure you have really understood it

Get to the crux of the matter by asking questions and showing you are interested. By rephrasing the objection and finishing with “is that what you meant?” you will be able to uncover the real objectives of that objection. By answering that question, your customer will clarify better his or her objections.

Answer the objection

If you tell the buyer you will deal with the objection later, then forget about it or worse, ignore it, you are sending a message that you do not care or are simply ignorant.

In case you do not have the exact answer to the objection, be honest enough to tell the customer while you look for a supervisor or someone who can clarify. In any case, answer the objection by showing the benefits of your product or service.

Close the deal

Finally, check to see if you have answered your customer’s question. You can even ask if they have any more concerns. Handling objections is a prelude to closing a sales deal. So finish up and close the deal. An objection that is well tackled might reveal other hidden ones. So be ready for more. Note that objections go hand in hand with sales so there is no way you can avoid them.

It is true that most objections fall into 3 categories; they are either true objections, or assertions simply designed to sidestep the real objection, or they are simply misinformed. You can easily address all the three by highlighting aspects of your product or service that may address them.

The next time you are confronted with one of the three, do not panic or stress yourself. Be calm and poised. No matter how you sell, you shall often face objections. How you handle them will determine whether you make the sale deal or not.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

Master the different stages of a succesful sales process

2010-09-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

Master the different stages of a successful sales process

By Sandra idossou:

Two weeks ago, we started these series on ‘Sales Techniques’ because no matter how good your products or services might be, they need to be sold by people who know how to sell them.

In last week edition, we emphasized on the importance of preparation. Preparation for every sales person is mental, emotional and physical. Preparation also implies that we do our homework by knowing the features, advantages and benefits of the products/services we are offering.

Let’s assume today that we have mastered all those two pre-requisites. How then do we create that first contact with the customer when he enters our shop or our office? What are the different stages of a dynamic sales process?

Though there are tones of articles and books on sales techniques, your columnist will like to share with you some one of the simplest techniques. Some call it the 7 stages of sale, others call it the 4 C’s of a sales process. The 4 C’s are the following:

1. Contact

This is where you decide right away if you want the prospect to feel welcomed or not. Whoever enters your shop or office should be acknowledged within seconds. Whether you are busy or not, whether you will be ready to provide service in one or twenty minutes or not; the first contact in crucial to the process.

An early acknowledgement is a minimum requirement. Your acknowledgement says “I’m glad to see you and I value your coming here”. It also means, “Please wait a second; I will help you as soon as possible” or “Thank you for your patience.” Your acknowledgement might often be just an eye contact, a smile or a hand gesture.

2. Connect

Smiling and greeting the prospect who enters your shop or office sets the tone for the rest of the sale’s process. Even though greeting might look so obvious to many, it is rather unfortunate that this has become one of the missing ingredients in most sales interactions here.

Do not just sit there and stare. Connecting with the prospect will start with a “Good Morning Sir/Madam” or “Karibu”.

The next stage of the “connect” is to ask the famous question “How may I help you?” As a salesperson, learn to ask many questions. This helps in uncovering your prospects needs. You should listen at least 50 percent of the time.

Asking questions implies that you learn to listen carefully. Listening is a key selling skill, in that without good listening skills the process of questioning and understanding the exact needs of customers will be rendered totally pointless.

3. Convince

As a sales person, you are like a consultant or an advisor. The customer wants you to be the expert in describing your products/services. You can only convince when you know everything concerning that offer. Convincing will require cordiality and a great sense of enthusiasm. If you look dull and hesitant, you are probably killing the sale.

4. Conclude

The last stage of the selling process is as important as the first. You need to make sure that that the customer leaves with a positive impression; even if the discussions do not lead on to a sale. Rephrase the order, thank the customer and follow up.

I have practiced this sales process hundred times before and I can assure you that it works. But the, do not just take my words for granted. Test it yourself and you will see the results on your bottom line.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

How good are you in sales?

Read the link

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14371&article=4417&week=35

2010-08-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14361&article=4355&week=34

Monday 23rd of August, 2010

WEEKLY » Business Times » Preparation is key to becoming a great salesman

Preparation is key to becoming a great salesman

By Sandra Idossou

ALMOST always we always or many times we have something to sell; an idea, a vision, an explanation, a thought, a reputation, a service, a product etc. And this makes us all get concerned about our sales.

Selling can be great when it is well mastered. Some people are born with natural selling skills whereas many have to learn them. Some find it extremely easy to convince others while others need to practice.

Although you may not be a sales person by trade or by training, you probably already have many of the basic tenants and characteristics of a great sales person. If you have been able for instance, to go through a successful job interview; then this means you know how to sell yourself.

No matter what you need to sell, the basic requirements are all the same. Here are some of the important things to take into consideration

1.You need to be prepared

You just don’t wake up and sell your products or ideas just like that without any prior preparation. Even politicians spend huge amount of time in preparing their speeches. They prepare both mentally and physically.

Preparation is simply the key requirement for any sales person. Preparation means doing one’s homework before going to sell. For instance, before going for this important job interview, you need to gather all necessary information about the organization; their vision, their targets, their policies etc.

B. Know your products

For those who sell products/services, preparation implies that you have great knowledge about those products. Sitting there and having no clue about how the product works shows you are not interested in making money.

Recently in a shop, when I asked the shopkeeper for some information about the product, she told me that all the necessary information was written on the notice and that I should go home and read it myself.

Whether you sell shoes, tomatoes, airtime, ideas etc, do ensure that you know them extremely well - especially their features, advantages and benefits that will be relevant to the prospect you will be meeting. Before the customer comes, put yourself in his shoes and ask yourself the questions that a potential customer might ask before buying your products.

Sometimes being aware of the main features and benefits of your products is just level one. Level two implies that you understand the benefits of these products for your customers. Take time to ascertain the main and unique benefit that your product or service would give to your prospect.

C. Know your competitor

No matter what you sell, you need to know what makes your product better than what is being offered next door. This is why you also need to know your competitor. Know the strong points of his products. Take time to visit your competitor. It helps you to adapt your product and make it even better.

While training some bank personnel sometime ago, I was surprised to realize that there were people who had never entered some of the new banks in town. Even if you have been working for 10 years and consider yourself a master in that job, you still need to know the new things happening. Take time and go and see for yourself how they take care of customers. That’s the only way you can learn to adjust and improve on your services/products.

Preparation is simply one of the most important aspects of selling. Take time to prepare yourself and you will be surprised by the results when the customer is in front of you.

The writer can be reached at sidossou@theservicemag.com

When your own employees drive away your customers

2010-08-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14357&article=4277&week=33

When your own employees drive away your customers

By Sandra Idossou

If you are a business owner, never underestimate the power of people you put in contact with your customers especially if they have to sell your products, goods and services.

Your products might be the best in town with the most reasonable and affordable prices but they will rust on your shelves if your contact people do not know how to sell them.

Selling your products implies that your staff seizes every single opportunity to adopt professional selling skills. Some people are born with these skills but many others have to learn them.

The first thing every sales person needs to understand is that each person who enters a shop is a potential customer who can leave behind some money for you in exchange of your goods and products.

Customers do not enter your shop because they have nothing to do at home. When you are lucky enough to see them come inside your shop, or simply glance through it, there is for sure a golden opportunity to grasp.

The last time I entered this furnishing shop down town, the guys looked at me as if I had entered the wrong shop. At first, I even had the impression that they were also customers. They did not have anything to differentiate them as staff from their customers.

They glanced at me and continued their conversation that seemed more important than making money. I do not think my experience is unique from other people who usually buy from this shop. Or possibly for them, I did not look like a “real customer”.

Perhaps to them - “real customers” are those who look “big”, dressed in expensive suits, drive big cars, carry expensive telephones etc…

Yet the reality is that many sales people lose great sales opportunities just by discriminating their potential customers.

I went round for almost 5 minutes without any of them coming to inquire about what I was looking for. Eventually I left the shop just the way I entered but felt sorry for the owner- investing so much in this business and realizing that your own employees are those who drive away your customers.

I can imagine the number of opportunities that are lost every single day because of the lack of professionalism by sales people.

I blame this once again to the lack of knowledge of most of these people. I have noticed that many of these contact people were never given the basic minimum sales techniques.
They are employed because they were recommended by friends and relatives; they are probably nephews, nieces, cousins etc. Or maybe they were employed because they accepted the meager salary that was offered to them.

Many at times, business owners never take time to take their staff into the basic requirements of their job. If you are into a selling business, you need to invest time and energy in training your staff on sales and of course, on customer care. Selling is an emotional act that needs skillful people.

In order to help you in this of training your staff to become more professional in selling, I will be sharing throughout the following weeks, articles on sales techniques. We will deal with issues such as product knowledge, creating a first contact with potential customers, understanding the power of emotions, knowing the different stages of a sale process, knowing how to persuade and convince, mastering the techniques of closing sales deals, reacting to objections and many other more.

But I also know the people concerned with these issues might not necessary have access to these articles so I will kindly invite you to share them with all your employees who sell your products and services.

Selling can be great job and an immense opportunity to improve on one’s revenue and a company’s bottom line if it is well mastered.

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

7 ways of Improving on your Appearance

2010-08-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14347&article=4208&week=32

Monday 9th of August, 2010

WEEKLY » Business Times » Seven ways of Improving on your Appearance

Seven ways of Improving on your Appearance

By Sandra idossou

Last week I went to this office where I met a man who gave me straight away a very good first impression. His office was tastefully well decorated, he appeared professional in his dress code and all his manners just made me feel welcomed.

It is so strange how a simple clean desk ca

n have such an impact on creating a first positive impression.

Thinking again about this first impression, I realized how sometimes we tend to neglect certain small details that can give either a good or bad first impression of us. A first impression is created during the first 20 seconds of en encoun

ter with someone we are meeting for the first time.

Watch out for the following:

Your personal appearance

Appearing neat should be compulsory both for men and wo

men in business. How we look has a big impact on how people perceive us. Whoever said that appearance is secondary to the impact we create in people’s mind was completely wrong.

Our customers expect us to look professional

on the job and that is why many business owners need to have a specific dress code policy which highlights what an acceptable professional appearance should be

The cleanliness of your desk or office
The neatness of our working area is important if your customers see it. If your desk is piled high with old newspapers, files, messages and clutter, customers will assume that you are slow and will inefficiently deal with their problem.

Avoid the bottle of coke, the toothpick, the dirty tea c

up on your desk. Make sure your office is welcoming. A small flower bouquet of less than 1000frw every week will go a long way in creating that sophisticated image of your company.

Match the colors of your dresses

The green trouser on a yellow shirt, with the pink tie, the red suit, the white socks on a dark pant, the blue shoe on a brown belt are all inarguably a taste of combination. In a business environment, you need to dress conservatively always even on Fridays.

Business casual dresses do not mean weari

ng dirty and shabby dresses. Most organizations describe an acceptable appearance as clothing and grooming which

promotes a professional image to the public.

Avoid clothing with extreme cleavage and evening or party wear in a serious the workplace. 

Invest in Comfortable Shoes

It is often said that the first thing one notices on someone are the shoes. It is for this reason that we must invest in comfortable shoes.

And please ladies, avoid shoes that make you walk as if you were fo

rced to wear them.

Avoid the noisy hills that distract everyone whenever you are in the corridor. Don’t sacrifice comfort for trends or fashion.

Your posture
As important as clothes and makeup are to your image, your posture and how you carry yourself are essential parts of the package.

When you stand with a slouch or sit with a slump, you’re telling o

thers that you don’t feel confident and you’d like to be left alone. Sit or stand properly. Do not drag your feet as all these might destroy your image even if you are properly dressed.

Your hands and nails
Have you been greeted with moist hands? How did you feel? A dull handshake kills your image. We talk a lot with our hands and need to pay attention that they are always clean.

Manicure is also for men. And of course for ladies, you need to avoid nail polish that is half off the nails.

Watch out for your smell
 Personal hygiene can impact your personal image. While we cannot control the hygiene of our customers, every contact person in business must be considerate of others by presenting a clean and healthy body odor or breadth.

After your lunch break, watch out for the garlic, pepper, onions odor than can for sure kill your image. Deodorants are also for men.

 Always remember that after a first impression is made, it is difficult to change that judgment. So capitalize on the first.

 The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda

sidossou@theservicemag.com

www.theservicemag.com

The Day I registered a Company in less than 24H

2010-08-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

THE DAY I REGISTERED A COMPANY IN LESS THAN 24H

Customer care: The day I registered a company in less than 24H

By Sandra Idossou

I have a confession to make before starting this. I must admit that I do not believe anymore the numerous advertising messages on billboards, newspapers, radio, television etc.

This is simply because I have often tried the advertised products and services and realized that they have nothing to compare with the initial advert. Since most of these ads are just to entice consumers, I have decided not to fall prey of them anymore.

It is for this reason that when I started hearing the Rwandan Development Board (RDB) advertisement on “It’s even Better to do Business in Rwanda” on radios; I never believed the message it was conveying. The ad was saying that one could register a company online or at their offices in Kigali within 24 hours.

But again, your columnist is so passionate about everything concerning service delivery that she often tries different service experiences so as to better understand what customers go through.

After a second thought, I decided to go and try myself the accuracy of this campaign. That is how on July 25, 2010, I started the process by checking online the necessary requirements for the registration of a sole ownership company. Their website was clear, simple and accurate.

I should say here that it is such a shame that many business owners neglect the power of websites in today’s modern and competitive world. Regardless of what type of business you are in, you need to know that most potential customers decide right with a simple click whether to try your business or not.

And for those who already have one, please make sure they are updated. The last time on a website, I read a Valentine Day offer in a month of June…..

Anyway, coming back to my experience in registering a company in 24hours; your columnist arrived on Monday July 26, 2010 at 10am at the RDB office and was asked to produce photocopy of her passport, a photo, a filled registration form and Rwf25,000. Because of my homework the night before, I had all the necessary documents.

At a certain time, there was some unclear information and when I went to ask the lady on the other desk; she took her time in explaining everything. After paying the Rwf25,000, I was asked to come back the next day.

Of course; I knew that the next day, he would ask me again to bring a missing document. It is sometimes so frustrating when service providers don’t take time in giving once and for all an accurate list of missing documents instead of asking customers each day to bring a different document.

Well, when I went back the next day at 8am, I was given a certificate of Domestic Company Registration officially signed and stamped. What amazement!  “Are you sure everything is alright?” I asked the man? And his answer was as simple as this “you can start your business right today”.

Of course, even with the certificate in my hand, I didn’t’ believe my eye. For your information, your columnist has registered companies in 3 different countries and she knows the hassle that one has to go through.

In most countries, the administrative constraints actually discourage many and make them rather work in the informal.

I simply need to tell the whole world about this experience…Yes registering a company in less than 24hours is possible only in Rwanda.
 
The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda

sidossou@theservicemag.com

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14340&article=4138&week=31

C

2010-07-28T20:58:00.001-07:00

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14336&article=4075&week=30

CULTURAL EVENTS SHOULD ALSO START ON TIME

2010-07-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14336&article=4075&week=30

CUSTOMER CARE: It’s high time cultural events started on time

By Sandra idossou

It’s 6.20 pm this Saturday afternoon and I am sitting at the Amahoro Stadium waiting for an event I have come to attend to begin. Much as I love the good music being played and the festive atmosphere at this moment , I never thought that I will sit just like this for more than two hours without any hint that the cultural event is about to start.

I have been here since 4.00 pm in the afternoon as stipulated on the program for the opening ceremony of this FESPAD event. For those who do not know FESPAD this is the Pan-African Dancing Festival that is organized every two years in Rwanda.

It attracts many cultural groups from different parts of the world. This edition has more than eleven countries participating and many international media covering it.

For the past two hours, all we have seen are people still testing their microphones and setting up the place. There have been some young people wearing green sitting on the floor and in the sun for the last two hours waiting also for the event to kick off.

But thinking again about this, I wonder why events such as these never start on time. Well, if you are a frequent reader of this column, you surely know by now that your columnist has issues about people not respecting time. Time is so precious that I hate to have to waste it.

Friends keep on telling me to “relax” because we are in Africabut I must admit that I can’t get used to this idea. Someone jokingly also told me that Africans wear the most expensive and branded watches yet they fail to look at the time. And this is true.

This issue of time respect is a serious one that affects all areas of our lives. Most public meetings, workshops, seminars, weddings, receptions, and even government conferences start late. It has become a common practice to never start on time and the unfortunate part of it is that this seems to be accepted by everyone.

In one of these big meetings last time, the MC kept on saying that they were waiting for the Guest of honor to show up. In some other cases; it is when people are already seated that the stage or the room are being fixed and decorated.

By the way, I always wonder why the technical aspects of events are not taken care of a day prior to these events. In this stadium now, there is this person who has been saying for the past thirty minutes “one, two, mic testing”.

If he knew he needed to test the microphones, why couldn’t he

do that before guests arrive?
Dear reader, I am begging you in the name of God to consider the time of the people you have invited. Do make sure that you plan things ahead of time so as to avoid doing things at the last minute. Also, when you are invited, please try to respect the time so that people who come on time will not be punished by waiting for you.

Well; it’s now 6.50 PM and nothing has still started. I am thirsty and there is nowhere one can buy water. The excitement for this event is gradually fading away.

Customer service requires that even cultural events starts on time. Customer service is also the preparedness in organising all events may they be business, cultural or social. It is simply the respect we show to people we have invited to our events.

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda and can be reached at

sidossou@theservicemag.com

Change is a long Process

2010-07-11T22:02:00.001-07:00

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14327&article=4008&week=29

Change is a long process that need time and perseverance

By Sandra Idossou

In recently met a potential investor of the Service Mag, who was in complete doubt about service improvement in Rwanda. He gave several examples and concluded by saying; “Why should we be the ones offering the magazines to the public? Do you really think there is any change happening? I have ended up believing those who say that poor customer service is just in our culture.”

There is no need to say here that I found his arguments thought-provoking. Not because this was the first time I was hearing such comments about service delivery in Rwanda but because of the nature of the arguments.

Well, though your columnist is not Rwandan, she refuses to believe that poor service is a matter of culture. I have come to realize that many people hide behind the arguments of culture to continue delivering or accepting poor service.

We can all admit that there are still issues about service delivery. We still experience long queues in banks, slow service in most administrations, the lack of consideration from many service providers but yes; service today is still better, in most cases, than it used to be before.

There is a change process going on today. It might not be very visible but it is there. Let’s understand that change is a progressive thing. Change does not happen just in a twinkle of an eye. Change needs time and perseverance.

Some habits have a powerful role in our lives. If we want to improve on our habits, we need Knowledge, Skills and Desire.

a) Knowledge
This allows us to know what to do. And it is for this reason that change needs a lot of education. People need to understand what they gain in offering good service. Knowledge is actually what helps the service provider to understand that it is for his/her own benefit to offer good service.

b) Skills
After Knowledge; one needs Skills to improve on one’s habits. Skills give us the ability to know how to do certain things. Again; education becomes an important element needed in acquiring new skills.

c) Desire
The Desire is the motivation to do certain things. In every change of habit, we need to have a real motivation. We need to see the end result. What do we gain when we change that poor habit? What are the advantages of that change we want to do? Change starts from within so look at the final result you want to achieve before you even start the change process.

Changing habit will require that we repeat the new habit each day. If we do not succeed the first day, it doesn’t matter. All we need to do is to continue the next day until, we adopt those new habits.

Do you remember for instance, the first time you learnt how to ride a bike or drive a car? I can imagine you laughing just at that thought. The beginning of every “first and new venture” always looks difficult and impossible.

Change is not an easy thing to achieve. It is often said that something that one continuously practices for 21 days non-stop becomes a habit. Let’s start today the change process and we will be surprised by the results.

LET'S NOT REMAIN IGNORANT

2010-07-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

WHY SHOULD WE ERAMIN IGNORANT?

“The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book. We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the opportunity to

read any book on any subject through the efforts of their fight for freedom, yet they refuse to read. There are numerous books readily available, but few read consistently, if at all”.

This is just a small portion of a long letter that was read on a New York radio station some time ago by a Caucasian white man. The title was “Blacks don’t re

ad: They are still our slaves”.

The first time I read this on internet, I got very infur

iated by the discriminatory opinions of the writer but with a second thought, I realized that he had a valid point. Many people, especially blacks are ignorant on many issues because they do not read. This is pathetic but sadly true.

Let’s be frank to one another dear readers. When was the last time you read a book? How many of us read today at least one book in a month? Do you have a budget for books or any other reading materials?

I come from a country where it is so common to see every morning people grouped in front of newspaper vendors to be able to catch a glimpse of at least the headlines of the numerous newspapers of the day.

It is even so common to see people walkin

g around town with a newspaper with them. In buses, hair salons, waiting areas in offices etc, it is often that you see people reading.

I must admit that this is something your columnist doesn’t’ often see here. The last time I talked to a friend concerning one interesting article in The New Times, her answer shocked me;

“You know what Sandra, when I receive every morning this newspaper, I just glanced through the titles and look for tenders that might be interesting for my business; I do not really read the articles.”

We can all recognize that the general message in the above sarcastic description of the black community is thought-provoking as reading is considered in most cases as a mere primary leisure activity. I am an African and I know that in our culture, we communicate primarily by oral means.

We rather place value on what people say or on what we hear rather than what we find out through print. As a result, we lose sight on the value of reading and getting information by ourselves.

The tragedy today is that, many people especially Africans have no passion to read. In today’s world we receive so much information via radio, television and multimedia experiences yet none of these avenues has the ability to educate as the fundamental skill of reading.

Reading has many advantages. Reading helps to travel to lands far away in the minds of readers. Reading helps to open up to other cultures. Thanks to technology today, we can read and travel a lot through reading via internet.

With my new phone for instance, I have the impression that I have access to every information in real time in my hands. Just a small click and the answer to my curiosity is right there in my hands. I often say that with Google today, we have no excuse of being ignorant.

Even in these days of multimedia, reading is the most essential skill to acquire knowledge. The internet has made information to be freely available to anyone who can log on. With the advent of websites and e-books, reading should be an easy and simple activity for everyone.

Reading helps in mental development and is known to stimulate the brains. It is often advisable to indulge in at least half an hour of reading a day to keep abreast of information.

For instance, it is observed that children who read have comparatively higher IQs. They are more creative and do better in school. It is for this reason that it is recommended that parents inculcate the importance of reading to their children in the early years.

Dear readers, 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. Books, newspapers, magazines, internet can instruct, inform, entertain, motivate and inspire.

One of the most basic foundations of power in business comes from knowing information and controlling it. Develop the habit of reading. Resolve to never let a day go by without reading something and you will see the effect on your knowledge building.

Remember knowledge is power!

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14319&article=3945&week=28

By Sandra idossou

www.theservicemag.com

WHY I LOVE COMPETITION

2010-07-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14312&article=3876&week=27

Why I Love Competition

By Sandra idossou

I am a happy consumer since July 1, 2010 as Rwanda together with the other four East African Countries embarked on the Common Market Protocol. This means that competition is going to be available almost on all sectors of business.

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda have all opened up their markets to each other and this brings us joy here in Rwanda. Joy in the sense that this Common Market Protocol will bring free movement of labor, capital, goods and services within the region.

What I love about the Common Market is that it will also avail greater opportunities for trade in goods and services; opportunities for greater competition; employment opportunities for people in the East African Community member states.

Well, this is great news for us as customers as we will have more choices. We will not have to stick to the poor service provider we are used to because we have no alternative.

This is the time business owners in Rwanda have to wake up, especially those who were still sleeping or thinking that they were the best in town. It is time to adopt ways of offering exceptional customer service that will make their customers stick to them even when competition arises.

In times like these when competition becomes tougher, as a business owner, you will need to offer more than what others do. You will have to be “better” than your next door competitor.

Competition should have positive effects on innovation. In today’s technology-driven world, innovation is crucial to success. Today, more than ever, as a business owner, you need to become more innovative to develop new products and new services that will best meet the expectations of customers.

Competition has a positive impact, not only on the well being of consumers, but also on a country’s economy as a whole. Competition today should bolster the productivity and international competitiveness of the business sector and promotes dynamic markets and economic growth.

I love the competition that the Common Market is bringing in Rwanda because it will help improve on customer service. Customer service is all about making a customer satisfied enough that they will remain loyal even when competition arises.

For example since cost of fuel is the same at Engen, Merez and Kobil, what makes customers chose one petrol station over others is the “little extra thing” such as the warmth of the attendant, smile and professionalism and the fact that they may clean your car windscreen etc.

These are the little details that will make the difference among competitors.

“In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment” says Charles Darwin.

As a business owner, when there is real competition, you need to go round your competitors and know what they are offering. This helps you offer more than they do. You need to look for gaps in their services so that you can fill them.

Be an answer to the loopholes. Bringing your prices lo

wer when there is competition doesn’t always make the customer stick to you. Rather make sure your products/services are worth the prices your customers are paying.

When I go to a “4 star” hotel like Laico for instance where I pay Rwf15,000 for lunch; the services I am expecting as a customer should be worth the money I’m paying.

The service I receive should differ from what I could receive at Karibu Restaurant where I pay Rwf2,500 for almost the same quality of food. I should not be yelling on top of my voice to have the attention of the waiter who is at the corner of the counter chatting with his colleagues.

In times of tough competition, there’s no real secret in getting your customers stick to your business. All you need to do is provide customer service that exceeds your customers’ expectations and outshines your competitors’ customer service.

As a consumer, I sincerely hope that competition will have

a positive effect on businesses’ efficiency and productivity. Companies that are faced with vigorous competition are continually pressed to become more efficient and more productive.

“Competition is always a fantastic thing, we’ve got so

me fantastic competitors and it keeps us on our toes” says Bill Gates.

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda.

sidossou@theservicemag.com
www.theservicemag.com

THE SERVICE MAG ISSUE 2 LAUNCH

2010-07-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

READ THE ARTICLE IN THE RWANDAN NEWTIMES ON THE LAUNCH OF THE 2ND ISSUE OF THE SERVICEMAG

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14309&cat=54

THE SERVICE MAG ISSUE 2

2010-06-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

HERE COMES ANOTHER EDITION OF THE SERVICE MAG

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14305&article=3821&week=26

Thursday 19th of August, 2010
WEEKLY » Business Times » Here comes another ‘service magazine’
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Here comes another ‘service magazine’ By Sandra idossou

For those who don’t know” “The Service Mag”, is a free quarterly magazine in English, French and Kinyarwanda distributed to service people in Rwanda.

It is distributed in hotels, restaurants, banks, hospitals, ministries, travel agencies, embassies and many more service providers both in the private and public sectors.

The main objective of ‘The Service Mag’ is to sensitize and educate both service providers and customers. The magazine has articles on Customer Service, Human Resources, Sales, Personal Development, Grooming and many other more.

The fact that the magazine is written in a simple language and filled with many attractive images makes the reading interesting for both top managers and the small clerk.

The first edition was launched in April 2010 with 5000 copies distributed freely all over the country including all provinces up-country. Education is one of the important ideologies I wholeheartedly believe in.

Education as we know encompasses teaching and learning specific skills. It is something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge. And that is the reason the motto of the Service Mag is based on Sir Francis Bacon’s famous quote “Knowledge is Power”.

The issues concerning poor customer service in Rwanda is often caused by the lack of exposure or knowledge. Many behave the way they do because they do not even know what is expected of them.

Good customer service is also not the sole responsibility of certain companies alone. If we want service delivery to improve, we should all be ready take concrete actions and be collectively responsible.

The Second issue of The Service Mag that will be launched this Wednesday June 30th 2010 is once again a compilation of several educational articles.

This new issue has a focus on The Public Sector as many still think that customer service concerns only the private sector. Watch out for the two interviews and see what is being done in public institutions.

This issue also has a new column called “where we’ve been to…and how we were treated” where customers share with readers their positive and negatives experiences or simply what they are expecting from service providers.

I must admit here that at several occasions, The Service Mag team had wanted to stop the project at the lack of support from many organizations. For those who do not know, each edition needs the financial support of local companies so that it can be made free to readers.

Writing here about the challenges in getting this support will require several long chapters that you may not want to know. But the fact here is that it is very discouraging and demotivational.
Thanks to the fifteen organizations that have made this issue possible, you can have your free copy from Wednesday June 30th 2010.

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

BREAKING THE LANGUAGE BARRIER

2010-06-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

ANOTHER LESSON FROM CHINA

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14298&article=3763&week=25

Breaking the language barrier in service industry - another lesson from China

By Sandra idossou

Just like millions of people in the world, I watched the opening of the Shanghai World Expo 2010 on TV. The event was attended by several world leaders and dignitaries. It was a great show with spectacular fireworks. This year’s World Expo gives opportunity to 189 countries to showcase in their national pavilions several aspects of their countries including art, design, technology, architecture, culture, international trade and tourism.

As this mega event happens every two years in a new country, we decided while we were in China in May to go and visit it. We booked a flight directly from our hotel in Ghandzoug from a receptionist who could not speak English.

We were amazed at the effort she made to ensure our booking as we also could not speak the Cantonese language. She used a translation software on her computer and all we had to do was to type in English our request and this was translated in her language.

When we boarded our domestic flight communication was of course made in Mandarin but the air hostess came directly to us and said in English that if we needed anything, we could call her as she was the only one who spoke English on the flight.

Even though language might seem a barrier in China, we found all these alternatives solutions as great means of communication to foreigners. Comparing this to what we usually see in our countries there are probably a couple of things we could learn.

In Rwanda, many times we often blame the poor customer service to the language barrier. Yes, the issue of the language is so serious that it needs to be tackled very seriously both in the private and public institutions.

In a Restaurant in Kigali, when we told the waiter that we couldn’t speak Kinyarwanda, he simply disappeared as if he was going to call someone else who could speak either French or English. But we waited for 20 minutes and this waiter never showed up again. Angry, we decided to leave but on our way, we saw him standing at the counter.

The language was probably a barrier for him and he never tried to find an alternative solution to understand our request.

I have also been to meetings where people speak Kinyarwanda all throughout even when they know foreigners are part of the audience. In most cases, there isn’t even a slightest courtesy in translating some of the main points of the meeting.

In today’s economic environment where Rwanda is opened to the world, your columnist thinks that urgent efforts should be done on the language issue. People in the service sectors should try to understand at least just some few words in English.

The customer is not expecting them to be perfectly fluent. In China for instance, I realized that almost in every shop, there was always at least one person who could try some sorts of English.
Communication is definitely key to a good service delivery.

If a sales person is unable to understand the request of the customer, how can he/ she provide good service? If you are a business owner or a manager, please put at your front desk people who can have basic knowledge of English.

Still as a manager, in case you have contact people who find it difficult to communicate with customers in foreign languages, please translate the following tricks in Kinyarwanda for them:

1. Be patient

It is not the fault of the customer or yours not to understand each other’s language. Don’t be frustrated. Be calm. Patience will help you figure out the request of the customer.

2. Look pleasant

Do not be blocked. Do not run or shy away. Rather Smile! Let your face and your body language send the message that, despite the communication barrier, you want to help.
3. Use visuals and be creative

A picture is indeed worth 1000 words. In a restaurant in China, the waiter had to draw a fish for us to understand. So use pencil and paper, maps, calculators - any prop that might help facilitate communication. Use signs, voice, hands and your whole body language to send out messages.

4. Involve other people

Don’t just stand there and say you do not understand. Call someone else who can help!Throughout my entire stay in China, there were, of course negatives experiences as well. By deciding to share only the positives ones throughout these last four weeks, your columnist sincerely hopes that we can all draw lessons from what has probably been part of the secrets behind China’s development today

sidossou@theservicemag.com

PART 3 : The power of a smile, another lesson from China

2010-06-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

Read the link

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14291&article=3699&week=24

PART 3 : The power of a smile, another lesson from China By Sandra idossou

There is this famous Chinese proverb which goes … “A man who cannot smile should not open a shop”. During my two weeks visit to China (which I have written about in two parts of my previous columns) I was impressed when came across this proverb. I couldn’t help but notice that it is not only a saying but it is actually put in practice as it is part of the culture well integrated in business relationships in China.

In all the interactions I had with the Chinese service delivery people, they were smiling almost all the time. The smiling gesture showed the warmth and indicated that people were always happy to meet you. Even though speaking the language was very often a challenge, their smiles could just compensate.

These interactions in China made me wonder why this could not happen back home in Rwandan. Many times when one enters a shop or an office in Kigali, a smile is visibly the most missing ingredient. And this is quite strange because people outside their working environment are quite friendly.

I must confess that one of the things I appreciate in watching the Rwandan traditional dance is the big smile the dancers keep all the time. Curious about that, I asked friends what could be the reason and I was told that the first thing these dancers learn is how to portray a smile. They are actually taught how to smile even before they learn the first steps of the dance.

A smile has such a powerful effect on people that it is not only for traditional dances that it should be thought. If you are a business owner or a manager reading this piece now, you need to take time to explain to your front line staff the importance of Smile for your business.

Just like the Rwandan dancers are thought to smile, you should put time in training your team members to always wear a smile.

Make them know that they have the key to the success of your business. Do not just put anyone in a front-line job. Recruit people who are friendly and have the ability of creating positive interactions with customers.

Your front-line employees are essentially the ambassadors of your organizations as they have the opportunity to interact with customers on a face to face basis and help promote and represent your company and all the people working there.

One of my most profound experiences in China was the visit to the big shopping malls and markets. The sales people were most at times standing right at the entrance of their shops with such beautiful smiles. This of course was just to attract customers enter those shops.

There is no need to say that a first contact with a smile always creates a positive first impression. It is also said that a smile can cause boundaries to melt, hearts to warm up, and distances to reduce. Why then can’t we smile more often in our business?

As contact people, let’s note that without a smile, our attire is incomplete. A smile makes us look approachable. And that is why smiling should not be an option but rather an integral part of our jobs if we deal daily with customers.

Of course, smiling is not a standalone factor. It is definitely linked to internal motivation. As a manager or a supervisor, you need to treat your staff well and they will be able to keep the smile. A simple form of motivating your team members to keep the smile is to be the example yourself.

Live by what you preach. Greet your team members with a smile in the morning and they will be able to do the same with customers. Remember your staff is human just like your customers.

“A smile is a gentle curved line that sets a lot of things straight” says another Chinese Proverb. Another one says “Behave toward everyone as if receiving a guest” With all these Chinese proverbs on business relationships, your columnist understood better the secrets behind China’s growth today.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

Service Delivery in China. essons to learn part2

2010-06-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

SERVICE DELIVERY IN CHINA......THINGS TO LEARN

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14284&article=3626&week=23

Lessons to learn from China’s service delivery

By Sandra idossou

“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Guangzhou International Airport. The local time is 2.45 pm and the outside temperature is 22°”. This was the sentence I have been waiting for all while on the plane. Service onboard was excellent.

The journey had been long and I had tried all this while trying to forget my horrible transit experience in Nairobi. Yes Kenya Airways is doing its best in being “The Pride of Africa” but there are still lots that need to be improved upon; especially when one is in transit.

Well, my first contact with the Chinese immigration at the Guangzhou g airport was quick and without any problem…..oh no, this isn’t really true because the scanning machine just bugged when our turn arrived.

But within two minutes; the officer solved it. And this was his comment while giving us back our passports. “Sorry for having kept you waiting for so long. Please accept our apologies. Enjoy your visit in China”.

Wow….a policeman apologizing for a delay of 2 minutes … I had never seen that elsewhere before. Immigration people are not always the friendliest people at airports. But I guess these Chinese have undergone much training and know how to create first positive impressions to visitors.

Another lesson to learn in China was the speed of service. Your columnist was more than impressed. Right from the airport, I understood that ‘time is money’ means a lot for the Chinese.
Everyone is almost running. People are so fast that coming from Rwanda where we are used to the contrary; adjusting to the speed of service even as customers became a challenge.

Even when they are eating, they do this with such speed that one wonders how they manage not to get chocked. For instance, the Shanghai’s spanking-new Maglev (magnetic levitation) train is the world’s fastest and most futuristic passenger line in the world. And believe you me, this 245mph train was constructed only in four years.

China is today known for its phenomenal growth not only because of the many reforms that have been put in place by government and the private business community but also because of the fact that Chinese are great workers. They are very focused on their work. They work for hours and have just few days of vacation.

Talking about being focused, there is even a ban on the famous social network “Facebook” for instance. While in China, I could not access my blogs. Many might think these are signs of lack of freedom but your columnist considers this as a way of making people remain focused on their work.

For developing countries like ours, we need to spend our precious time on more productive things. Do not take me wrong dear reader. I am not against Facebook as I am also a user of many social and professional networks such as Viadeo, LinkedIn, Xing, Twitter and Facebook but I think we simply spend too much of time on them.

Just look at most offices in town. People are connected on these social websites and spend less time on the real job for which they are paid. Some time back, an employee asked me to wait while he was busy chatting on yahoo messenger with friends.

Workers across the country are collectively wasting huge amounts of company time these social networking sites. Research suggests that every day in every Australian company for instance, an average of one hour is being lost to the “underground intranet.

According to an employment law firm in Peninsula, 233 million hours are lost every month as a result of employees “wasting time” on social networking. And this is probably the same in Rwanda and in Africa in general.

A lesson we could learn from China is to become more productive with our time. Now is the right time to build our carriers and our nation if we want to become one day a great nation like China.

sidossou@theservicemag.com

Service Delivery in China. Lessons to learn Part 1

2010-05-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

Service delivery in China: Lessons to learn part 1

By Sandra idossou

Sitting at this hour of the day at the Shanghai International airport in China, I am wondering how China managed to become the centre of the world looking at the numerous passengers who are travelling.

I am actually part of these passengers waiting to embark on my fourteen- hour flight back to Kigali.

For your information, The Shanghai Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. It attracted 31.9 million passengers in 2009 and there are actually many other big international airports in China all as busy as this one.

I couldn’t imagine that two weeks after touring China, I will be filled with so many positive service experiences.The reason is simple. I came to China with many stereotypes. Yes, we all have many stereotypes on China.

Many of us only know China as the country with the biggest population in the world. Some also know China for its propaganda ideological and communist scenarios throughout Mao’s years or for its numerous restaurants in every part of the world.

As an African, I had always imagined China as the country of counterfeit looking at the thousand of cheap products and gadgets that have invaded our markets. In fact there is even a joke that everything cheap or non-durable must come from China.

But the fact is that all these are stereotypes. What most of us know comes from either Chinese movies full of Kung Fu or news brought to us by biased media houses in Europe or America or for few of us, from history classes in school.

Your columnist has encountered many accurate, absurd, sometimes very degrading and insulting à-priory of China. And that is the main reason why I agreed to the invitation of Mr Idossou to visit this unknown great country that is becoming one of the greatest in the world.

My journey to China started with my visit to the Embassy of China in Kigali. I was amazed by the level of service I received from this old-fashioned woman who must been working there before your columnist was probably born.

When I came out from the embassy, I just said customer service must be real in China or the country knows how to attract visitors.

As an avid passionate traveler, your columnist has been to different embassies to request for visas. And it is unfortunate to see the poor customer care we receive in most embassies.

We are more often treated as “beggars” going to fill our pockets with the gold lying on the streets of these countries. Just look for instance at the queues in the sun in front of most embassies in Kigali. This is a degrading non-human treatment to people that need to be looked into by whoever should be responsible for this.

Coming back to this first experience with the China Embassy in Kigali, I got mentally prepared to appreciate China. After bringing the necessary required documents, I got the visa within 5 days and was offered very informative documentations on China.

Dear readers, right from the Kenya Airways flight, to my transit in Nairobi, the first contact with the Chinese Immigration, the experiences with the taxi drivers, my visits to Guangzhou and to the Word Expo 2010 in Shanghai, your columnist had so many rich service experiences that she has decided to share them with you.

From all that I have heard before, China may have its fair share of customer service nightmares but many people unanimously agree on the fact that service delivery has positively improved because of certain measures that have been taken by both the government and the striving Chinese business community.

My goal in sharing with you my experiences in the next editions is only to give you an overview of service delivery in China. There are probably many things we can learn from China. Looking forward to taking you through my service experiences in China.

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda.

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com
www.sheiconsulting.com

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14277&article=3573&week=22

RESPONDING TO MAILS IS A BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

2010-05-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

COURTESY OF RESPONGING TO CORRESPONDENCES

WEEKLY » Business Times » CUSTOMER CARE: Business etiquette of responding to correspondences is still an Issue

CUSTOMER CARE: Business etiquette of responding to correspondences is still an Issue By Sandra idossou

Ever since I have been a columnist, I have noticed that there are some articles that attract quite a number of responses from readers.

The article titled: “Business Etiquette in Responding to Mails and Correspondence” that was published two weeks ago has been one of the few that has drawn many comments and suggestions.

I have found the comments so interesting that I have decided to share some with you. Through the many emails I received, I realised that this practice of not returning calls or responding to official correspondences is still an issue for business relationships. I must admit that when I decided to write that article, I initially thought that I was the only one suffering from this until I received the numerous comments. By analysing the comments; I realised this issue affects the both public and private institution as well retailers and big corporate organisations.
Here are few comments

“What you said on the culture of not returning emails and calls is spot on. It’s like one huge conspiracy of frustration. People ask you to invest in Rwanda and when it is time for them to respond to your mails and letters; there is a total silence.

This practice has become an inherent part of the culture in which no one wants to be responsible. For organisations or businesses that want to be more service-oriented, they need more than just a vision or slogan. Responding to correspondences has got to be integrated into both the culture and daily operations” wrote Salha.

Celia’s mail reads: “This habit of not responding to correspondences is a real national issue because it concerns everyone…even me. We tend not to respond because responding means being responsible in writing one’s decision or opinion.

The problem here is that at most times, we do not want to be accountable for what we write, so we would rather not respond by writing.”
“There‘s a Rwandan culture of not being able to say NO to a request.

The reason why many people do not respond to letters is that when the answer to the request is a negative one, one finds it difficult to say so… people will rather keep silent until the person actually understands that the response is a negative one; it is our culture” says Helene.

Jean’s email read “Rwandans do not like writing. Writing means being committed. And being committed means being responsible. The issue is that no one wants to be responsible.

That is why no one takes time to respond. People are always afraid of what might come out or how their writing can be used. And you will be surprised to note that is seen from top levels down to junior staff level; from government agencies or ministries down to district levels”

Well dear readers, in today’s business environment, if we want to stand out from the crowd and be more professional and competitive as a nation, we need to adopt international business etiquette. Responding to letters is not a favour we are doing to correspondents but rather a minimum business requirement.

Let’s act responsibly and avoid hiding behind our screens, telephones or desks. One of the things we can do to build good relationships with our customers is to always be ready to respond to their mails,SMS’ and other official letters.Thank you all once again for your support, feedback, suggestion and contribution to this column.

The author is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

www.sheiconsulting.com

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14274&article=3528&week=21

Consumer's Association is needed

2010-05-25T02:16:00.000-07:00

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14267&article=3478&week=20

WEEKLY » Business Times » CUSTOMER CARE: Knowing your consumer’s rights is priority
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CUSTOMER CARE: Knowing your consumer’s rights is priority

By Sandra idossou

Last week there was a this story of a customer who went to buy a phone in one of the retail shops in town. After getting home, she realized that the telephone was faulty so she decided to look at the guarantee notice on the product.

Surprisingly the guarantee was actually for 2 days for an expensive product. She then took it back the next day to the sales person only to be told that she could not be reimbursed. The dealers were quite rude and almost threw her out of the shop.

This revokes one famous quote by Erwin Frand which says, “Every company’s greatest assets are its customers, because without customers there is no company.”

Your columnist sometimes wonders if service people are aware of this. One also wonders if service people acknowledge the fact that the customer/consumer pays their salaries.

That is a fact. The question here one would want to ask: Do we as customers know our importance? Do we know that when we pay for certain services and products, we are supposed to request for the best of them? Do we know our rights?

As customers, we all need to know that we have rights. Goods and products we buy should always be in a satisfactory condition. They should be ‘defect free’ and fit for the purpose they were intended for when we received them.

This goes as well for the services and products we purchase. When we pay Rwf10,000 for medical consultation, the service should be worth the bargain. When we go to a hair saloon or to a automobile garage for services, the money should fit the bill.

In some developed countries, customers are entitled to return a faulty good and get a refund if items do not meet the basic criteria stated on the notice or on the advert.

In the US for instance, consumers had little protection in the world marketplace before President John F. Kennedy, on March 15, 1962, put forth the “Consumer Bill of Rights”.

This was done to help consumers understand their rights and responsibilities. In 1985, eight basic consumer rights were adopted by the United Nations’ Assembly, which resulted in consumers having stronger consumer protection policies worldwide. March 15 is now declared as World Consumer Rights Day!

As consumers, our original basic rights are:

1. The right to choose
2. The right to safety
3. The right to be informed
4. The right to be heard

If goods we buy are faulty, we should not keep quiet. That is even why it is important to keep receipts. We should take them back and request for a refund.

The law stipulates that we return items within a reasonable time. This can vary but we should be able to take goods home and try them out. If there is a fault, it is important to complain as soon as possible.

We know how things happen in Rwanda and in most Africa countries where the consumers have nowhere to go and complain in case a retailer refuses a refund.

Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA) has a mission of regulating certain public utilities including, telecommunications, electricity, water, sanitation, gas and transportation. From the information I gathered your columnist has the impression that any complaint that does not fall under these 4 categories cannot be handled by them.

This is why there is a need in Rwanda for a real consumer’s protection association to help and educate both service providers and consumers.

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

Business Etiquette of Respondait to correspondences

2010-05-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14256&article=3428&week=19

CUSTOMER CARE: The etiquette of returning calls and responding to mail

By Sandra idossou

Have you been waiting for a response to a letter you sent three months ago to an administration, ministry or to private company? Is your request for an appointment yet to receive any feedback after waiting for 2 months?

Your columnist has experienced all the above and has had enough of it and can’t accept it anymore. I find this practice intolerably rude. I have tried to convince myself that people do not respond to correspondences because they are busy.

But the fact of the matter is that even if we are all busy, responding to correspondences is part of business ethics. No matter how busy one is, responding to official letters, mails, calls, and text messages is part of our duties as business people.

Many of you reading this article are probably part of the cause of my mood today. There are actually so many business people who have gotten used not to responding to correspondences. I do not want to give names here because you know yourselves.

Just like you, your business correspondents are busy people with professional obligations. Most times they just need a simple acknowledgement from you. Responding to their correspondences shows your good and professional manners.

Simply said; it is unbelievably rude not to respond in a week; month and even 6 months to an official correspondence.

The lack of responding to correspondence does not mean that you are busy; but rather it shows that you are disorganized, unmannered and overwhelmed.

In professional relationships; it is a good etiquette to respond quickly to a letter or email. Even if you are very busy and will not be able to properly address the request, a simple response to acknowledge receipt and assure the sender that you will shortly respond properly is courteous and an example of professionalism.

I acknowledge that we are all busy with meetings, deadlines and important issues that need our urgent attention. I also recognize that sometimes we receive too many requests.

But still, business people need to understand that it is a common courtesy to respond to correspondences. It is a minimum ethical standard we should set for ourselves to respond in a timely fashion manner; whether an email, a telephone message, a text message or a letter....

A friend here told me that when after several follow ups; there is still no response, then it means the response to whatever the request was is negative. But then, why this can’t be written? Why running around the bush?

Why can’t people be responsible enough to write a response?

It’s a fact that the written word is often so much more powerful than the spoken word. If your corresponded sent a letter; just have the courtesy to reply back in a written format.

If it is a message by mail or text message; just answer no matter the response. In normal business etiquette, you should answer a letter within no more than 5 working days. If your goal is to attract business or build working professional relationships, not returning messages or hibernating behind closed doors won’t win you many takers.

Set aside a specific time of the day to return calls and address correspondence so as to keep them from snowballing. Most often, after lunch or towards the end of the day is the best time to respond.

Doing so can enhance your reputation, exhibit your professionalism and possibly pave the way for good reputation, new contracts, orders and deals.

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

Should we accept "Rwandan" or "African Time"?

2010-05-02T21:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14249&article=3379&week=18

WEEKLY » Business Times » CUSTOMER CARE: by Sandra idossou
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CUSTOMER CARE: by Sandra idossou

Should we accept the ‘Rwandan time’ or ‘African Time’?

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

In Rwanda and in most African countries many of us have comforted ourselves in the idea that keeping time cannot be respected in Africa.

The issue of punctuality and time management is a pertinent one. Most people are late for almost every appointment. No function starts on time and the excuse I often hear is “this is Rwandan time” or “this is African time”.

I must admit that I hate this excuse as it turns out to degrade our values and our culture. I have never read anywhere that Africans can’t be civilized enough to respect time keeping.

I am an African and I hate to be late. I hate being at functions that do not start on time. I hate having to waste my precious time waiting for people to turn up late.

Time is always time and should be accorded the same value regardless of the place. Why can’t we be on time? Why can’t we respect deadlines? Why can’t we respect people we give them appointments?

The on-line Wikipedia says, “African time is a colloquial term used to describe a perceived cultural tendency, in some parts of Africa, toward a more relaxed attitude to time. This is sometimes used in a pejorative sense, about tardiness in appointments, meetings and events”

“The term is also sometimes used to describe the more leisurely, relaxed and less rigorously scheduled lifestyle found in these countries, especially as opposed to the more hectic, clock-bound pace of daily life in Western countries.”

Time is a precious thing and any minute wasted implies a loss on productivity and thus other implications which might be financial.

Punctuality is the habit of doing things exactly in time. Punctuality is common courtesy. Being punctual should be part and parcel of a person’s attitude.

I am simply hoping for days when lateness can make people lose business, sales or even cost some their jobs. I am hoping for days when people arriving late will realize that the meetings and functions have been done without their presence.

If you are always late, it shows that you are lazy disorganized, not focused, indiscipline, unreliable, uncommitted, inconsistent, sluggish and have an “I-don’t-care-attitude”.
Africa, in spite of her rich resources still remains poor because of the way we deal wit time. Time doesn’t mean money for Africans. So how can we be rich when we do not consider our precious time?

Rwandans and Africans in general need to learn time management and punctuality. It is high time Africans realize that keeping time does not only show respect but it also tells a lot about a person’s integrity.

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com